Now that we have a chance to look back over 2009, we can say that overall it was a pretty decent year. We had some amazing highs and some lows that were nothing less than terrifying. But, like we always do, we came out the other side of it tougher than ever. We are ready to move on and do even more exciting things with this site, the book, and all of our endeavors.
Early in the year we added a new generation to our family. A precious baby always puts things in perspective.
Sadly, we lost several loved ones during the year. We lost our uncle Tommy and uncle Billy. Both of my sister-in-laws lost their mothers. Some friends have lost parents and one of my friends lost her husband. Not in any comparison, we also lost two long time pets. 
My mother-in-law worked hard to complete her written record of her life for her children and grandchildren. It was a wonderful gift and was appreciated by many people.
We had the typical vacations….we headed to beach while Joy went to St. Louis and Colorado.(FYI: These were supposed to be my Christmas cards but the wind beat us down)
Of course, we can have as much fun staying home as we can going anywhere.
Surgery seemed to be the new black in 09 for our family. Whether it was the appendix of a 10 year old or the cataracts of a 60 something year old…some things were meant to leave. One of the perks of a few eye surgeries was that the Red Velvet Queen came to stay a little while at our house to recoup. Once she felt better we put her to work.
Once everyone recovered we were back on track for something new and exciting. My ten year old daughter wrote a story was published in a Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Amazing things happened after that. She had a book signing, newspaper and television interviews, and a few speaking engagements.
A story about her dog has taken her many places. Thanks Lucky! If you are interested, the book is Chicken Soup For The Soul: What I Learned From The Dog.
Alexis was only following in the footsteps of her grandmother and Aunt Joy. Aunt Joy had been working in a book for quite a while and once she had a name in mind, we created this website. Red Velvet Wisdom was born with the hope in mind of sharing stories, recipes, and directions to a good place to eat every once in a while. It was all wonderful. Until Queen Red fell really ill. We came close to losing her this year and we hope that next year will be much better for her health. In a bit of good news to end the year, I also had a story published.All in all, it was a good year. We think that next year will be amazing for all of us. Already there is a wedding on the horizon, and in our family, there is always some adventure around the corner. We know that very soon, Red Velvet Wisdom (the book) will be in hand and ready for you to read. Trust me. You will NOT want to miss this. Also, one it’s published, we have ideas in mind for the sequel. This website has been a wonderful way to showcase some amazing people, and we can’t wait to have more profiles and recipes to share with our readers.
To thank everyone for their support, we want to do a give-away. Sadly, we are too poor to have prizes for everyone. Therefore, we will choose a random noter. The prize is a copy of the book Chicken Soup For The Soul: What I Learned From The Dog (signed by Alexis) and a copy of my mother-in-law’s book, Ninny. All you have to do is leave a comment. If you want an extra entry, tweet this (and leave a note that you tweeted) or post on facebook (and leave a note that you posted). You can note each day. The contest will end on the 10th of January.
Happy New Year.
