After an absence...

This space has been very quiet.  (This is what one of the bloggers I read occasionally says when she hasn't written in awhile.) Ha! Rather, I would say, this space has been silent like the tomb. Not even one little, tiny post out of me for over a month and a half. I hate to disappoint you all, but this lack of writing has nothing to do with any thing life altering happening over here in our Cotten lives. Just general busyness, things to think about, things to do, and then, that paralyzing thought that "I haven't written a post in ages! There is too much to catch up on!" In order to start blogging again, I have decided to tie that particular paralyzing thought up in a little box and ignore it for awhile. In other words, you will not know all the ins and outs of our life in the past month or two. I will sum it up quickly. It got cold. Then colder and snowier. Then colder still (-28F). And snowier still (about 2 to 3 feet on the ground now). We got sick. Then sicker (hand, foot, and mouth) and missed Thanksgiving. Then we got better. Lindsey came home (hooray!) and we had our special meetings and special visits. Then two fun and busy holiday weeks with family and friends, (ongoing). At this moment, it is 10 below zero and blowy and snowy. (Our high today was negative 9.) Health wise, we are dealing with a cold, but have high hopes of reigning victorious.

There! All caught up. Despite the cold (temperature and head), all this friend and family time is a pretty great way to start a new year!

Here are a few fuzzy pictures of supper at our house tonight. Philip and Rachel bought pizza and brought it over here while Mom and Dad's house was clean and ready for gospel meeting.

The enthusiastic table

Lincoln, pinkin.