Reflections on a busy season

Wow, 11 days since the last blog entry. Fear not, I’m still on the wagon of regular blogging!! Of course, with the holidays, it’s been quite busy, but I do have time for a few brief reflections:
Christmas was a little different this year, especially with Rachel’s brother Ryan in the hospital recovering from his injuries. Check out Rachel's blog for more details on that. But, we still ate good food, opened presents, and enjoyed the company of family. On Christmas Eve evening, I went over to my mom’s house for dinner. My cousins Amy, Louis, and Lauren were here in Indiana for Christmas, which was an absolute joy. We had a nice dinner that consisted of an assortment of homemade hors d'oeuvres, including chicken salad sandwiches, meatballs, and an excellent cheese ball. Then, Amy, Lauren, Louis, and I enjoyed three rousing games of Wits and Wagers, which they loved. I seem to be playing that game a lot these days! Then I returned home to where Rachel and the kids were enjoying the evening with Rachel’s family. I got home just in time to participate in the present opening. Ethan really liked the “Leapster” video game machine that we bought him, and Erin seemed to love the toy pots and pans set that Rachel’s parents gave her. She kept walking around with a pot and spoon in her hands, stirring, giving everyone bites of her imaginary culinary creations. I got a nice new shirt from Rachel and the kids, as well as the board game 1960: The Making of the President (FANTASTIC game). Rachel’s parents bought me a couple of nice board games as well.

On Christmas Day, we headed to my mom’s house for breakfast and more presents. I had assembled Erin’s play kitchen at Mom’s house a few days earlier, so that was the first thing we brought out. She loved it, and seemed to know exactly what to do with the oven/stove/etc. Ethan got a big bucket of Play-Doh tools and accessories, as well as some cool bath toys with a pirate theme.

But, even more than the presents, it was nice to celebrate Christ’s birth with family. The afternoon was spent resting, playing, and preparing for a wonderful Christmas dinner, cooked to perfection by Amy. Despite the fact that Louis beat me in my first game of “1960”, it was a really nice day.

So, now I sit in my office on Friday, December 28th. Only 2 more hours of work at Covance. It’s been a strange day, packing up my cardboard box of pictures and other trinkets. I had a nice farewell lunch at On the Border, and this afternoon I have 2 mass spec injections to set up before I leave. After that, I’ll walk out the door for the last time as a Covance employee. It’s been a very good 7 years, and I will miss many of the people. My only hope is that I accomplished at least some of what God wanted me to do here, both vocationally and spiritually. Onward to a new adventure!