Olivine and I think alike..we woke up so happy to find rain. Especially when a girl’s got Hello Kitty boots and a matching umbrella to spin around in.After dropping the boys off at school, we came home to a cozy house and had a dance party inside.At some point I sat down in the kitchen to admire the drawing Paul had left behind at breakfast.We are slowly getting back into our routines, but I have a couple weeks to ease back in and I plan on going at a slower pace.

I even made it to yoga tonight and found myself letting all those crazy lists run through my mind. I kept returning to my breath and at some point my mind was emptied.

I don’t know if it was seeing the action packed Star Wars (on New Year’s Eve) or the desire to have more pockets, but someone was very happy with his purchase today.I knew that the army surplus store would have just the kind of vest he wanted. He had a little bit of Christmas money to spend. As long as he’s happy right? Luckily he associates this more with camping and wilderness, rather than hunting or the military.

The soup my Japanese family has been eating to celebrate New Year’s Day. Joe is determined to carry on the tradition (he is awesome) and luckily my mom had some fresh mochi to share. So with some miso, carrots, green onion, tofu, and other ingredients he made up a big pot. Just the smell brought back some wonderful memories of growing up and my grandparents.

We finally lit the bird seed candle Paul made (along with our advent candles) and gave thanks for a year full of change. Looking back, I don’t know if any of us were prepared for how much would change over the course of one year. But we are grateful for every part of it. Joe’s new job, a doctorate program, everyone swimming, cell phones, a new car… and at each point the change has been hard at first, but we adapted and grew as a result.

Hopefully we will continue this tradition and give our children a little bit of history and culture.

I don’t usually stay up until midnight but our friends the Rollogs hosted a fabulous friend gathering, so we all hung in there.The kids had a tent to play in while the adults had a fire pit. We enjoyed nachos, cider, s’mores, and board games.We came home and all went straight to bed.
I guess that’s what happens when you party like rockstars.

is how I feel as I say farewell to 2015. Such a good year and yet I see the potential for better (it can be a curse-ask Joe). But one specific hope is to be a better friend to those near and far. This morning, when the mail lady rang the doorbell with a package from France I was squealing like a kid. My pen pal from France- Helene- and I had lost touch. We met via my seventh grade French teacher requiring us each to have a pen pal. We stayed in touch all through high school, into college, where we eventually met in France (1999). She is this amazing girl who taught me how to be a long distance friend through letters and packages and photographs. We both married men named Joseph and had children. Somewhere along there we lost touch and until this year (thank you Facebook) I assumed she was lost- until she reached out to Joe.She sent lovely gifts for each of my children and I am thrilled to be back in touch with her. She is one of many ladies I love but don’t live close enough to hang out with.

Not to mention the lovely friends I have in my life now that are sometimes hard to find time to be with. I want to spend time cultivating those relationships that keep me sane. I don’t need more friends (or shoes or stationary or books) I just need to take care of the ones I have been given.

From an ocean and a continent away I am so thankful for Helene.

cupcake
to match my pajamas.

We managed to squeeze in just a little bit of this nostalgic past between Barstow and Victorville.
Joe loves the run down and closed up shops. The train tracks running parallel with the road.I wanted to see the Bottle Tree Ranch.The very first sign we saw getting out of the car was an invitation of sorts.Easy enough to find on the side of the road.This is such a lovely and fun yard of art.The shadows were long and wintery.The kids were thrilled to touch and pull and poke at the art.A magical playground.Olivine took a long time deciding which rock she wanted to adoptand I kept thinking about how the shadows resembled the designer Orla Kiely’s flowers.This place is worth the detourand my family gave it five stars.I could have stayed much longer and will definitely find an excuse to wander back here at some point in the future.

The morning after Christmas we piled into the car and drove into the desert. We wanted a change of scenery and are lucky enough to have family members who own a place out in Las Vegas to stay in. Part of the hassle in travel becomes where to stay and can we cook there. This was Perfect. Thanks Aunt Kathy & Uncle Chris!We went to the strip (old and new) mostly to walk the streets.I love crowds, flashing lights, and city life. We saw the volcano show in front of the Mirage
and walked through the Venetian. Our kids wanted to watch every puppet, magician, or impersonator they could.And of course they wanted to shop (but we only looked). Olivine loved that the colors and sunglasses on these puppies.We also explored the surrounding parts, something Joe and I have never done together. That meant visiting the Hoover Dam and looking over the edge, which made our legs shake.The crisp air and big skies made for awesome views.We also rode an old train after wandering into some Indian trading posts.One of the days we explored Red Rock Canyon, a nearby National Conservation Area.The kids were junior rangers and wore buttons in pride.The snow still on the ground made me smile.Hiking around on the trails was a highlight of our trip.The rangers gave us good tips and the kids were let loose, whereas in the crowds we held them close. Parts of the path are bridged because in the summer there are creeks and rivers.
It was gorgeous.
We took our time and really soaked in the fresh air.I will brag that these little ones spent hours talking and looking out the window. They drew in their notebooks and asked questions about what they were seeing (solar farms in the desert).They also took turns napping because schedules were off a bit and we went to bed later than normal, because there was so much to see. That usually means random day sleeping because they woke up in the mornings at the same time.

waking up to hear whispering children and find them huddled together not ready to peek out in the living room. They are the kind of kids who like to let anticipation build.watching them open stockings.a little boy being over the moon to receive a bathrobe and a coffee mug.a homemade batch of french toast.

that Grammy packed extras from last night’s party for the kids.that egg nog is in high demand around here.

Merry Christmas.

An afternoon with friends at the park and an evening at Grammy’s.We are wishing you and yours a happy holiday.Enjoy those you love.