It's a new year...

...and it seems like a good time to get stuff cleaned and organized around here.

 So I've been cleaning for days... going through boxes in the storage area, getting rid of things we don't need or use, going through old files (how does paper multiply so quickly?) and throwing away, or shredding, all those papers that are just taking up space.

I would love to be able to go through each room, cleaning things out... but I don't know if my enthusiasm for this project will last that long.

I've gotten a few rooms done though, and the storage area looks good.

Before I started cleaning, you couldn't even see the floor in this room. it was so piled up with boxes and things. (J, the bookcase in the picture is the one I called you about.

Christmas was good... M made it through both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day without any problems. It was wonderful to have a calm Christmas (I can't remember the last time a holiday went so well), and we enjoyed seeing family and friends.

On Christmas Eve we had some friends and neighbors over for dinner, and all the kids and grandkids were here that evening.

I didn't take many pictures that evening, but here's one... It's E (dd#1) and her husband and two of the grandkids with M and R... (no, that helmet isn't M's, I got it for our grandson for Christmas, and M was "helping" him with it :)

We stayed home Christmas morning, and it was a beautiful, calm, relaxing time... then, that afternoon, we went to dh's folks house. All his siblings were there (plus spouses and kids!) so it was a lot of fun. We do a "white elephant" gift exchange instead of exchanging gifts (there are more than 50 of us when we all get together, so too many to exchange gift with each person). The white elephant is always fun and rowdy...

Here's the gift I worked really hard to get:

 ...a pot thrown dh's sister. Isn't it pretty? (And a much better gift than the sit-on-a-shelf Santa figurine with light up legs, the singing Christmas wreath, or the room humidifier shaped like a huge baseball!

 Anyway... Christmas was good, but I was happy to get all the trimmings and decorations packed away again. Next week we'll start back to our regular school routine... since this week I seem to be possessed by clearing stuff out and getting organized!