Since we’re done with all the shenanigans – we finally had time to get a tree!! YAY!! Merry Christmas!!

This is just so you all know what’s been going on…I’ve had one hellish semester. I had a combination of some of my hardest classes which required many hours in front of the computer writing paper after paper. But I’ve managed to muddle through it so far with an A and a B, still waiting for the rest of my grades, but I’m expecting the last classes to be all A’s. YAY.
On top of that, I have been training most of the semseter to be an advocate for this project called the Refugee Well-being Project. About 2 weeks ago I was assigned to a refugee family from Africa, Liberia to be exact, as an advocate for the family, specifically for two of the children. I have been meeting with my family, or more exactly, my children twice a week for 2 hours since the end of November. I really, really love the work I’m doing, and love getting to know the two children I have been involved with, (they are a 4 year old and an 8 year old); however the time away from home has made it extremely difficult on all of us. I have been unable to spend any time with Aiden and Elise, let alone Zane. But Zane has been the ultimate trooper in all of this. He has been so supportive and loving to work so hard with the kids alone while I’m off trying to get the experience and references I need to get into graduate school.
Then, and most importantly, there’s Aiden and Elise. They’ve probably had the roughest time out of all of us – between momma being gone almost every night of the week, and papa stressed out from taking care of both of them alone and doing his own studies – they have begun to feel somewhat neglected. Every night I come home from my refugee meetings, they have been up patiently waiting my arival, only to collapse as I lay them down in their beds to go to sleep. With one happy goodnight kiss from momma, they always practically pass out. But now I can make it all up to them. I’m officially done with everything, except my volunteering with Agora – but that is only on Saturday mornings for four hours. In any case, we started our wonderful vacation away from everything last night with all four of us watching The Polar Express for the first time, then ending up having a tickle fest on the couch. It feels good to be home all evening again. I sure missed all of them.
So now, the best news is, I should have some time in the very near future to put some new pictures up – and have a good ole recap of 2006 – which has been a crazy year for us. So come back very soon!