christmas

December 27, 2012

we have this rule: no one is allowed down where santa delivered the goods until everyone is awake. everyone goes down together. this rule has never been broken.

so, here is sela and kj, obedient children as they are — standing at the top of the stairs trying to see as much as possible, and almost dying from the pain of waiting. waiting for their older sisters to wake up and get out of bed so they can go downstairs {insert: kiana moaning from her bed about how tired she is, each time sela sneaks in and tries to wake her up…}

sela and kj waiting for christmas morn

this is new: santa footprints… because our fireplace was hot,

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christmas eve

December 27, 2012

sushi. holiday cards. good friends. good food. traditional christmas jammies. snuggles. cookies for santa. apples for the reindeer. movie: christmas vacation while playing crazy eights.

a new tradition: sitting around the tree sharing our favorite memories of 2012. my favorite memory: the moment we were all singing country songs driving around crescent lake in washington on this road trip. amazing: every one of my kids shared favorite memories that all had to do with spending time together as a family. no favorite toys. no favorite video games were mentioned. kj was almost in tears because he wanted to be back in cabo with his dear friends.

my heart was smiling.

christmas eve sushi tradition via seejaneblog

christmas eve dinner via seejaneblog

christmas eve via seejaneblog

christmas eve jammies via seejaneblog

bw christmas eve

cookies for santa, apples for the reindeer

family games

christmas eve with american girl doll

{all photos by me.

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cabo san lucas, part IV

December 26, 2012

{this is the last post for cabo san lucas…}

poolside in cabo

our last day{s} is always a little sad in cabo. we all mentally prepare to go home. do you do that on vacation? the last day or two, do your thoughts return to what-needs-to-be-done-at-home-or-work mode and you start to abandon the carefree spirit of vacation? cabo is so special to us, that none of us want it to end…

for some reason, we usually stay one to three+ days longer than our friends who go with us… so, the day they leave is a total downer.

KJ cheered himself up with three vanilla milkshakes after his buddies left…

three vanilla milkshakes

then,

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cabo san lucas, part III

December 26, 2012

{making a tribe.}

while in cabo i was reading and looking through the latest edition of kinfolk. i felt an immense connection to the words by rebecca parker payne when she talks about making a tribe.

so…. for this post, i am doing something new – i am going to quote her entire article, with our pictures. they don’t relate. and yet they do relate. she talks about traditional childhood memories in respect to hunting down the perfect christmas tree in the blue ridge mountains. my pictures are from a few of my favorite days in cabo san lucas, one of our holiday traditions. we have been going to mexico for the holidays,

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