Hi everyone.  I have been on a bit of a hiatus lately because we have had two deaths in my family:  the first was my cousin and the second was my uncle - both on the same side.  My children have not been able to help hearing about the deaths, and we have been fielding a lot of questions that were due to come at some point.  It has been a real learning experience to work through their questions and answer them as honestly and as age-appropriately as possible. 

We have a new year to look forward to as a gift from a higher power (or whatever belief you hold), and these events have helped me identify the noise in my life as a parent and treasure the precious moments we have with our kids.  Happy 2008 everyone!