Why I am getting facebook

I have used this blog and our "year end" videos for the last few years to diary my life and hopefully give our kids some kind of record of their childhood. It's been good... and I think I'll keep them up.... HOWEVER... next week (as my reward for finishing our 2010 video) I am going to start a facebook account - because I want to know about other people's lives. The lives of all of you - of course - but I haven't wanted to get facebook because I prefer you call and email!! But there are people - people who I have grown to love very deeply this past month who will never call or email. So I will get a facebook account.

Also - my email is getting full of strange foreign characters I cannot read and it would be handy to have a photo. :)
Also - since 1 in 10 people on the planet now has an account - including my mother - I should probably just jump on the wagon.

And finally - if my children look unbathed, my house is a disaster, and we eat frozen pizza throughout January - don't worry - I have been told it is a phase... I will learn to let comments and photos go by without commenting on each one. But if March comes and I am not prepping a garden - please do an intervention.

These are some of the faces of people I don't want to lose track of in the coming months. We had an awesome time at Bear trap where we spent Christmas with 60 international students and Americans who love them. We hiked (Jude over 2 miles a day), played games, threw snow balls, made Christmas cards and cookies, and learned about Jesus - the bringer of True Christmas - God for us, God with us, and God in us. It was beautiful - scenery and soul.










Yes - I have photos of family Christmas's too - but I need to start the year end video - so look for them there. And don't look for a blog for a few weeks!

The new American status symbol

In a room deep within the recesses of our basement lies this:


The boiler is dead. (I could have even told you that from the photo - and you can ask EVERY HVAC guy in town - I know NOTHING about boilers.)
Me: We need someone to look at our boiler.
Them: What is wrong with it?
Me: It isn't working.
Them: Is it a steam unit?
Me:.... long pause....
Them: Is it the pump or the valves or the compression?
Me: .... long pause.... maybe it isn't ... boiling??


It will soon be replaced with this:


It will cost more than all of the cars we have ever owned - combined
It will cost us more than 6 months in Europe
It will cost us more than our Senior year of college
It will cost us more than having both of our children
It will cost us more than living and going to school for a year in Honduras
It will cost us more than the remodel of the 2 main floors of the house

So if ever you come to my house and I ask you to follow me deep into our basement to look at our boiler - please follow - and please tell me that it is beautiful and our house is so toasty warm.

Happy Birthday to me from the Money Pit.