A new year, A new month (89 to be exact)

Dear ChellBell,

It is the fourth day of the month, and actually the fourth day of the year, and today you are 89 months old. You have lived a lot of life in the last month, which is typical of the holidays -- parties, dinners, time with friends and family, presents, shopping... And although the Wii is the biggest highlight of this month for you, I honestly think that ten years from now, when the Wii has conveniently been replaced by generations of more exciting, trendy, techno-toys, you will remember our vacation to the Nation's Capital as the highlight of this month. You will realize at some point that you were in the heart of what happens in our Country, and the World for that matter. You walked the streets where our Congressmen and Legislators walk, where the bravest men are honored for their lives, and where the founders of our Country committed treason against their roots, knowing that their dream of America was worth the risk. I know at almost 7 and a half, it's hard to mentally digest the significance of the White House, the Capitol, the Memorials, and that's okay. Because in the next few years, you'll get it.

I'm glad to have had an uninterrupted week with you, seeing Washington DC, riding the metro, visiting Museums, snow-tubing in Pennsylvania, hanging out at the Gaylord, and just being buddies with no set itinerary. Just being.

While this is a new month, it is also a new year. God is good to give us a new year every 12 months, because it gives us a natural point of "reflection" or looking back at what we've done and been in the past year, and with His help, keep getting better at giving, loving, and living. I hope 2009 is a year of better-ness for you, where you keep all the good things, and take the things that need improvement and stay determined to take steps, even if baby steps, toward your goals.

You impress me with the amount of love in your heart, ChellBell. I hope you choose to give that love away more and more. You impress me with your invention ideas. You impress me with your ability to perceive things and understand the unexplained.

I love you very much.

You, me, and Daddy -- we make a good fami-wii.

Love, Mama