We had such a good time last night bringing in the New Year with friends! Dave and Suz had us at their house to play some 'wild and crazy' Dutch Blitz games. Mike and I make a great pair but lost both games as being runner ups. Bummer.
We had some good pretzels and pretzel wraps, salad (which I prepared with Matthew's help :) ), veggie tray, soup, sodas, and desserts! The kids had a party and we love all the space in the Zook house! We adults could play our game while the kids enjoyed their fun too and not all on one pile! (Which can happen really fast at our house!) Thanks for the great food Dave and Suz!
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We were given a pomegranate in one of our fruit gifts over Christmas and so I looked online how to deseed them. I saw a recipe for a salad I wanted to make to take along to Dave's and it said to add pomegranate seeds for a holiday look and extra yummy taste! Matthew and I watched the video and we were impressed. All you need to do is score the fruit by cutting the skin the whole way around. Carefully, pull the fruit apart. (The juice does stain, so be very careful to not get any on your clothes.) Take a wooden spoon and 'hit' out the seeds. Matthew helped!!!
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Back to the party on New Year's Eve ...I was a minute too late to watch the ball fall in NYC. I tried to see the video clippings of it but oh, well. Not a big deal. Laughing till I was in tears at John JR trying to take back some of his Blitz cards was far better than watching something fall! Gotta love all our friends!!! :)
We got back home this morning at 1:30 AM. I am still trying to doctor up Ashlyn and Hadassah from coughs. Night time and when they lay down is always the worst. The vaporizer is running and uncers is applied to baby's feet. Praying they get better today!!!
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Thinking of the New Year and some resolutions:
I am not one to lay out a bunch of resolutions, but I did take some time yesterday to jot a few thoughts down. It seems to work better for me if I put things on paper and make it reality instead of just thoughts.
* God - Grow closer to God. Every day, every blessing, every trial ~ Praise Him. Trust. Know that He is in control. Relationships only last through communication. Prayer is the Christians way to communicate to our Lord and Saviour. "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thes. 5:17
* Marriage - Serve Mike with true love and good intentions. Sometimes serving the kids and myself creep up and Mike gets my leftovers. Not intentional. Never belittle him but rather encourage, vocalize his accomplishments. Brag about him in public. Pray for him everyday! Show affection! Be his help mate!
* Family - Be a friend, not just a mom. Talk and share about hurts and accomplishments. Give tons of compliments. Teach our children to work and do chores well. Guide and direct them always to the ways of the Lord. Pray for them and for their battles. Peer pressure is real but God is stronger! Way stronger!!!
* Health - Continue to eat healthier and get plenty of exercise. Take a walk or run hard. 30 minutes a day shows incredible health benefits! Drink lots of water and always keep fruits and veggies at hands reach! Don't be wasteful with food. Plan out menus and cook ALL that I buy! My family will be grateful for any extra efforts to eating healthy, good nutrition!
* Me - Try harder at not being late or pushing for every minute to count. Be more considerate of others time and stop being so rushed. Cut out unnecessary events even if it means to be on time! (Yes, even if that means getting up 30 minutes earlier on Sunday mornings. :/) Don't take life so serious. Laugh more ... a lot more! It's good medicine for the soul! Be more adventurous. Learn from my mistakes. Stop thinking of myself so much and put others first (in action and in my thoughts). Be a server! Be an organizer. Get rid of things we don't use or need. Be content. "But godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Tim.6:6
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"DO NOT CLING TO OLD WAYS AS YOU STEP INTO A NEW YEAR."
~ Jesus Calling ~
(I read this this morning and liked it! I hope you will too.)
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Happy New Years Day!!!
