What's up my peeps...did you miss the Adventures? Well, I went on a little blog sabbatical (by the way - can someone explain the diff between a sabbatical and a sebatical?) and I can't really say I'm back in full force yet - we'll wait and see how this turns out.

The last time we were together, you were watching a video of my dancing queen in her rather spring-like dress dancing to a little Christmas ditty. So that would put us as being apart for WAY TOO LONG.... Alot has happened here at the Club, so we'll have to go readers digest version on ya so you can come up to speed with relatively little pain involved.

Once upon a time,

Oh, I guess I don't have to go THAT far back...actually, I thought you might like to see a picture of some of my people. The couple on the left are my great grandparents and the seriously joyful looking woman and her husband on the right are my great-great grandparents (parents of my great grandmother). I can only speculate as to the circumstances surrounding this photo...but, it was taken in Germany. My great grandpa looks VERY uncomfortable...maybe he's meeting the in-laws for the first time. Maybe he had a little too much schnitzel for lunch...who knows? I just think this is a really cool photo! One of my recent projects has been scanning old photos of my ancestrals and doing some photo touch ups, etc.

I have seriously digressed...sorry. So - Christmas...yeah.

A few days prior, Sweet Rig (the term affectionately used for my Mom & Randy's motorhome) pulls into the driveway around 7:30pm. I SERIOUSLY undershot my measurements...I thought the motorhome would take up only half the driveway...well, I was half right about that. We were still able to accommodate Sweet Rig and got her all hooked up with electricity so that secret parties could be held there. Abby got to help Gmama & Gpapa decorate the inside of the motorhome with Christmas lights and decor.

The traditional Christmas Eve meal of chili and cornbread, sans Mike Amaro (sniff, sniff)

Picked Mike up at the airport at 12:30am (yes, that is an "AM" not a "PM") on Christmas morning - ho ho ho! Was so glad to have him home...I really missed him! He wanted to sleep under the tree to surprise Abby.

Christmas morning opening of gifts (guess who did the most unwrapping?), the traditional Christmas brunch and the ceremonial "incremental napping" throughout the day. I'm so thankful for Abby who can appreciate getting gifts, but not be driven by them...she was showered with many fun and useful gifts and she loved them all - but at the end of the day, she's know what's up.

Enjoyed the company of Grandmama & Grandpapa for almost 2 weeks. Grandpapa was an extra special blessing to us during this visit because he spent alot of time doing fun house projects. He did alot of organizing (and supplementing, I might add) to Mike's manly workbench in the garage (otherwise called "Mike's Scrapbooking Room"). He trimmed a ton of trees and reworked some unsafe wiring in our kitchen pantry. Of course, he didn't do all this alone...

Hard work makes a kid tired!

Got some really cute shots of one of the work days here at the house...feel free to check them out here at the Dropshots account.

We celebrated New Years with my Mom's traditional New Years Day meal of Ham, black eyed peas, mustard greens and sweet potatoes. To accompany, I whipped up a few batches of Cat Head's and some iced tea. As Aunt Jan says, "It wah good".

We saw Gmama & Gpapa pull Sweet Rig out of the driveway at 3am this last Friday morning...after that, I got into bed, slept a few more hours then woke up with a case of strep throat with a side of upper respiratory infection. And, since I'm not the least bit stubborn, I waited 2 days till I was utterly miserable to see the doctor for a few shiny copper bottles. I hate antibiotics, but I was singing their praises come yesterday morning!

So, are ya feeling a little Reader's Digested? Good - because that's all the updatin' I care to do right now.

But stay tuned...someone you and I know is turning SIX this weekend and Club Amaro is in FULL prep for 2 hours of eleven kindergarten girls (plus most of their Mom's). I must be crazy...but, I have a secret weapon that is making me feel calmer than silence. You'll have to wait to find out.. (but, I wouldn't turn down a prayer or two, so feel free).

May each of you find time to sabbatical from your busy schedule and rest. Of course don't use me as an example or anything...clearly what I did was more of, drop doing important stuff so you can be busy doing other things and don't rest and get sick at the end. Yeah, that wouldn't be what I'm saying there. That's why I called mine a sab-BATTY-cal. wink, wink.

loving you all with
a big New Year hug,

k

PS - for those of you that are wondering....let there be NO confusion about where my loyalties lie in the coming weeks of football. I may live in Tennessee...but my blood runs BLUE AND YELLOW, BABY. Go Chaaaaaaguh's