It’s a new year and I have a few new things to talk about. Here are five of them for today:

#1 - I recently got a new mask. I had been wanting a mask that would stay in place while I talk to people, like at church. This one Jen Hatmaker talked about on Instagram and I bought it and I love it because it really does stay in place.

#2 - We are learning how to make some cocktails. For Christmas, my sister Holly and her husband Dwight gave us some supplies and instructions for making six classic cocktails. It has been fun to try a couple so far. TJ made us Gin and Tonics the other night.

#3 - My mom gave me a CS Lewis Bible recently and I love it. Who knew there was even such a thing? I am reading through my new Bible this year using the Bible Recap plan and podcast. I haven’t felt this excited about reading the Bible in a while.

#4 - I finally made a stir fry recipe that we love. I have wanted a good stir fry for a while, and I think this might be the one. My friend Natalie shared this recipe with me and I doubled it for our family. I actually tripled the sauce because I knew we would all want it saucy. I had to buy one ingredient I had never bought, or even heard of, before: Mirin, which I found in the soy sauce aisle. I served the stir fry over white rice.

#5 - I made Muddy Buddy Chex Mix with Story this past weekend. She had been wanting to make it since she saw the recipe on the Rice Chex box a month ago. I let her pick which Chex to use and she picked Rice and Chocolate. I realize now you don’t need to use Chocolate Chex to make Muddy Buddies, and you definitely don’t need to shop at Walmart for cereal, as they only have Family Size boxes. But whatever. We did it. She loved it.