Simplify for the New Year

It's been two weeks since Christmas and I'm just now starting to get back to normal, whatever that is. After coming down with the dreaded sickness on Christmas Eve, it's been a struggle to get everything put away and my house somewhat back where it was before the holidays. I have to admit I've spent lots of time wondering why I spend so much time decorating, shopping, wrapping, sewing and cooking for a few hours of celebration. I found myself alone for hours without even turning on the Christmas lights, as Rich was gone to Montana and working long hours trying to get his jobs finished. For my New Year's goals, I want to simplify my life and lose some of the stress that keeps me frustrated and unhappy. It's been almost a year since Dad passed away and will be eight since Kamber went back to live with our Heavenly Father. It's been an uphill climb for sure to deal with those losses. Yesterday we went to Mom's to take down her tree and get her house undecorated. We picked up some sub sandwiches and had a nice time visiting with her. She is so happy when we come to visit and always talks about how glad she is to have children and doesn't know what she would do if she didn't. We talked a little bit about politics, which never got too confrontational, and then we came home. As we were driving my brother, who has been a Mission President and is now serving as an Area Seventy, was saying that no matter where you go, every family has something they are struggling with. Whether it's financial, health, disobedient children, death, marriage problems or any number of things that can make life so challenging. Sometimes it is really hard to see all the blessing through the trials. I too am thankful for my children and grandchildren, life would be so boring if it was just Rich and I, we are boring people. I'm hoping the new year will bring peace to this crazy world we live in and as a family we can become more unified and simplified too.