Oh.So.Neglected Blog

No, I didn't fall off a cliff.
Yes, I'm still breathing.
Obviously, I've been a total slacker and lousy blogger.

With all that out of the way, for any of the readers who actually are still around after my lengthy absence from the blogosphere, I'm ready to get back in the swing of things.

By the way, HAPPY 2012 :-)

My blogging hiatus is attributed to a number of factors...

• Celebrating our Savior's birth through various activities & family get-togethers
• A break from homeschooling & the terrible readjustment of school again  (Yes, there were tears, gnashing of teeth, etc. - not pretty!  Thankful to have that behind us.)
• I've not felt 100% - exhausted and run down, but I think I feel a burst of energy coming on :-)

So... what's in store for the New Year on the blog?

• Playing catch-up... I've got tons of Dec. pics & posts to write-up (field trips, service projects, Christmas fun, reading recaps, book reviews, etc.)  Slowly but surely, they will find their way here, and because I'm a total nerd they will be backdated.  I have issues I know, but I insist things are chronological. 
• I'll be participating in a few memes/linkys for the shear purpose of holding myself accountable in several areas:  goal setting/completion, read-alouds with the kids, and personal reading.  I plan to return to weekly Homeschool Mother's Journal posts & Multitude Mondays as well.
• Since I've become a foreigner to scrapbooking, it's really important to me to preserve memories for the kiddos through the blog.  I need to take more pics of them and document all their cuteness!
• TOS Homeschool Crew Reviews will continue.  I've got a couple in the next two months that I'm really excited about.
• I'll be blogging a lot more about adoption/orphan care ministry....  including ways to get involved, local & national events, books, resources, etc.  This is such a passion of mine, and while I've shared off and on intermittently, I really feel the need to get more information out to the masses.  (Haha - delusions of grandeur - like this little blog reaches the masses, but a few!) 

Finally, for several years, I've listened on the radio, read, and heard of people choosing a single word to be their focus for the year.  I've never really given much thought to it, but this year, very clearly, God gave me a word.  For 2012, I am to be....

OPEN!

I'm not sure exactly what that means or entails, but I believe that God is asking me to be OPEN to all HE has in store... the good, the bad, the ugly, the extraordinary.  Possibly, I'm to be open to what God has to teach me, new ideas, new relationships, new challenges, new opportunities...  only the days of 2012 will tell!