First off, happy new year! I hope that everyone's 2013 is off to a good start. It is hard to believe that the holidays are over (although Cliff keeps telling me that they aren't over until this upcoming weekend when we take down the tree and decorations). This was an odd holiday season as this was the first time we were away from the east coast and on our own for Christmas.
Cliff and I did an excellent job of getting into the Christmas spirit. We went with friends to see holiday lights (see Coos Bay post), we watched holiday movies, ate chocolate, listened to Christmas music, decorated the whole house, and drank egg nog. We were in good shape until Christmas eve. We were really homesick and sad. So we made dinner, chatted with our lovely family, watched "It's A Wonderful Life", and headed for bed. On Christmas we finished opening presented (we snuck a few ahead of schedule) and packed up to head to Portland to spend the night with Kathy, Jill, and our friend Zoe who flew up from California. We were actually supposed to go up to Portland before Christmas but postponed the trip as Zoe's flight was cancelled and she came in a few days late. I'm really glad we changed our plans as spending time with friends helped to make a really nice Christmas. Kathy, Jill and Zoe made a delicious lunch/dinner (ham, vegetables, bread and cheese, green bean casserole, stuffing, mimosas, and homemade cookies!). We Skyped with our friends Sam and Steve in Pittsburg. Afterwards we all went to the movie to see Les Miserables. The theater was packed. I love going to the movies on Christmas. We all really enjoyed the movie and cried a lot...well....I cried a lot. I get so emotional with musicals. They are magical to me. After the movie we opened presents and ate Chinese food. It was a solid day.
We came back from Portland on Wednesday so that I could work the rest of the week. Cliff and I were both looking forward to the weekend as REI was having their scratch and dent sale. We really want to start backpacking but are missing a few essential items and we had Christmas money burning a hole in our pocket. We got there 2 1/2 hours before the doors opened and we were about the 70th or so folks in line. It was cold but dry and a friend waited with us so the time went by pretty quickly. Once inside, Cliff did it. He found the exact tent we wanted. The tent sells for about $350 and we got ours for $70 because a non-essential zipper was broken. Totally excited! We also got a fuel bottle for our future stove and I got a fuzzy fleece jacket. We were pretty proud of ourselves. We put the tent up in the living room quite a few times that night. Rudy was very confused. We are now a few steps closer to our first spring backpacking trip.
Last night we went out to dinner with a friend from work and stopped in at our neighbor's for a get together. The clock struck midnight as Cliff and I were going to bed. We decided to ring in the new year with sleep. This morning we got up and Cliff suggested that we climb Spencer Butte. It has been dry this week (awesome) and the sun was out. Everyone and their mom, brother, cousin, and dog was at the butte today. We all wanted to take in the view and the sunshine on the first day of 2013. There was quite a bit of frost and even some ice on the butte. I took a photo of some as it was a cool shape. It was clear and we could see the Three Sisters and even up to Mt. Hood. The whole hike was relaxing and wonderful.
I've failed to mention that Rudy had an awesome Christmas. He got a new bed, treats, a long and leggy Santa monkey, a Rudolph rope/squeak toy (via Kathy and Jill), and a new tie (via mom). He has been a happy camper. He won't leave his new bed and when he does it is to either eat, go to the bathroom, or frolic with his new toys. You can't see them all, but he is sitting on top of them in this photo. He likes to snuggle with them.
As for the new year, 2012 was full of transitions for us and for the family. We are looking forward to 2013 and the new challenges and the opportunities that await. We don't really do resolutions but Cliff and I have a few hopes for the upcoming year:
- Spend more time outside
- Start backpacking (the goal would be once a month in the dry times)
- Be more active and eat healthier (we both have quite a big sweet tooth)
- Finally get the dog to walk properly on a leash
- Cliff wants to row another marathon before April
- I want to improve my ability to balance work and life
May the new year bring you all lots of love, laughter, prosperity, and happiness! Bring it on 2013.
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