New Year's Resolutions

Nathan kindly and lovingly reminds me that I have sorely neglected our blog and has asked if I would so kindly provide an update.  "A lot has happened since the Keith Urban concert in September," he prods.

So with that bit of encouragement, here is a very quick update and no promises about how consistent I will be in providing future updates.

In October we reverted to a fairly sedentary existence.  Dixie was not yet able to go much further than our front yard while we were in the process of getting her vaccinations.  She was too young for us to leave her for much longer than 4 hours at a time and as a result we have very little to report.

In November we took advantage of a free flight to Nashville and took in the sights and sounds of Music City for a long weekend including visits with friends, a NHL game, honkey tonkin' on Broadway and buying cowboy/girl boots!

Dinner out with neighborhood friends!  Back row: Pam, Kari, Dale, Mike.  Front Row: Brenda, Holly, Derek.

Broadway guitar just right outside of world famous Legend's.

In front of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

We spent Thanksgiving with the Stoll family here in Washington State.  We were blessed to have my sister Kelly in town from Illinois and my brother Brad and his wife Silvia in town from New York.  My cousin Amy and her fiance Tom were able to join us for the afternoon meal at my folks' place.  It was good to have everyone together!

Bradley and Kari during a quick visit to the Curtis house.

Nathan, Silvia, Kelly and Mom posing in front of the appetizers.

Dad prepping the turkey!

Silvia and Brad - so cute!

Nathan and cousin Amy digging in!

Our first married Thanksgiving.  Nathan sporting his "Movember" beard in support of male cancer awareness.

In December we decided to decorate the house and get a tree despite the fact that we would not be in town for the holiday.  It was a good decision and helped create some Christmas spirit during the weeks leading up to our departure.  On a sunny, crisp day we headed to the Cascade foothills to find the perfect Nobel Fir.

Nathan and our tree.

The tree farm in the Cascade foothills.

Showing off our freshly decorated and lit tree.

A Christmas gift from my parents.

On Christmas Eve, at 4:00 AM, we sleepily loaded into a cab on our way to the airport.  Two flights later we happily arrived in Orlando, FL to spend Christmas with Nathan's family.  We felt so blessed to have both his brothers and their wives also in town, the whole family together for the holiday.  As you can imagine, my mother-in-law was on cloud nine!  We took this opportunity to grab some family photos.

The Curtis Clan: Back row - Ron and Connie.  Front Row - Isaiah, Laura, Nathan, Kari, Josh, Becky.

A happy couple.

The brothers: oldest to youngest.

An overjoyed mother and her sons!

Unfortunately Isaiah and Laura had to leave late on Christmas afternoon but the 24 hours that we were able to all spend together was truly special.

On the 26th Nathan and I made a day trip to Daytona Beach with his parents.  We enjoyed the sites and sounds of Nathan's childhood vacation spot and it was a treat to hear of all the fond memories.

The Ponce Deleon light house, Florida's tallest light house.

Nathan and the lighthouse spiral stairs.  We climbed all 203 of them!

Lighthouse entrance.

Ron, Connie and Nathan soaking in the sun with the Atlantic Ocean at their feet.

Preparing to race the boys in my pink dragster. Missed most of the 4 second ride, screaming, eyes closed!

On Tuesday the 27th we joined Josh and Becky and Ron and Connie at the most magical place on Earth - DisneyWorld!  Pictures are at a minimum.  We spent a lot of time in lines.  The Electrical Parade, castle lights and fireworks were spectacular!  Something I had not had the opportunity to do before.

The castle matches my shirt.

So cool!

A snapshot with Mickey on our way out.

Our last day in Orlando was low key. We made the most of the last bit of sunshine with a run and a bike ride.  What a wonderful visit.  We are looking forward to Nathan's folks making the trip to Seattle in April!

Now we are two weeks into the New Year and ready for our next sunny vacation.  Today we have watched Dixie frolic in and chomp at Seattle's first snow of the season, providing us with wonderful afternoon entertainment.  The trees are beautifully covered in the white stuff and we are thankful to have a warm house to snuggle up in.

Pulling eagerly around the yard.  Lots of sniffing going on!

Still long enough for a photo.

So from our house to yours, happy New Year wishes!