OOOOh-Nine

I've really been in a slump lately. And not just in writing on this blog. My schedule [or lack thereof] has really thrown me for a mental loop. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Christmas has come and gone...almost a week ago. And now they want to throw New Years at me?
Maybe I would feel more festive if I had plans---of any kind. Nope, not a single plan. Just another ho-hum kind of day for me. Who knows I may even be in bed by 11pm...again. [thinking back to those days when I would stay up EVERY night of vacation because I didn't HAVE to wake up the next morning] boy, I'm getting old.

When thinking about how to approach this post I thought maybe I could answer way too many questions about my year, but after reading a number of others, I realized I wouldn't have the answers--at least not interesting ones. So I think I'm going to go with a format that I read in a Christmas letter and really liked....

What I Learned This Year

• I learned puppies don't like to be go through the 'housebreaking' process when it's cold and windy---but then again neither do humans. 
• I learned that when you put 2 dogs together, they like to play and bark---A LOT. 
• I learned educational hiring doesn't make sense and Mifflin wasn't going to be my teaching home. BUT I learned that I was okay with that. HUGE weight was lifted when I learned this. 
• I learned that a part time teaching job & a subbing job does not pay for rent. BUT I learned that living with in-laws isn't so bad. 
• I learned that daily subbing has it's ups and downs...less work=less pay. I learned that I miss having my own class, but that I'll be more than happy when it comes time to stay at home with my own children. 
• Speaking of kids, I learned that I don't have PCOS--[at least right now they don't think I do], but I potentially have many more tests when it comes time for that. 
• I learned that this is God's timing. We didn't have a baby yet, because God knew I wouldn't have a job this year or our own home. 
• I learned that God was so very gracious to us the past 2 years of our marriage and that I can't wait to see what he has in store for us [hoping that it's going to get better]. 
• I learned that no matter what is going on, that I have amazing family and I am very fortunate and abundantly rich in His provisions for me 

My hopes for 2010:

-that I can patiently wait for God's plan to be fulfilled.
-that I will grow stronger in Him and closer to Him.
-that God's plan includes a full time job for Greg & I (like I said--they are HOPES)
-I would love to read my Bible in a year (Although I have this every year---so I also want it to say read MORE)

[While cleaning today, I found a letter from my Bum (paternal grandfather who went home in Sept.08). I keep this letter because it's him...talking to me whenever I read it. There are so many things that come to mind when reading it through the tears. But one thing really stuck out to me this time.]

Proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight."

...That is my hope for 2010   ...thank you Bum, I love you and miss you.

She's Here!

Since Friday/Saturday I had high hopes..grand expectations if you will for this blog post.  I thought I could show you this way cool video of my brother-in-law playing his bagpipes in honor of his last day in PA. But I didn't have my camera (can't believe that!) and I can't even seem to track down a single video of him. So I will keep working on that....


BUT in other very exciting family news, our family welcomed my new niece into the world at 1:29pm on December 28, 2009...Danica Ruth. And simply because I am not totally sold on plastering pictures of children all over the internet, I shall give you just 1...or 2 because I'm in love with this little lady.

[Top: The Proud Papa, Grandpa, Nana & baby Danica)

[Bottom: Nana holding her 2nd granddaughter]

[Below: The hubs and I getting some practice in :) ...and lovin on our new niece]

Okay, Okay...I know it was 4, but what do you expect. Could you only put 1 picture up? 

Yea, I didn't think so. Being an aunt is awesome!

5 Day Christmas Extravaganza--with pictures

We knew very early on that this year was going to be like no other...at least we can hope. I say that because we were BUSY. Everyday, we were going somewhere else. Let me explain.


Day 1: Christmas Eve- 4 out of 5 brother were home today. Which meant lots of catching up and a lunch with Granddad..yum. :) Followed by a Christmas Eve service at church. Once the family was settled after the service (all comfy again) with good food from a late dinner in our bellies, we played a family game of charades. Let's just say the "wedded" team lost even though we had 4 players. A combination of pushing the button at the wrong time and just plain hard words like "gas giant"--try picturing your mother in law doing that one--led to our demise.


Day 2: Christmas! The alarm---ohh yes, alarm--went off at 7:45 so that we could shower, pack, and be on the road by 9 to visit my family in Woolrich (the town where the store started/has the mill where things were made). It's a 2.5-3 hour drive.

We arrived during the present opening. Normally this happens after the food, but they were trying to wait for us to eat. I was very thankful. 

So we opened, we ate, we chatted and of course there was the opportunity to test out some of the gifts.

 This is one of my gram's cats that she saved from a shelter..Miss Daisy.

Day 3: A Clark Christmas Our time there was short lived because on Saturday the alarm sounded at 7:45am again to head back to Shillington for the Clark family Christmas gathering. I'm glad we were able to work it into our schedule because the WHOLE family was there. Even my sister in law who is scheduled for a c-section tomorrow [more on this later]

Here is the Clark Family Run-down. 

4 generations.1 Great-Grandfather who has 3 children w/ 3 spouses.

Those 3 parental units have a combined total of 13 kids--who now have 7 spouses.

And there are 4 great grandchildren (and 2 on the way)

If you lost count there are 30 people in this picture (but 1 spouse & 1 fiance are missing)

[it's a good thing they had stairs big enough]

Day 4: Zelinske Christmas Today ended up rather full as well. Church, V&S lunch [courtesy of Granddad & Pete], Eagles game, & gifts with my parents & grandmother.

Day 5: The finale I've dubbed this day the finale because I have nothing on my mental calendar after this day. Monday is Shady Maple with my Zelinske cousins to stuff more food into my stomach. But even more exciting is the birth of my 2nd niece. This is very exciting to me. The last time a baby came into the Linsky family, I was not even engaged yet. Wow--maybe we'll be next ;).

Now we have unpacking, organizing, and I'm sure some relaxing to do during this final week of vacation. The only present that I'm still hoping to get is a JOB. hahah 

Hopefully I have some awesome news to write about...meeting the next little baby girl. Otherwise, you may just hear some more about this year's extravaganza.

Merry Christmas!

Not sure how much I'll be posting the next couple days, because we STILL don't know how our traveling is going to work out due to weather. 

So I'll leave you with this...Our Christmas card that was NEVER printed or sent out because I wanted a winter picture of us. hahah. ohhh well.