Oh my, it has been so incredibly long since I have blogged and blogged faithfully, and I fear that this will only be a short remission. We had thanksgiving, we had Christmas..(well the Buchan family Christmas anyway) and now I am getting ready for the real Christmas. We've all been very sick, back and forth, although I believe I may now confidently say that we are on the upside of it all.

Having been forced to take a break from being online made me wonder how I had time to be online so much before. I really can get so consumed by it all, checking in at w@h, and chatting and emailing and blogging and all, but really, should I be spending that kind of time "away" from my home and family? This is a question I don't really know the answer to, but I feel inclined towards answering "..mmm, not so much." I find it always a struggle to keep up with housework and childcare and teaching and loving on my dear children, should I really be taking time for myself? On the one hand, I believe the case could be made that I am learning, networking, praying more and being blessed by interacting with my friends online. But, the case could also be made for my being neglectful of my first charge: to care for my home and family. Perhaps striking a balance between the two is needed, or better yet, becoming proficient and efficient enough to be able to adequately accomplish both. My question is....how do all those other women do it?!?!?!? Please, if you are reading this. let me know.

My "blogerversary" came and went. It had been a year in November since I started blogging. I fully intended to go back and reread all I had written, and make some sage (haha) reflections on how much I have learned in the last year, but like so many of my goals, it fell by the wayside in favor of just getting through the day to day things. I know last year at this time I was very great with child and impatiently awaiting his (I really thought it was going to be a boy!) arrival. Which of course makes me reflect on the preciousness of my baby girl and what she means. The time directly before her conception was the rockiest bit of my marriage, and our relationship was poised on the edge of a knife. I could have left forever, it could have been over. Instead, the Lord brought healing, and hope and love and a baby. Grace was conceived (unintentionally on our parts!) on our recommitment to each other and to the Lord in our marriage. Isn't the Lord good? Every time I look at her, I feel a little twinge in the back of my heart, just to think of all she represents.

Now we are getting ready for a baby girl 1st birthday party, and a big brother 4th birthday party, and loving on poor summer-baby, middle child Ian all the time. Speaking of Ian, Nathan and I have started to become a bit concerned with his development. The vacancy in his sweet eyes that always shine so bright has not been replaced with the curious, learning mindset that maybe it should be, and if I were to be honest, I would have to say that it is starting to make me wonder if perhaps the Lord didn't make him a bit slow. I don't know anything for sure yet, and perhaps this is all just foolishness, (which I hope), but several things have seemed to start adding up to make us think perhaps he will be slightly special, or at least a bit delayed. My main concern is that we are trying to hold him accountable for things that he doesn't really have the capacity to do, and I don't want to be needlessly correcting him. We are praying about whether or not we should try to have him tested in some way, or just wait and see.

I have a few Christmas presents still to buy, for my dad and my grandfather, and I need to finish up several projects for people for presents. I still don't have much for Nathan for Christmas. I really would love to get him an ipod, but they are so expensive!!! I have George done, birthday and Christmas, and something for Grace's birthday, but nothing for Ian or Grace for Christmas yet.

Well, Esther and Jer are coming over for pizza, hot tub, and Cranium tonight, so I should get a little housework done while I can. I really will try to be better about blogging while I can, before we make the long trek north for Christmas. I am so excited to be in Maine for Christmas. The drive, I could do without, but that's okay.