Throughout the last day or two, various family members have been checking in relating their New Years adventures.  Seems we all opted for more quiet and subdued celebrations -- some of us even went to bed and had to wait 'til this morning to welcome 2007!

The Columbus wing of the family gathered together for a couple of meals, and took advantage of the unusually non-snowy weather to participate in a 10K walk at a local cemetery.  Details, Pam and Mike?

There were also scattered reports of football watching -- the family is polluted with Penn State fans, and many of us watched Penn State battle Tennessee in the Outback Bowl.  Those of us who are die-hard Steeler fans watched yesterday's game and were encouraged that they at least pulled their record up to the .500 mark (now, if only the Pirates could do that!)

Many of us sampled the marathons on TV all weekend -- The Twilight Zone, Monk, and Six Feet Under were all popular (between football games, of course!).  Oh, and even South Park got a few votes.

It was an extraordinary year for the family, with many changes.  We lost some of our favorites (Aunt Pat and Uncle Bob), but we also picked up a few (welcome, Tyler and Jessica).  Several of us changed jobs and careers; at least one of us went back to paying work after a long break, and found that cooking for strangers is just as much fun as cooking for family and friends.  Care to share some recipes, "Aunt B?"  And don't forget to send Pam the titles of any books you're looking for -- with her new job, she's well connected in the book world now.

Looking ahead, 2007 promises even more changes.  A couple of college graduations are looming.  And we'll all be watching and waiting to see how those new jobs and careers pan out.  But one thing's for sure -- we'll find lots of "excuses" to get together throughout the year, and you know how we love to party!

Best of luck to all of us for a happy and healthy 2007!