Are you ready for 2018 to be over?

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for 2019.

2018 has been a tough year for me on a personal level. We lost three of my wife's grandparents this year. My mother passed away unexpectedly in August and just a month later my last living grandparent past away. With my mom gone, we had to move my father into an assisted living facility and get their house ready to sell. In between my mom and my grandfather passing away I was promoted at work. I love what I do, but while my title changed, my pay hasn't. Now that I'm salary my paychecks are actually smaller because there's no overtime pay even though I'm putting in more hours at work each week. Throw in some health issue and some other family drama and then to top off everything, the D-Backs traded my favorite player Paul Goldschmidt earlier this month.

My blogging has slowed to a trickle during the second half of 2018 and at one point I considered giving up on collecting, but I just couldn't give it up. Things have changed and I'm sure will continue to change, but they won't stop.

I recently got a couple of Christmas packages from fellow bloggers and it reminded me why I love the card collecting and blogging community so much!

Dennis, of the blog Too Many Verlanders, sent me a sweet package filled with D-Backs goodness, but to me, the note he sent was the best part of the Christmas package. Thanks Dennis! Like I said, the cards were great too!

I also got a Christmas package from Collecting Cutch!

Check out the custom Christmas card!

The Goldschmidt is especially appropriate for the Christmas package and I needed it as well! Thanks Brian!

I want to wish everyone out there a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!