Hello 2011!

Happy New Year.
I realized this morning that it has been a year since I started my blog. Okay its kinda interesting to look back and read some of my previous entries. I believe this has been the year of cancer. 4 people in my family have been diagnosised, treated, in remission, beaten or still currently being treated. One of those people is my dad and like most things my dad met his disease head on got aggressive took the the part out and we'll find out soon if its all gone. :) I'm prayerful and hopeful it will be. As my Grandma S. said we don't die of heart attacks and strokes we die of cancer in this family. What an encouraging thought......all the more reason to be proactive. :)

I'll step off my soap box now. One word that comes to mind is faithfulness. God is faithful in all things. He is there every step of the way with me, in each thing I can encounter in my day. He was there celebrating the arrival of the babies, the sadness in grief, the days spent with my dad, the days with my grandparents, all the days I was at work and home. I know I don't totally know or understand why he does the things that he does. I don't think I want to know. As much as the control freak in me wants to know how things will all work out.

That leads me to another words, trust and purpose. I have to have the faith to trust in him that he will work everthing/anything/whatever is going on according to his perfect plan/purpose. The best way I can look at it is. I get up every morning and go about my day doing things the best way I know possible and little by little it all kinda plays itself out. So those are my 3 key words from this year. Faithfulness. Trust. Purpose. And in those I find peace. Another favorite word of mine.

Last week I worked 3rd shift Christmas Eve. It was a good shift. It was enjoyable the patient load wasn't bad and it was cute to talk about Santa to kids. :) I even got in the spirit and wore my Santa hat. You will not believe all the compliments I got on it. :) I felt good on Christmas morning to greet patients with saying "Good morning. Merry Christmas."

We had parties galore on Christmas weekend. Schepers side Christmas Eve. Nap. Work. My parents house for dinner (which I almost fell asleep into) and presents. My parents still spoil my sister and I. In laws where we were able to relax and just unwind and I was asleep by like 10pm that night. I was exhausted! The 26th extended Staal family side, we don't get to see that whole side of the family maybe once a year and its always such a good time.

Back to work and battling a cold I think I came down with when having my sleep schedule messed up and still a bit off from. Thankfully staying home one day from work and laying low and I was feeling a ton better! :)

Scott and I headed to Cabela's since he had almost 2 years worth of gift cards collecting dust. Don't worry Cabela's was more than happy to sell us stuff. Ha ha! We made an overnight trip out of it and it was fun. We left after I got out of work on Thursday and headed to the Hammond Indiana store which is only like 5 miles from the Indian/Illinois state line. The Indiana store was 4 miles closer than Dundee. Just a fun fact. :) I loved the fact that most of the stuff we got was less than it was marked when we got to the checkout. The Dutch in me was doing a happy savings dance. :)

We headed the the annual Griffins game and saw a really, really good hockey game complete with a couple fights! :) :) They won in overtime. Yay!!
Then we went to our friends, Alex and Kristy's house to hang out. We just hung out played Mario Kart, so much fun! That game is tough to do. I drove like I pure amateur. Seriously! Oh good time was had by all! :)

I can't wait to see what 2011 has in store. Wishing you my friend the best this year.