Christmas Past

Everyone but Dad in this shot. We are looking forward to Christmas feast.

Weeks have passed. Not sure where the time went. In fact it feels like father time has been playing an evil joke on me. A few blinks of the ole eyelid and here I am a few days from hitting the road again.

Christmas was more like a marathon than anything else. Christmas in NC, Christmas on the 25th, and Christmas last Saturday with the fam. I've been devouring heavenly food and drink since arriving here a month ago. I will be returning to the West about 10 pounds heavier. Ouch. I've started to develop a trend where I eat my heart out when I'm visiting at home, because I'm not going to see food like that for another year. So I tell myself..."eat all you want, you'll work it off later". It's worked the last few years, lets hope it continues to 'work out'.

Enjoying the Dora Scavenger Hunt book. That Dora, she's crazy!

Mom and Katie spent an afternoon making gingerbread men.

Mariocart found its way into our post-Christmas celebration.

The last month has been a whirlwind of travels, I've been on the move since November 16th. And finally after weeks of flying, driving, and incidently riding zebras, I've made it home to Rochester, IN. Home is one of the only places I've found where I can just sit and relax.

It wasn't always like that. Four kids, three cats, two gerbils, two parents, and one dog. Schedules and lists ruled our lives, to create a sort of controlled chaos, of which we all survived and are better for it, I'm sure.

What I've been up to since my last attempt at posting on this blog:

• traveled over 3500 miles by airplane


• read three books


• went to a hockey game


• played 18 holes of golf


• observed and identified many of Florida's estuary birds


• slept on a Murphy bed (that's right folks, it comes out of the wall)


• attended a cooking class


• finished my Christmas shopping

Along the estuary on the J.N. "Ding" Darling Nature Preserve.

I've been keeping busy visiting various family members around the country. Most recently I was fortunate enough to spend some time in South Florida visiting my grandparents and my Aunt Connie. They graciously and energetically entertained me for five days.

Grandpa and I on the Murphy bed. As many different types of beds that I've slept on this year, it only seemed right and complete to add this to the list.

My new place of residence for the next night or two is with my cousins Alaina and Andrew and their two boys. I'm back in the midwest, the place of my birth. The snow is bright, the air is cold, and it finally feels like Christmas!

Patrick and Calvin practicing the art of stocking shelves.