Please forgive me...

It's been awhile and a lot has happened....

PSYCH!!!! I didn't have any babies! These two peanuts are my nephews, well, okay they're my "sort of nephews". These are Greg & Amy Hoyte's twin boys (Lewis on the left, Eli on the right). I had the pleasure of getting some hang time with them over the past few months so that the new mom of three could get out of the house every now and again.

But, there has been a lot going on this year, especially since my last post which was on January 1st of THIS YEAR!!! Wow, crazy, crazy, crazy, nuts! I'm not one to try and send out a letter to catch everyone up on the happenings, but do feel I dropped the ball on blogging our 2009 year. So rather than go back and re-detail the steps of the Erickson 2009 Adventures up to this point, I thought I'd do something a bit simpler, more manageable, more realistic for me...

I first want to apologize and ask your forgiveness. I've come to realize that there were 3 or maybe even 4 faithful readers out there waiting to hear about how we were (thanks Mom, CaS, Ruth and whoever else you were). I've thought often of how much I could share and how much of it wouldn't seem plausible or believable - I'm still trying to believe some of it myself. I've also been recovering from some of the not so pleasant, fun or enjoyable parts of being in a family; but that is the very thing that has brought me to want to write and share again...those dark moments have helped me to want to be more respectful to the overwhelming moments that we can (and ought to work hard to) be grateful for...and then make time to share them.

This is only a snack from the buffet table that has been our lives this year:

There have been funerals of friends and grandparents. We have had disagreements and misunderstandings. I have had graduate classes and deadlines. There have been several pregnancies announced and many babies delivered into the world. There have been proposals and weddings. We have hosted Bible Talks, House Church Services and Sporting Event Parties. Mark & I have cheered on the Brewers through a not-so-stellar season and become huge fans of the show, "Arrested Development"...No touching! (inside joke). We've been to the Wilderness (Territory Lodge), Mexico and to & from Madison. I've volunteered and unvolunteered. We've drank wines & Mike's Hard Lemonades. We've downloaded great music and danced in the newly remodeled kitchen. Mark and I retreat to our tropical bedroom get-a-way nightly to recharge. I've read about a hundred children's books and dozens and dozens of inspiring and interesting novels for adults. Mark celebrated 12 years at his job, this month will be 1 year at mine. We've had great parent-teacher conferences and not-so-great ones (can you guess who'd that be...starts with a D). There have been anniversaries to celebrate and others that crept up on us leaving us with numbing pain. It's been quiet for naps and reading and it's been chaotic with laughter, family wrestling and tickle fights. I got a new phone and dropped it the first week I had it - phone numbers needed. We did not vacinnate for H1N1. Michael Jackson gone, whaaaa? President OBAMA, wow!!!! Oprah to be off the air, for real? Big stuff is happening; out there in the big world and here in our cozy home.

I hope that you will forgive my absence and will continue reading about "life with the Ericksons".

Onward...