Praying you all have a most wonderful and blessed New Year – 2009!
I got the surprise of my life on New Year’s Eve!
Some friends called us and asked us to dinner …
I wasn’t feeling very well, and hubby is still hopping around on those crutches,
but he wanted to get out of the house for just a little while!

We got to Cracker Barrel, and the Porter’s (Tim and Miss Elizabeth’s parents) -
along with some other friends were there - we wondered if we had missed someone’s birthday!
Well, as we were all saying hi and taking a seat, I heard this voice behind me say,
“Is this a private party, or can anyone join in’!
Yes!  It was my son, Ian!
You can just imagine my surprise!!
We pretty much caused a commotion there in our little corner of the restaurant!

He had apparently called the Porters awhile back,
and planned the whole thing with them! 
I’m just so sorry it was during a time when I’m still sick, (
and his dad is hopping around on crutches!  How fun can that be for him, I ask?!
We are going to make his visit as enjoyable as possible,
regardless of how we are feeling!

We have him for 9 days … until a week from today,
so I’m not sure just how often I’ll be around on here until then. 
We’ve got some catching up to do with family, and friends to visit.
It’s been over 6 months since we’ve seen him, and we want to
squeeze memories into every minute he’s here!
He’ll make some of his own, with his friends, I’m sure,
but when he’s here with us we want to enjoy the time together!

After we all met at the restaurant, and had dinner, we headed back to the Porters
for a snack and games … we all had a great time greeting the New Year together!
Didn’t get home until 2:00AM – and, were we ever ready to get home!
It was so much fun, but we were all exhausted …
and Ian hadn’t slept at all the night before his flight,
so you can imagine how he was feeling by that time!

Yesterday, we just had a lazy day here at home … and after sleeping in late,
we ate a nice big breakfast, and a spaghetti dinner with salad … one of Ian’s favorites!
(Although, the way I was feeling, I should have just had chicken soup!)
Later last night, he went out with some friends for a couple of hours, and had a good time with them.
I noticed him coughing and sneezing since he got home last night … uh, oh!
Please pray he does not get what I have!
(We’ll both have chicken soup today!)
The swelling, in hubby’s foot, looks to have gone down a bit … but the bruising is growing!
He did go to the doctor on Wednesday morning and he said it was healing very well …
so, no plaster cast, or surgery!  Praise the Lord!
I’m still making him take it easy on it, though!

I do hope you, and yours, all had a wonderful New Year’s Day!
I want to thank you for your prayers, and your sweet comments on my previous post.
My visiting here got interrupted when my son came home, but,
I will be getting around to you as soon as time allows!
I do miss you all!
In the meantime, have a blessed weekend!
Hugs ~ Deborah <><



 Resolution One: I will live for God.
Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.
~ Jonathan Edwards ~


We should take advantage of His faithfulness and make every day a fresh start.
Resolve to make each day the beginning of a new year, a new morning, a new adventure.
He wipes the slate clean and goes back to zero so we can be filled up again
with His spirit and give it out all day long.
Enjoy the blessings of a new year, in Christ, one day at a time!
~ Debbie Carroccio ~ 


A New Year’s Prayer
May God make your year a happy one …
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
and by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.
~ Anonymous ~