Snow.....wind.....cold. It is another Iowa winter day. Much of 2010 has been the same here in NW Iowa. School cancelations, postponed activities along with frozen fountains and cars that don't start. Our house just never seems to stay the same........David who spent much of his Christmas vacation stranded here at home, went back to school and work. Justin left for grad school at UNI. Kate and I moved all her stuff back to the dorm yesterday, classes started today. Daniel and his family stay home where it is warm with their busy little family. Yesterday Jenna celebrated her 24th birthday....the days and years seem to just travel faster each blink of an eye. I now have an emty house again. There is some leftover "stuff" in kate's room, the bathroom counter has only hairspray on the counter as a reminder that she has been home. Kate and I cleaned every closet during her break. We went through boxes of gradeschool stuff.....photos and notes.....awards, medals and art projects. Kate wishes to throw nothing away, it seems to give her a warm "home" feeling. So we "organized" all her "things" , put them in plastic tubs and returned them to the shelves in her closet. I did that with all the kids "things" of the past....it surprised me what was important to them and what "things" brought back memories of their childhood. As I packed the boxes all back in to storage I kinda felt like a piece of my heart was left with each box. I looked through boxes of baby clothes and as I refolded each one I remebered who wore it and I could see their tiny little face like it was just yesterday. Some days I long for that again and other days I am starting to enjoy this new stage of life. What will 2010 bring for me.......? I hope I can give my family that warm "home " feeling where they want to come home and spend time with family. I hope each of them continue walking with God and lead their families to a faith in Him. What will 2010 bring you? I do not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future.......Trust Him.
