Holidays, 2014

This holiday was like a ribbon in a strong wind, about six weeks long.  Honestly the same analogy hits me about our lives altogeher these days, but this occurred to me over and over in a snippet of the past six weeks.  We never knew the next bend but all were right.  There was some work, some school, some transition out of that, a good bit of travel, lots of time with lots of family, sharing, fun, doing and seeing new things, re-doing and re-seeing old things that mark the holidays every year, shedding the routine, losing the schedule, decorating, creating, baking, cooking, eating, gift giving, treats, surprises, ease, sickness, wellness, time for self and time with others.  There is no way to recap, or describe it all, but the few pics that were captured will help to touch on some of the highlights.

Thanksgiving trip to the beach.

An annual solstice gathering at our house, where we strung lights all over, and hosted a stampede of children, ages 2 to 8, and parents.  This includes a potluck and a shadow puppet play that the kids each make a character for.

I got to spend an afternoon in Heath's class helping with a craft, the last day before we set off for Birmingham.  He absolutely loves school, his class, his friends, his teacher.  He is just bouncing the whole time he is in there, total love.  And he was so excited to get back on that school bus on the first day back.  He is devouring reading and writing right now.  He just has this in him right now.  

We stayed over in Knoxville on the way to Bham, showed the boys our old house and favorite places.  Dinner at Tomato Head.

Breakfast at the bagel and coffee joint Lesley and I used to spend so many mornings in.  They opened an hour early to let us in and set us up special.

A family pic after we all went to Mass.

One day in Birmingham, we went hiking at Red Mountain Park, which is the former site of a booming steel mining operation/small town and now set up for hiking and other outdoor adventures.  The cousins played pretty much nonstop for a week and so very well together.  What a fun place to explore...

Old building foundations to play on, and cool rocks and mining relict machinery and structures everywhere.  Since this has been repurposed now for an adventure course, there was lots of ziplining to watch overhead as we hiked around.

And Dad got to let loose and take lots of random pics of how vegetation was reclaiming the structures too.

Kids breaking for a snack.

Okay major fast forward here.  Lesley left for Panama on the 27th and the boys and I drove back the next day, staying over one night at a neat hotel ("Aloft") in Charlotte.  They got to eat yummy/unhealthy bar food and play lots of billiards.

And we got home to spend a solid week, just… at home.  I will say here we have greatly missed our Mommy, but we have done well.  I have made a point to let each day pretty much unfold naturally, with an idea or two of "things to do", some of which happened and some which didnt.  What did unfold was three days including hikes in the area.

One day we walked to the boys school and spent the afternoon in the woods behind it.  Heath showed us where he and his friends like to play in leaf piles

We found some salamanders in the creek down the hill behind the playground.

Found some cool rocks…  Another day we went for a hike with one of Heath's friend's family.  Our first time spending time with them altogether.  (No pics of that.)

And another day we met up with old friends we dont see enough anymore at some abandoned coal mines that have been redeveloped into parks, right by our house  This is the same spot Lesley and Alder went to look at Mergansers a few blog posts back.

And now… we are back to the routine again, bracing to watch 2015 flash by.