weekend in Vermont

For the first two weeks back I was kind of pretending that I was still on vacation... which is okay because one of my new year's resolutions was to not be such a giantanxietyball this semester!  So far I have been doing well, but with my first exams coming up on Tuesday I guess we shall see if that approach is actually working.  Here's hoping I have learned how to be productive in new ways!  In any case, during my pseudo vacation time I spent a weekend in Vermont visiting Emily.  I think it is particularly telling that I didn't even bring one single textbook with me!!  If you are not impressed by that statement that perhaps I should tell you that I have brought one with me on every single trip I have taken with Em, INCLUDING our trip to Japan, so it was kind of a landmark for me!

Obie and I loaded up into the car friday afternoon after class and headed to Brattleboro with wine and chocolate and cheese in the backseat.  What's a vacation without those three ingredients really?

On Saturday we went out for a nearby hike and found a place to go ice skating.  It was a little bit cold, but sunny for the most part and we kept ourselves warm by moving fast, Oliver especially.  It was his first time on ice, and he kept exuberantly running after us and then sliding to grasp the ice and turn when we turned quickly.  It was hilarious, Emily even made him dance with her..

On Sunday before I left we made Joe's dream breakfast come to life:  breakfast nachos?!  Ohh my word they were so tasty.  Probably just another not so sneaky excuse to eat chips smothered with everything that I love, but with the addition of eggs to make it seem more morning-ly.  I highly suggest giving them a try, you won't regret it! I mean, how could you?

It was such a lovely weekend.  I feel like I haven't had much sister time lately, certainly not enough with just the two of us for any measurable amount of time, AND IT WAS GREAT.  Much needed, and much appreciated.  We just got to talk and laugh, cook and listen to music, watch movies, be outside, giggle about ridiculous things and reminisce.   As it should be! 

christmas come and gone

I can hardly believe my break is coming to an end.  Not in a bad way, it both feels as though I have been on vacation for months and just a few seconds, it's just crazy how time moves differently during different events.  First off my (28th!) birthday was such a great celebration with family.  I always feel so surrounded with love on my birthday, which I attribute to the day falling so close to Christmas...I get the joy of seeing my entire family all together almost every year, and everyone goes an extra mile to make me feel special during such a hectic time so I don't feel overshadowed.  It was just a nice day, we ate at Pei Men Miyake (one of our favorite places in Portland) for lunch with Joe and Emily, and made it out to the cabin for a homemade dinner of seafood piaya and presents with the whole family.  JP surprised me with a giant birthday cake from the gluten free bakery in town which was delicious!

Our humble home for the holidays

 We spent our time at the cabin tromping around in the outdoors, making food and playing games.  We got out for a few hikes before the dump of snow obscured the trails.  In fact the snow even extended Micah's stay unexpectedly! We went to the beach and to a lighthouse, found lots of ice to stomp/crush/throw rocks at/bowl on, rediscovered cat tails and the joys of destroying them, and just generally enjoyed the beauty of being outdoors during such a cozy season.

 And of course the beauty of being indoors during such a cozy season wasn't lost on us either

 

 

Sometimes gathering seven people in one house, six of whom are related, can be a bit stressful, but it didn't seem to be!  There was enough space to spread out, and I think having everyone on neutral ground gave the whole gathering a different sort of tone.  I had such a great hang!  It was also quite nice to have the pups with us for the holidays, something that isn't always feasible.  Overall I had a really, really great vacation.  I feel renewed, exercised and well slept for the first time in a long time!  My school went easy on us for this first week back, so we've got a pretty light schedule for the next couple of days.  I am planning on a little trip with Obie to Vermont to see Em next weekend, so I am going to just pretend I've got a little vacation extension of my own.  Happy New Year!