Whether you read this before or after that clock turns midnight on New Year’s Eve, Happy New Year! As much as I am so sad to see Christmas ending, I am ecstatic for a brand-new year.
Not gonna lie; this year was a rough one. It seemed like one thing just rolled into another month after month. If it wasn’t one thing, it was another.
It started literally in the new year with me being so sick that they had to cancel a surgery I had scheduled and postpone it for another three months. I was devastated. That should have been a sign of how the rest of the year would go. If I had known, I would have wanted to just keep a blanket over my head and not come out until the year was over.
I also lost one of my biggest fans of my Webb articles. Someone who looked forward to getting the mail each Wednesday so he could read “his girl’s” article that week. This man was my father-in-law, Robert “Bob” Rook, who we lost in August from cancer. Cancer sucks. The whole thing sucked. Watching him decline all through summer was so hard to watch. I miss him telling me how much he loved certain articles and how he would hear his golf buddies talk about my articles, too. He would then tell me how “so and so” read and enjoyed last week’s article. He loved telling people I was his daughter-in-law. I miss his sweet personality and his always calling me “his girl.” Bob will be missed by many. He was truly a loved man.
I am not going to sit here and get into details of every little thing that went wrong this year. That’s depressing. We can’t go into a brand-new year with a depressing article to read! I won’t have it! Instead, I want to go into the new year being thankful.
Yes, it was a hard year, BUT it could have been worse. That’s how I have to look at things.
I have a beautiful, healthy family, and we have a roof over our heads, and for that, I am grateful. I am also thankful for you. Yes, you. The one reading this article right now. I can’t thank you enough for your love and support week after week. I am always so blown away by how many of you take the time to read my article each week. You would be surprised by how I hear your stories about loving my articles. I hear about it through friends, families, and co-workers, and it makes me smile from ear to ear. I wish I could share every story, but I will just share a few from this year.
My momma told me she was at a wedding in December, and somehow my name got brought up, and this woman realized she was sitting with my family and said how much she just loves reading my articles. This woman asked, “Is Andrea’s Momma here!?” My momma told her she was my momma. My momma is often mentioned in my articles because she is kinda a big deal. *wink wink* But how special for her to mention my momma and get to meet her like she was a local celebrity! Haha.
Another one I heard was about another woman walking out of Beiters who saw Jim Webb and his wife. She told them that she makes every single recipe I put out. When I heard this, I said, “What dedication that is!” That meant so much. I hear how some of you call in and ask for me at the Webb office, and how a few of you call and asked to not have my article on the back of coupons because you like to cut them out and laminate them. DANG! More dedication from my readers! How can I thank you enough?
I hear lots of stories and receive the kindest, thoughtful letters. Thank you for taking the time to do this. It’s so touching. My readers are so thoughtful.
Last but certainly not least, this December Steph let me know a reader dropped off some goodies for me, so I stopped by the office to pick it up. It was a yellow envelope with my name on it. Inside was a CD and USB flash drive. On these were Christmas music. Music filled about Santa, the North Pole, and all things Christmas. There were lyrics printed for the very first song, “Must be Santa.” The first song on the CD was that song. Kenzy and I looked at the lyrics while Chris drove, and we sang our hearts out. The next night, we were going to be with our son Tyler in the car, so Kenzy and I planned on singing this as loud as we could to him in the car to annoy him. He is 15; everything annoys them at this age. The next night, we played the song in the car on the way to dinner, singing this happy, merry song. Ty wasn’t amused, but I know deep down he thought it was funny from the grin on his face. You can’t help but want to sing along. My husband said that song brought back a lot of his childhood Christmas memories. For me, it’s the first I heard that song! It was so fun hearing what song was going to be next. The fact that some man out there took the time to make this thoughtful gift for the Christmas season was so heartwarming! To whoever did this for me, I can’t thank you enough. It was such a wonderful surprise to kick off the holiday season. I really enjoyed it. Kenzy loved all the kids’ songs you included.
My readers truly get to know me and my family. This man knew how much we loved Christmas and took the time to make us our own personal Christmas CDs. It’s awesome. Thank you. Thank all of you! I am so blessed to do what I do and work for such a wonderful business/family.
This year, I’ll be sure to continue writing about family, friends, and crazy Andrea stories because you all know that’s a given. That’s one thing about me. I am who I am in person, as I am when I write. I’ll never not be my true self. I will always tell it how it is or say what’s on my heart. I love you all so very much, and you will never know how grateful I am for you.
Be thankful and joyous this new year. God bless!
Skillet Pizza Roll Ups
I can’t even describe these. There are no words.
• 1 can of Pillsbury Pizza Dough
• Pizza Sauce (I used homemade sauce)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• Pepperoni
Unroll the dough and place down on a cutting board. Cover with sauce lightly from corner to corner. Then top with cheese the same way. Place pepperoni on the last and any other toppings you would like to add.
Roll up as tight as you can get it, jelly roll style. Cut 1-inch pieces and place in a GREASED skillet. (If you don’t have a skillet, just use a casserole dish.) Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
Serve with a side of warm pizza sauce for dipping.
