So sorry...

I didn't mean to disappear.  I know it's been a while, and I wish I had a great excuse.  The holidays were busy, and we did get a lot done, but really, I just have had the hardest time writing down everything that's in my heart.

Some of it can't be written down, at least not for everyone to see. I am really, really struggling with some loved ones in my life, and while they don't have this blogging address, I don't want them to someday see it and feel attacked.  I love them dearly, but I am hurting deeply and I don't have words that would come out right at this time...

I'm going to try to get back to blogging and somehow let all of that go, but it's what is inside me right now - and that's what I've always written.  What is in my heart, what is going on within my soul.  Any prayers you want to lift up for the situation would be SO much appreciated.

Let's see...in other news, we had a wonderful Christmas day.  I really enjoyed time with my husband, parents, brother and his girlfriend.  It was an adult only day (there are no grandkids yet) and it was nice just to spend time together. 

For the first time since we started dating, we did not go to our annual midnight service across town.  I'm still a little bummed about that, but hubby was tired and I was just...sad.  I missed my babies and it was a night of a lot of tears for me. 

Following Christmas, we got busy FINALLY painting the "purple room".  When we bought this house, the room was painted purple (previously a little girls' room).  At the time, we were so sure it would be a nursery soon that we decided to wait to decorate it.  We painted the office, our bedroom, the front room...but not the purple room.  Five years go by and it becomes a storage room of nothingness.  It had the makings of a craft room and a music room at one point, but it never really materialized. 

We were having friends over to spend the night on New Year's Eve, so I decided it was time.  We painted the room last week, hung curtains and cleaned out all of the junk.  It's now a beautiful room with an oversized chair from our living room.  I absolutely love the room and it is perfect as a little getaway for my morning and evening devotions.  I can shut the door and have my own private sanctuary.

* Side note - we had a fantastic adults only New Year's Eve party complete with a great dinner at Outback Steakhouse, playing games and just hanging out with amazing friends and family. It was a huge blessing of a night and a great way to ring in the New Year! Hubby and I got engaged 5 years ago on New Year's Eve, so this was a special way to celebrate!

I wish I had a before pic from the purple room (which it will continue to be called even though it isn't purple anymore...) but the only one we have is from when the other family still lived here and that is on a different hard drive. So for now here are the "after" pics of my new little corner...




We also FINALLY put up curtains on our windows - we've always had blinds, but they looked so cold and impersonal.  We now have rich chocolate curtains with a pretty beige crushed voile that let's the light in during the day.  I LOVE them.  And best of all, the vertical blinds are GONE from the arcadia door!!!





We also hung a new mirror and some photo collages of our family in the hallway, and got rid of a lot of "stuff" so our shelves, etc, look a lot more simple and not so over crowded...I love it.

It is really nice to have this stuff done.  Which brings us to our next dilemma...when to do our next transfer.  I think I'll save that for another post, however, as that is a rather large debate in my head that takes some more explanation than I have in me right now....

Hugs, all.  Thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.  If you're reading, would you leave a note to let me know you're still around?  I hope some of you are still stopping by now and again, and I promise to be a more faithful blogger.