The holidays are here! Well, I guess they have been here if you consider that they started in October (and I DO...Halloween is a favorite!). We've had a busy and really great Fall-- I got to go HOME to Richmond, Virginia for the first time in FOUR YEARS. I can't believe it had been that long. I want to say I'm not sure how that happened...how did I let 4 years go by without going home...but I know how that happened...I had 4 kids in 4 years. Life was busy. Flying 6 people to the east coast is expensive. It has been 6 years since Myke and I have traveled back east together (the last time we went Owen and Eli were not even 6 months old). Fall is definitely the BEST time to visit the east coast. It was just amazing and beautiful the entire visit...including a downpour of rain where we sat out on my parent's screened-in porch and just listened to the intensity of it all. Not something we often get here in San Diego. The trip was amazing. An entire 2 weeks in Virginia and D.C. gave us time to really enjoy and soak it up instead of being hurried from place to place and person to person in an attempt to get-it-all-in. We even spent Halloween here and trick-or-treated in the neighborhood I grew up in (from age 8 on) and where my parents still live. It was SO AWESOME to do that--I saw so many neighbors from my past...such a trip down memory lane. My heart is absolutely split between the east and west coast. No doubt. I miss home. I was able to see Richmond in a different light this visit. So much has changed in the 20 years I've been away.
Pre-White Water Rafting Experience on the James River
A long weekend up in Northern VA and D.C.
These are my girls from my freshman Monroe first-floor dorm
20 years ago we started college!!
The bales of hay on Karmin's farm
Jumping in leaves at Gramma & Grandpa's house
Grits...and other yummy foods..haha!! Waffle House
Night out with our college friends
D.C. Visit
Me & Dad!
Hiking James River trails
My best friend since age 8
We returned back to California from that trip in early November and a few weeks later we headed on another trip--this time by car! We went to Yosemite National Park- it was stunning to say the least! Much-needed time with the kids and a nice trip into nature...away from the hustle-bustle. I wish we could have stayed longer and done more of Yosemite...but it wet the pallet, so we'll go with that!
Thanksgiving dinner at our AirBnB
Ella & our neighbor Trevor at SoccerKids
Gymnastics
Ella and her buddy
Christmas Tree Brownies
The DAY after we returned from Virginia I ran a 15K I'd been training for
Sisters
So that's about it. We are back in California for a couple weeks and then off to Flagstaff, Arizona for Christmas with Myke's parents for 6 days. The entire trip was planned around Maureen's (Myke's mom) idea of taking the kids on the Polar Express train experience in Campbell, AZ that she'd heard of. We figured if we're driving that far for an hour train ride we may as well stay a few days and see the Grand Canyon (maybe), try out the local ski resort, maybe Sedona? It's all up in the air. I haven't really had the time to think about that trip yet. Myke is leaving first thing tomorrow for a 5 day work trip so I'm in day-by-day survival mode this week. Just getting the kids to and from school, to basketball practice (Chloë-two nights a week), multi-sport class (the boys), acting class (Chloë), gymnastics class (Ella), piano (Chloë and Eli). The boys just finished up soccer at the YMCA on Sunday so that's one less thing on the list. Phew!
Getting late and time to head to bed!
:)
