Did You Miss Me? Did You Even Know I Left?

I delayed posting because I didn't feel like I had the right photo.  I got a new toy for Christmas, so you'd think I'd have something cool to post.  I do have some nice photos, but nothing that really pulled me to show you.

Problem is that this season can get a little monotonous.  The gray sky.  The cold air.  The same pink rug. Frankly, I'm a little bored.

I was blessed to have saved enough vacation days to take two weeks off before and after Christmas.  This is when I really got sick of the pink rug.

My days were spent with my kids, preparing for Christmas, attending Holiday concerts, last minute shopping, a noontime matinee and a couple batches of gluten free cookies.  I realized with two weeks away from work how much I miss out with my boys.  I miss the everyday lunches.  I miss the quick trips to the book store.  I miss the "we have the whole day to do whatever we want" days without feeling guilty about not working.

I'm not sure why I use the word "miss".  I never had those days to miss them.

So while I was away, I thought about my future.  I haven't really done this in a long time because I was afraid.  Afraid that future would never come and I'd be stuck in this rut of work.  This need to be the bread winner, the holder of health insurance, the payer of bills.  I don't wish that burden on anyone.

I planned out our summer.  I tentatively scheduled camping trips and day camp weeks.  I thought about how this scheduling might be different in 2012.  I started looking to the future.

And my friends, it looks bright.  I have options.  I have hope.

Hope.

And a big ass party.