Wanderlust

After fixing what was broken (read home maintenance), we had a chance to slow it down a bit and enjoy just being back home for a couple weeks. Amidst the relaxing were Christmas parties, meals, movies, happy hours, and watching football games with friends and family.

Weird find - The elephant condo from Florida had this EXACT elephant in it - we are being followed. He made it all the way to Pocatello! What are the odds?

Luckily, we got home a few days before Ashley's last basketball game! Even though they lost (by 20), it was a good game and Ash did really well. I never knew girls middle school basketball could be so cut throat.

Poor Charlie had her surgery. She was probably wondering what kind of people adopted her. She was so out of it when she came home you couldn't help but feel for her. Cujo even went so far as to hand feed her. Really, we aren't those kind of people. But yes, he was that day. She was moaning and literally crying. Let's all do a collective OHHHHHH. Okay, it's over - she's fine now.

We brought in the New Year very low key, but I took a picture so here it is. Hey, at least we stayed up til midnight, right?

Mom held another Kite Workshop - this one was Tako (octopus) Tako (kite), and was followed up days later with a New Year Day Kite Fly, which is supposed to be good luck. The workshop gained the attention of the local newspaper, who posted an interview here.

Who couldn't use a little extra good luck, so we braved the cold and wind and flew those kites! Errrr, two did get stuck in a tree, but only one stayed in it. And yes, Charlie loves his Grandma Micki, haha! She thinks he is a cat stuck in a dog's body - he does love to rub on people and balance precariously on stuff, oddly enough.

Cold weather and holidays = PUZZLES! Seems that puzzles are a phase, and that phase rears its head in wintertime. I swear, I start on these things and don't raise my head for three hours. Then when I finally do, I wonder where the time went and why my neck hurts so damn much. Ugh... Still, I return. And yes, happier than shit when it's done, and oh so full of accomplishment. And PROOF needed, thus photos! Nerds!

For the holidays this year, we not only had a lovely turkey dinner together, but also went bowling. I think all of us broke 100 - woohoo! Actually, I think that most all of us got right around the same score, within single digits. Spooky. Anyway, enough about bowling, in all honestly, we went for the beer and wings afterward.

Turns out Charlie loves to go hiking in the outdoors and snow, and also likes chasing sleds (and small children) down the hill.