I keep thinking that at some point today I’m going to get to sit down and reflect and write something Deeply Meaningful about 2007, something that will eloquently summarize all that I’ve learned over the course of the last twelve months, something that will Gently Encourage you to DREAM BIG! and FOLLOW YOUR HEART! and REACH FOR THE STARS! in 2008.

But the fact of the matter is that it’s 3:38 in the afternoon, I’m still in my pajamas, and I’m holding on to hope that I’ll be able to take a shower before the sun goes down because I BELIEVE IN GOALS, people.

So all that to say: I am smack dab in the middle of the ordinary right now. And here’s what I keep thinking about.

Last night I met my friend Traci at a Mexican restaurant. We drank diet Cokes and ate chips and queso until the people who worked there started to RATTLE THEIR KEYS to remind us that it was closing time, and then we sat in Traci’s car for the next hour and a half so that we could finish our conversation. As you can tell, we are some wild, crazy women who like to live on the edge.

Today I’ve been thinking a lot about some of the stuff Traci and I talked about. And while I haven’t had any big insights, really, I’ve most definitely been reminded of the blessing and necessity of friends. Not acquaintances. Friends. The people you can trust with your heart.

This past year has been the most surprising, incredible year of my life so far. A big part of that incredibleness (which is totally a word, by the way) has been this little blawg. The privilege of being able to “write” here blows me away every single day – and I am so thankful that I have such great readers. Y’all never fail to make me smile.

But the main thing I’ve been thinking about after my chips and queso extravaganza with Traci is that, incredible or no, I would have never made it through this last year without my girlfriends. There’s been a lot of change around our house in 2007, and my friends have been my sounding boards and my prayer warriors through every single bit of it. They have made me laugh until I wheezed, and they have spurred me on when I have been discouraged.

More than anything, they have listened patiently and loved unconditionally. I would be lost as a goose without them.

[cue Natalie Merchant singing “Kind & Generous” softly in the background]

[then sway gently from side to side]

[go ahead and flip open your cell phones, too – because we want to create a mood here, people]

So thanks, my sweet friends (and family – especially my family), for everything you’ve done in 2007. And whatever 2008 may bring, I’m more grateful than you know that I get to walk through it with such a precious group of people.

I love every single one of you to pieces.

Happy 2008, y’all.

Last night after our Christmas Feast I silently vowed that I would not eat anything at all today. And I’ll have you know that I kept that vow until approximately 8:30 this morning when I devoured two pieces of fried Jimmy Dean sausage. Because obviously I like to start my day with a healthy, low-fat breakfast.

But as it turned out, I needed the protein. Mama, Sister and I shopped for most of the day, and even when Mama decided she’d had enough, Sister and I persevered. In fact, I think we broke our previous record for time spent shopping in TJ Maxx (we clocked in right at three hours), and we went to Steinmart(s) not once but twice. You should expect no less.

My best deal of the day was a pair of shoes that were 80% off – I paid a whopping $9.99 for them. I was so excited when I found them that I stood right there in the Steinmart(s) shoe department and proclaimed, “IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!”

The woman standing next to us started to laugh and said that she was also hoping to find a Christmas miracle on the clearance rack, but she didn’t think she was going to get one since they didn’t seem to have her size.

In retrospect, I believe that Sister and I should have joined hands with that sweet woman right there in the shoe department and prayed for her miracle. We missed a real opportunity for ministry. And the Lord will hold us accountable for that.

Also, as a brief aside: total number of times Sister and I have sung “O Holy Night” in a key that defies the laws of music: 74. We have also done a good bit of dancing.

Anyhoo, I must go now. If their maniacal laughter is any indication, my hubby and Sister’s hubby are waging a top-notch campaign against some rogue alien armies on the Xbox, and I would hate to miss history in the making. It is sure to be a tender Christmas memory.

OH! One more thing! Yesterday morning when the little man walked into our living room and saw his presents, he paused for a second at the top of the steps and then said, “WELL MY WORD.”

We’re thinking of changing his name to Papaw.