Rest and Reset 2025/26

 And just like that, our Christmas vacation has ended.  It was a wonderful twelve days of not having to wake up early and rush out the door.  It was a time of rest and reflection.  Poor Brianna was sick the entire time and when we finally found an available doctor appointment she was diagnosed with bronchitis and given antibiotics.  

It's the first Monday of the new year but before we get into that let's do a little recap of our time off.  

Wednesday night and Sunday morning church services.  

A visit from Santa

Lots of rest

Craft time

More rest 

Ringing in 2026 in the living room 

More rest

Putting together jigsaw puzzles has always been fun for me and I did manage to get a new one bought and complete  

And after not doing much of anything we took a quick trip south into Maryland to walk around a mall.  Got into a minor fender bender in the parking garage but all is good.  I left the mall with a new calendar to hang in the kitchen and a belly filled with Auntie Anne's pretzels.  

The first book of my reading goal for 2026 was one I picked out online at Amazon and finished it in just a few hours.  It's called After Auschwitz and it's a historical book written by a WWII Holocaust survivor.  Verushka Roth (Yehudit is her Hebrew name) begins to tell the story of her happy childhood in Czechoslovakia until she is taken to Auschwitz at the age of 13.  She is told to lie about her age, which eventually is what saves her life.  She stays beside her mother but is separated from her brother and father.  She talks about the gruesome experiences while at camp and then talks about life after.  The story is filled with so much loss and heartbreak.  If you're into reading historical non-fiction I do recommend this book but make sure you have a box of tissues close by.  

 

And today, the first Monday of the new year and the first day we are back to the grind.  The Christmas decorations have been boxed up and stored back into the attic waiting to make another appearance in 11 months and the house is put back together.  The morning began with the sounding of that dreadful alarm.  After tossing and turning during what felt like a long night, I stepped out of bed and into the kitchen where I made a cup of coffee.  I dressed, woke Bri up to get ready for school, gave hubby a kiss goodbye and off I went.  I had all four boys for their school but my elementary school girl didn't make it because she is sick.  When I arrived home I started some laundry, will continue some housework, figure out menu planning and grocery shopping for the week and squeeze in my Bible reading and work out.  

Winter time should be a time of rest and I plan on making it that way this season.  We could take a lesson from nature.  Certain animals hibernate and all the trees, flowers and plants wither away.  As humans, we should use this time for stillness and reflection.  Of course, our economy requires us to work, and having kids means we always have something to do, but aside from that, I'll be at home cozying up from the bitter weather and relaxing my mind.  New life will come back and bring a busy season in the spring but for now ... rest.  Then, reset.