The Best Secret Pal!

Lookie what came in the mail for me!

The packaging was so pretty! So pink and springy! Being January in Chicagoland, I appreciate every bit of spring I can find!

Then I opened it! WOW! Thank you so much Valerie for everything. You have been a great secret pal!
Can you all see everything fun that Valerie sent? (Sorry for the aweful photography!) She sent my kids some adorable little animal buttons. (They send lots of thanks and I had to fight with them to leave them on the cardboard long enough to take the picture!) and some fun soaps for their bathroom. (Madison claimed the flower one right away!) And for me some fabulous Fleece artist sock yarn in an absolutely wonderful colorway, the Diamond Fantasy Shawl pattern and some gorgeous painted knitting needles. (I have decided I need a collection of hand painted needles and spindles! These are so pretty. I am so sorry my horrible picture taking skills cut off the pretty painting) And for the non-knitting goodies. I found a cute little picture frame with spaces for three pictures...(Hmmm...three kids....three soaps...three pictures...a slew of cute pins....Valerie did her homework!) And Yummy dark chocolate truffles! Hubby and I already dipped into these with our Merlot! (Dark Chocolate must accompany a good merlot in this house.) Thanks again Valerie!

Happy Blogiversary to me!

Well...actually I missed it! I missed my own blogiversary. January 16th was my very first post. But with my crazy life....I have been caring for sick kids, homeschooling....oh and the house doesn't clean itself. And I am now in the process of going back to work as a counselor. When I worked previously, I was part of community mental health which is state paid. This time I will be in the private sector, so now I am filling out countless forms for managed care networks. Nightmare!

So in celebration here is my Year In Review! (as stolen from Gimmesanity.)

Instructions — Copy the first sentence that you posted in each month of 2006.

January
The first post is always the hardest to write.
February
I don't think I will ever finish this sock.
March
I usually say I am a self taught knitter, but that is not entirely true.
April
Illnesses and traveling have kept blogging and knitting at a minimum lately.
May
This room was completely empty Saturday!
June
Remember I promised to tell you about the coffee we received from Boca Java?
July
So are you up for a mystery or two?
August
I joined! Did you?
September
Thank you all for the well wishes for Ophelia.
October
I had so much fun with Secret Pal 8 that I decided to join SP 9!
November
The mailman has been busy bring fabulous packages to my house.
December
Do Homeschoolers have snowdays? You bet they do!!!!

So there you have it....my first year of blogging in a nutshell....