Happy New Year

This holiday season has been one of the best. We stayed home for the holidays. We experienced an old fashioned holiday season. I am so glad that we did. The boys have been so happy and carefree. Our memories, are of us being a family, going for hikes, making wonderful crafts with our hands and making food that we have seen grow from our local farmers. We were able to spend a lot of time with family and friends who came from far and wide.

For New Year's Eve we got together with our dear friends, Adam and Selena Herrin and their two girls, Audra and Norah. The boys love Audra. We had a nice sit down dinner (sans kids...we hired a sitter to come and watch the kids while the four us went to our neighbors house for a super yummy new years's eve dinner).

On New Year's Day we took our friends to one of our favorite spots, Wilder Ranch. If you have never been to the Ranch...go! It is hands down one of the jewels of Santa Cruz County. The kids loved playing on the farm. The Ranch was having an Open House. They had all the barns open, the houses were open and they had old fashioned games for the kiddos. It was a perfect day to tour around the ranch and let the kids run free.

Views of the Ranch

Our little handmade girl, Norah. Selena knitted the sweater for Audra, now Norah's and I crochet the hat for Audra, now Norah's.

Breathtaking!

Jettson and Audra, best friends. It is so cute, how much these two love eachother. Very sweet, indeed, to watch our children grow up together.

I could not get a good shot of Owen the whole day...he was on the move all day long. He loves to be outside.

Jettson was trying to give Owen a kiss...however, Owen was not too happy about it.

Selena discovered the old fashoined bubble makers. They made really cool, huge, bubbles.

The photos speak for themselves...we had a great New Year's Day! I have gotta feeling this is going to be a good, good year! Happy New Year to all. I truly, hope that this year is a blessed year for us all. I know, it has been tough for lots of us and for some it's still not over. However, in the end it is not about how much money you have, how much "stuff" you have accumulated or about how fancy your life is...in the end... our lives are measured by how much we have loved, given and have had compassion for others. My only New Year Resolution is to make sure those whom I love benefit from the bounty in my life.