Christmas Eve is a big deal in our house. We eat a meal, then while the adults are cleaning up the kids are usually in the back rooms putting together a variety show. This year Tory played "Fur Elise" and "The Carol of the Bells". My nieces Emily and Nataley did a dance to a Hannah Montana song and my nephew Brent sang a song he learned in church. After the talent show everybody winds down and my mother tells the story of the Jesse tree. The Jesse tree is a miniature Christmas tree that tells the story of Jesus from Creation through to his Second Coming. It includes the major stories of the Old Testament and one or two from the New Testament. More than anything it traces the scarlet thread of Redemption through history. After the Jesse tree we go around the room and everyone shares what God has done throughout the last year. Finally we take communion as a family. The tradition of communion and sharing began when I was a teenager and included all my aunts, uncles and cousins. Now that our family has grown and my grandparents have died we've continued that tradition with my sisters and their husbands and children.

It was definitely an electronic Christmas for the Roszak household. Tory and Abby asked for only one thing each, an iPod Nano and a Nintendo DS, respectively. Needless to say they didn't have many presents to open as those two presents by themselves cost an arm and a leg. However, they have played with these two presents non-stop since they opened them.

THANKS MINNESOTA ROSZAKS WE LOVE OUR GIFTS!

Books I read in 2007, in no particular order, just as I happen to remember them. Some I liked, others disliked.

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy (long, but interesting)

Endangered Minds, Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It - Jane Healy (excellent)

All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriott

Protect and Defend - Vince Flynn (page turner)

The Once and Future King - T.H. White (King Arthur Legend)

Ivanhoe - Sir Walter Scott (as a fan of all things Scottish I found this surprisingly dull)

Mr. Midshipman Easy - Captain Marryat (fantastic)

The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (absolutely fascinating)

Thanks to the great ladies at Ambleside Online for many recommendations, I would never have found some of these titles without your help.

I normally don't go in for New Year's resolutions, I've really never seen the point, but I'm going to make an exception this year. I am normally a procrastinator with great bursts of energy followed by long bouts of lethargy. I've always claimed that I work better under pressure, but the truth is I'm a procrastinator. Why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow? However, my husband has been an inspiration to me. I have learned in the last two months the value of daily actions. Over the course of 4 months he has lost 80 pounds by doing two things. He has started controlling his intake and exercising every day. He is religious in his exercise routine. He simply walks/runs every single day, rain or shine, cold or hot, windy or still. That's his big secret, consistency. Oooh, I shudder when I say that word. Consistency, it's like nails on a chalk board to me. But, I am beginning to see the pros of consistency. A little bit every day. Instead of waiting and having to face this great big task, why not do a little bit each day? So, my resolution for this year? Be consistent in the little things. Posting, balancing my checkbook, doing my laundry, picking up. Who knew?