Ringing in 2014...

On New Year's Eve we went over to our friend's, Summer and Ben, house for a fun evening of hanging out, eating and drinking.  For the first time ever, I made a hummingbird cake.  It's like a carrot cake but without carrots; instead it has bananas and pineapples.  The frosting is still made with cream cheese.  

Yum!!

I didn't get any pictures except for this one Summer snapped.

Summer, me, Cortney

We had a low-key but fun evening and we all enjoyed watching Summer dance to "Just Dance 2014" on their XBox!

Although I didn't make any "real" resolutions this New Year's Eve, there are two things I want to continue working on...

1.  Practice kindness.  Exercise patience.

Especially with Chris gone and especially since every time I turn around, this is what our upstairs looks like…

Enough said.  ;)

Boy, is it TOUGH!  (And, believe it or not, this is with a few kids missing!)

2.  Do more.

This past year the boys and I did lots of small acts of kindness (we bought Chick-fil-a for a "regular" homeless man; we made chocolate chip cookies for the trash men in the winter and the construction workers in the spring; we donated monthly to St. Jude's cancer research for children; we donated bags and bags (and bags!) of clothes and shoes and winter coats; I continue to volunteer at church and in the boys' classrooms; we've carried neighbors' trash cans up to their house countless times.)  All of those things are good but this year I'd love to also come up with a BIG way our family can "do more" in the community.  I'm still brainstorming ideas so I'll have to get back to you.

I hope your New Year is off to a good start!