I must have been "in the moment" over the holidays because I have so few photos of our fun. And, we had LOTS of fun the past two weeks.
That said, I am very happy my kids went back to school today (and so were they). It was time.
Christmas day brought us exactly what we asked for -- good health and happiness. Oh, and an Elsa/Anna doll for Lizzie and a Cotopaxi backpack for Carolyn. Carolyn also got the "detective coat" that she wanted. And, Lizzie was thrilled with just about everything.
Lizzie did not sit still much over the holidays. She was excited!
Christmas Eve at home included a fondue dinner with RJ.
One of our favorite gifts this year was a ping-pong set that you can snap on to any table.
This was a good find, Steve.
The world's largest striped blanket fits around all of us. It is great for family movie nights.
We hosted Christmas day at our house as usual, and we are so thankful for the houseful of friends that join us on this day to make pizzas and cocktails and play games.
The girls enjoyed a two-night camp for New Year's Eve. This was Lizzie's first all-girl camp (without parents) and she absolutely loved it. It was a two-night slumber party with 75 other girls and all the fun Girl Scout counselors they love from summer camp. I swear she came home a bit older after those few days on her own.
Other than that, we spent our two week holiday working on our new sewing machine, skiing, doing yoga together, lots of arts and crafts and games, watching movies, and finding friends wherever we could.
The girls especially loved their gifts that came as "activities" -- Lizzie got a subscription to Kiwi Crate, and we all enjoyed an afternoon of learning about the light spectrum. Carolyn got a "mail order mystery" where she has to solve a mystery about a pirate treasure. It is super cool. So far, she has gotten 4 out of the 6 deliveries and they have kept her very busy. She has had to read magazines, break codes, call phone numbers to leave messages, read handwritten notes, piece together treasure maps on burnt-up paper, etc. Lizzie and I also received magazines that we have loved seeing in our mailbox, and Carolyn got a certificates to play an online game. In addition to these activities, the girls also opened up a different activity to do (rather than opening up so many gifts all on Christmas morning) each day of the holiday. Carolyn even said, if we would have gotten these things on Christmas morning, we never would have done them.
With my gifts this year, I was really trying to minimize the number of "things" we gave and received, and hoped that I could provide more "experiences" for people. I admit, I have a bit of anxiety over the amount of "things" that are in our lives, and after Lizzie started crying on the 26th because she did not know what to do with the things and where they would go in her room, I think she might have some of this anxiety as well. This prompted a major purge where the girls and I went through all the games and toys and donated over 15 boxes/bags of "things" that are no longer needed in our home. I am forever grateful for all that we have. But, as my new year's resolution, I am on a quest to minimize the "things" we have to treasure. I guess sometimes, instead of feeling like riches, they feel like anchors. Cherishing people, creating memories and experiences, and getting out in nature with our own imaginations and bodies is what I want our family's intention to be this year!
Happy New Year to all of you!
