Joy

Steve, Kendall, Cricket and I took a road trip to spend Christmas with Adam, Natalie and Dahlia . We stopped in Vegas for the boys to go to the Maaco Bowl and then on to San Diego for the Poinsettia Bowl with Adam. While the boys enjoyed the football, I simply loved being with Natalie.

This picture just spills joy to me.  After a yummy Christmas Eve brunch in San Diego we walked over to Balboa Park.  The first picture that we asked a passerby to take didn't include Cricket. So, we took a timed one on Cricket's level. How many times have Cricket and I posed on her level? Apparently we struggle to keep our balance and look at the camera unless someone is telling us, 1,2,3!  I was hoping for a picture for our Happy New Year Card (isn't that what you do when you missed the mark on sending out Christmas cards?).

So many highlights: going to the grocery store with Natalie, just hanging out, running at Lake Murray, movie night, Christmas Eve with the traditional Hawaiian Haystacks and knowing that the rest of our family was also enjoying them in Logan, making Gingerbread Houses, movie night - boys to one and girls to another,  playing with the puppy - Dahlia,  mani/pedis for the girls, opening gifts and reading the special message my parents had put together.

Natalie fixed an amazing Christmas brunch and dinner. I learn something new about cooking each time I visit! Around the Christmas dinner we each shared a highlight of the year. My first thought was this very moment of being together - sitting around the table with these four wonderful people that mean the world to me, all healthy and surrounded by plenty of food and shelter and celebrating the beautiful message of Christmas.  Pure Joy.

My camera, after frequently being dropped, has died. I love taking my camera everywhere so a new one is top on the list for my birthday wishes. (I love having a birthday a few weeks after Christmas.)