Day One

We had a great time out on the bunny hill today! I was telling S in the car ride back home that I didn't expect snowboarding to be so fun unless it was easier - which it really, really was not. We spent a lot of time falling, but with falling came laughter and getting tips from other people on the mountain, who were all really nice. Even though we'll have aches, bumps and bruises, we want to go back really soon to get better and better. S wants to be able to do jumps, and I just want to stay upright. :) More reports to come, but until then, stay warm, snow bunnies!

Next up on the slopes...

Carol Jean!

Open Season on *Brrrrr*!

S and I are super excited and super chilly thinking about the opening weekend of snowboard season this year! It was my Christmas gift to get us season passes and rentals, despite the fact that neither of us has ever so much as actually stood on a snowboard before in our lives.

We're going this weekend on "Santa Day," when you ski free for coming to the slopes dressed as Santa (we will NOT be doing this, as falling on our butts will make us look ridiculous enough).

Get ready for some competition, Shaun White!

Everglades

Work takes me all over, which is a thing I am very grateful for, because I adore traveling and at this stage of my life, I do not have the means to save up for more than a day trip or a long weekend crashing at a friend's place. One day, after lots of frugality and dreaming, I will actually take, gasp!, vacation time to launch off to far lands and pretty locations.

One place I got to travel sans vacation time this year was the Everglades, Florida. We went down to the very tip of the glades, past Alligator Alley, to work with 3 communities there made up of no more than 400 people combined. Despite it being record-breaking chilly, it was still warmer than home, and so sunshiny it made me smile.

Though I love where I live and would not welcome the humidity that Florida usually has, I think if I lived in this place year round, I would definitely become an expert kayaker and certainly accomplish my goal of learning to sail a lot earlier. I'd even be tempted to crab, vegetarian that I am!

The Everglades marks my last trip for work in the 2010 year, which took me to Black Moutain, North Carolina, Caracas, Venezuela, Monterrey, Mexico, Baltimore, Maryland and now Florida. I am glad to have been, but even happier to be back and counting down the days until Christmas!

Deckin' the Halls

Christmas time for S and I was once a time when we went back to visit our respective families in opposite states. It then became a time to visit Hampden for the holidays, and to pick out the best fake Christmas tree ever, Dustin, from the Walmart in Towson.

These days we've eased into traditions, and it's our third Christmas with Sir Dustin. O the Cat helped us "decorate" the tree by wrestling with all the ornaments and otherwise making it a festive chore. S and I cheerfully added a brand new ornament, a sailboat from our Cape Cod adventure this October, to the branches.

There's something really special about a holiday when you can look out your window, all aglow with the tree bulbs and the candles you've put out, and see the shiny lights of your neighbors all up too. It's these things I will take away from decorating for the holidays this year.

Here are just a few pictures from S's and my fourth Christmas season together and our first in our new home in New England!

The overall look - reindeer, table setting, and of course, Dustin, our Christmas tree.

The tiny hidden touches, like a poinsettia embellishment mixed in with everyday decor.

Our tree, with ornaments full of memories, handmade touches, and the perfect star on top!

Happy Holidays!!!

Thanksgiving 2010

This Thanksgiving S and I got the distinct pleasure of sharing a meal together, along with my wonderful parents in the great state of Maryland.

We were a bit sad to leave our little home in Mass, but we did our best to deck it out anyway, with pumpkins and fall leaf decor inside and out.

Our table setting - candles, porcelain bird, real pumpkin, and fake gourd.

Our porch setting - seasonal flowers and green candle.

O the Cat was a big fan of "hiding" the leaves under a piece of furniture and then neurotically trying to bat them back out into the open.

In Maryland we got a really tasty meal (Thanks, Mom!) and S found a brand new, very manly leather coat on sale on a Black Friday shopping raid (Thank you, Consumer America!).

S at the Thanksgiving table, the deliciousness evident on his face.

We had a lot of fun with K too, going out to eat at a new Chinese restaurant in the area and playing Apples to Apples, our favorite downtime card game.

The craze that is Apples to Apples.

It was an awesome break to relax and enjoy family.

The Chubby Chasers

In the midst of busting my butt for work this fall, I've forgotten to write about a few of our family's grand adventures, like the forming of our rock band, The Chubby Chasers.S thought of this name, and christened me BBV - Big Boot Vasquez, and O the Cat "Chubs" Yang.

We are a rock band when playing our falltime gift to ourselves, Guitar Hero, Warriors of Rock. In addition improving S's hand eye coordination and my sense of pitch, the game has providing quite a few hours of family fun, whereby:

1) S and D rock out to some terrible heavy metal song, and

2) O the cat either freaks out and runs around in a panic while wailing like his momma on the mic, or completely freaks out, and bites his momma.

It's all good fun, and we are hoping that it will bring us through the freezing winter months which I have to admit, I am dreading.

Today, Tuesday, Everyday

Prayer for Lucas

Little Lucas, we love you.

You are a binding strength to us.

You remind us about the importance of love.

We want you to breathe in grace and breathe out peace.

Be safe, knowing that the darkness has not overcome the light.

Christmas Time

We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.