so much for resolutions

So I haven't been very good at keeping my new year's resolution. Part of the problem is that I have been insanely busy and finding time to sit down and write has been close to impossible. The other issue is that lately I have just been having a difficult time gathering my thoughts to put down. I have been avoiding it because I didn't want to have to think. Well a ton has happened since I last wrote. The biggest has to be that I bought a house yesterday. Actually it the house that I have been renting since December. I guess I forgot to mention in the blog that Ben and I did not purchase the house we originally wer going to buy. We were able to back out of the deal which in the long run turned out to be for the best. With the economy the way it is I was able to get a way better interest rate and I ended up with a way better house also. The gentleman I bought the house from is a member of my congregation and he gave me a great deal on the house. I just feel extremely blessed to have this opportunity to purchase a home. I feel like I now can offer Raider some stability and I can start looking a little bit towards the future here in Spokane. So over the past month I went on another retreat to lutherhaven with the elementary school kids and a ski trip with my junior high youth. For the ski trip we went to Schweitzer which is in Sandpoint. This trip ended up being way more difficult that I ever would have expected. We stayed the night at First Lutheran which was extremely strange. The hardest part for me was that Ben was not there. It was weird to do ministry in Sandpoint without Ben present. I ran into some good friends from Sandpoint though up on the mountain and that was wonderful. A couple of weekends ago my cousin, brother in law, his brother and my dad put on a memorial show at a bar in Kirkland. We made a slideshow of Ben also. The evening was so wonderful. Most of the people in the bar had no clue who Ben was, but they were extremely touched by his life. Ben's parents came out for the show so Raider and I got to spend some time with them. It was so great to see them. So many times I just wish they lived closer. The weather was really nice so we all went to the zoo. Ben loved the zoo and actually our first date was to the Brookefield Zoo in Chicago. I know that Raider is going to grow up with a similar love considering he has already been to three different zoo's in his short life. Raider is such a big boy now. Everyday he is becoming less baby and more boy. He is almost walking which will be lots of fun but lots more work for mom. The other day I took him to Jump and Bounce. It is a place where they have all the inflatable toys. He loved the slides. He would laugh and giggle everytime he went down. It was so wonderful to just take an hour out of my day and devote it to playing with my little boy. Especially with how busy I have been lately. Raider is with me all day at work and then in the evening but I don't always feel like I can devote my attention solely to him. Raider is definately his Daddy's son. Now that his personality is coming out more I see Ben in him so much. I always prayed that Raider would end up like his Daddy and he definately has. Ben used to say that he had the outgoing nature of me but the personable nature of his Dad. The best of both of us I like to think. Raider is a talker just like me. He is constantly jabbering away and I know that once he starts saying words there will be no stopping him. Well I guess that is all I have for now. Hopefully I will have another entry sooner than later but don't hold your breath. If you want to be updated when I actually do blog you can just become a follower of my blog and I am pretty sure they send you and e-mail when I update it. anyway thanks for reading.