florida!! and the gloerfelts!!!

so i am in florida! yes! it's warm here! when we left home on monday morning, it was 5 degrees outside. it was so cold that it almost hurt! (yes... that is possible!) but we are here! and that is so very exciting. my entire family will be here... so far it's my family, my mom's parents, my dad's parents, and my mom's brother... but my dad's brother and my cousin will get here tonight, and then my other cousin gets here on saturday! so we are just missing my uncle, aunt, and 1 cousin! otherwise, we are all here! (small family!) but it's always a hilarious and wacky time when we are all together. so i'm looking forward to it! and christmas is almost here! hard to believe...

i'm doing well... i had an EXCELLENT weekend! my dearly beloved GLOERFELTS were in town! yes!!! mel and i spent friday night talking and laughing, at max & ermas and the mall! she is soo funny. it was so good to see her! love you mel! and i got to pray with mel, laurent, and mel's mother! :o) very very exciting. then sunday night, was absolutely hilarious... i got to spend dinner with some of the funniest people i know! mel and megan (stone coe? hm... not sure!) we went to a Woh! for some chinese food. yummy... i've never laughed so hard. and i'm looking forward to more fun when i get back, before my dears have to return home!

i am having lunch today with my sister, grandma, and miss mary. miss mary is the sweetest old lady you've ever met... i've known her forever, she's one of my grandma's best friends, and everytime we come to visit, she has us over for lunch. the poor woman has had a rough couple of years; her husband passed away a while back and she recently lost her daughter to cancer. but she is a dear... so that's my plans for this afternoon. and then my cousin and uncle come in tonight.

the pain is about the same... the steroids are kicking in a little... which is helping. but i think i'm mostly feeling better because i'm distracted! my new year's resolution is that i grow closer to jesus and further from anything that distracts me from him. and that i get more comfortable with handing over everything to him, and trusting that he knows what he is doing and can be trusted, with everything. and that i am okay with the idea that by giving him total control and praying that he will bring me closer to him whatever it takes, that what may bring me closer to him may not be exactly what i want to do or go through... but knowing that he can be trusted amidst that. so, closer to jesus, further from distractions!

merry christmas to you all! i will post more later.