I survived the Holidays, now I should fill you in.

I've never been a New Year's Resolution person, but if I was, I would tell you that it's my resolution to update more regularly. Resolutioned or not, I promise not to be so MIA this next month.

To begin, I better update you on our Holiday happenings at Youth Connections. Many of our days were filled with snowflake making, Santa Claus coloring,

gingerbread house decorating, sugar cookie frosting, writing letters to Santa and Mrs. Claus, Selena Gomez, and Hannah Montana, sledding, and seeing Cinderella at the Children's Theatre.

Thanks to my grandma Josie, my sister, and my parents, my kids got new mechanical pencils (a real hit), candy canes, hot wheel cars, fingernail polish, lip gloss, playdough, Yahtzee!, and Monopoly to help celebrate the season. There is nothing better than the squeals of children upon receiving a shiny new toy or sugary treat.

It's safe to say that many of my kids didn't drown in wrapping paper on Christmas morning, but the stories leading up to Christmas Day assured me that they, too, felt the joys of the holiday season, on both the consumer and spiritual level. Most days the kids gushed with stories of the Christmas baskets or Toys for Tots gifts they received. A local church set up an "Adopt a Family" program for the Christmas season, but instead of bragging about the gifts they got, the kids mostly wanted to tell me about the families who gave them the gift. For them, the coolest thing was meeting their adopted family. I truly believe it takes a village to raise a child, and that includes presents at Christmas. So with that, a belated and heartfelt thank you to those who donated to the Salvation Army Bell Ringer, Toys for Tots, Angel Tree gifts, your local food pantry and all other such organizations. The happiness I witnessed was the best gift I could have asked for this season.

Coming soon...Snowed in for an Iowa Christmas.