Joy to the World

The Lord is Come!

(and so has Just Dance 3... a huge hit under the tree this year)

God has showed up in many seemingly small ways for me this year. 
This is huge.
All I can really think t say about it is Thank God that He does care about the details.

Career-wise, the year started out with a lot of promise.  I had the opportunity to write content on a monthly basis for a regional hospice care business.  I learned a lot and was paid pretty well for this gig.

I was also a monthly contributor for a website in which I wrote parenting and education articles.  I also was given the occassional assignment in the area of health and fitness.  Which only goes to prove to those who know me that I possess excellent research skills.

Over the summer I kept busy writing a wide range of articles for one major website that owns smaller sites (like eHow, golf link, US Today, ect.)  By "wide range" I mean I wrote about valentine craft ideas, the registered potato varieties in the U.S., and end of the year classroom activities for elementary.  There is no glam and glitz in these articles.  But the paycheck is good.  Think of the last several things that you "googled" to get more information....someone had to write these.  And someone got paid to write them.  I was on that bandwagon. 

I also interviewed and was accepted as a freelance writer for the Quad City Times.  This is so fun for me.  It is a step up from the local paper that I used to write for.  I do mostly human interest stories.  Salute section.  I also just completed an article that I am told will appear in the Food Section in the next week or two.  I love writing about other people.  As I get the opportunity to share their own stories and passions, it makes me want to be better about living my own story. 

I also was published in a handfull of regional parenting publications this last year all across the country.  I re-sold an article that I wrote 2 years ago for LA Family Magazine to publications in New York, Texas and Virginia.

Career-wise things were successfull.  I paid my bills. 

But then the Hospice company made cutbacks, which included the newsletter budget.
Two of the websites I wrote for made big cutbacks and I went from having 3-5 assignments a week to that many every month.  The only apparrent cutback that wasn't made was with newspaper assignments.  But that gig alone isn't enough to pay the bills. 

I applied for part-time jobs. 

I didn't want to give up writing, but knew it was a possibility that I would have to give it up in order to make the ends meet.  Just like everyone else in the world, right?

But one of the jobs I applied for....I got.  It is local and part time.  And is enough to pay the bills that I currently have.  And it still gives me the time to pursue writing opportunities as they come. 

I now deliver the mail to Wilton and Moscow on Saturdays.
And when the regular carrier needs a day off. 
This job came just in the nick of time.
Or all in God's perfect time. 

I'm just getting started in it. 

And as I think about what the next step is for me in writing, I think that I can now afford to focus on the projects that bring me joy, not just the ones that pay the bills. 

Now that I got all that business talk out of the way......

It's time to get down to business:

Let's Dance!

These three are all texting......each other.

Nathan and a golfing gift bag.

Tookie found the tree ringing....her first phone.

Claire got an ipod touch.  It isn't new but she doesn't seem to care!

We didn't get alot, but we all got what we wanted. 

Except for me...I asked for long underwear and nobody really believed me that I wanted long underwear!

Don't mistake that last sentence for ungratefullness.  I got a shovel and jumper cables which I totally DID ask for! 

Before today is over we will eat a ton more food in Wilton and Durant.

And I am hoping to start a new tradition with the kids. 

Each year at Christmas I want to talk about what we can each give back to Jesus.  It is afterall, His big day!

Hopefully the kids won't think I'm being all dumb.

(Not that this would be different than any other day)

This year, I am giving Him my writing. 

Merry Christmas!