Ways to Await Another Christmas

Our good friends, the MacBeths, invited us to come with them to the zoo on the day after Christmas. It was their youngest daughter's birthday, and she loves the zoo. It just so happens that we love the zoo, too! Our passes had expired a few months previous, so it was awesome to be their guests (the MacBeths have the fancy passes)!

That evening we joined the MacBeths again, this time in Government Canyon. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner of hot dogs and s'mores to top off the birthday celebrations. I love hanging out with the MacBeths; one of my favorite things about them is how they have an extra gourmet version of everything for the adults--spared no expense!, as John Hammond would say. No pictures of any of that; sorry.

It was nice to just be with my kids again, and not have anything but a celebration/Daddy's homecoming on the horizon; no school or obligations except to enjoy each other. I have to savor these moments because I often miss them if I don't. Being away from them the previous weeks helped us all enjoy each other a little more.

 And then there was the dentist. Here we are, waiting.

I had to snap this because it feels so rare to see people reading books these days. Every other person in that room was on their phone (including me). I love that my kids love to read. They also love to talk and interact; I love to see that in them. I don't want them to ever grow up and get phones and turn into the common, boring people I see all around.

Natalie interacts with people, as well. She learned to give kisses, but on this particular day they were followed by 3 smackeroos to the forehead, for good measure. I didn't quite catch all that on video, but we enjoyed the moment all the same.