8th annual.

holiday get togethers can sometimes be boring and predictable.
i mean dont get me wrong, i love me some thanksgiving turkey...but for a girl who loves to eat and a mom who loves to cook :) we can never think of enough excuses to share meals together.
and so this is our 8th year celebrating family by watching the oscars together. basically everyone tries to see some of the movies that are nominated for best picture and then you bring a dish or a drink - anything to share that represents one of the movies. it could be creative like a black and white dessert representing the black and white film "the artist"...or southern fried chicken for "the help." and we pretty much had it all this year! we vote on the best or most creative dish at the end :)

thanks to my family - who loves to party and loves to host (and loves to eat)...i hope to be the same way!

my sister brought raclette representing "midnight in paris"

inspiration is...everywhere.

here's a secret.

and it is mostly for all you airline employes (meaning, you should probably only go here if you're getting paid). if you need to clear your head. if you need to brainstorm. a good nights sleep. somewhere with no distractions. and a small workout facility. then i know just the place...

SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN!

i have actually been actively avoiding canada for a long time now, but i saw this trip on the swap board where you stay in saskatoon for 30 some hours. so we get in sunday night and then we are there all monday. i knew that there was a mall, starbucks, internet and a workout room so i took the trip. and for a place that is way below freezing and has terrible tv (dont worry...i know there are most likely zero canadians reading this) it is a most excellent place to be alone. without interruption and all the duties of our everyday lives - you can actually hear yourself think. process your life. i mean, this is essentially what traveling is to me. a time to reflect but also a time to be inspired. you are constantly creating yourself. customly designing who you want to be.

and so as i sat at the starbucks...observing the canadians.
i. was. inspired.
the feeling is ineffable. and i wasnt in some extraordinary, unique setting. i wasnt drinking tea in the jungles of laos. or doing yoga in an ashram in india.
i was at a freaking starbucks. in saskatoon.

"if she got really quiet and listened, new parts of her wanted to speak." susan qriel

cant. stop. moving.

in the previous blog - you might be wondering why "home" was in quotes.
ok, you probably weren't wondering.
but in case you were...you know, wondering...
it is because - I MOVED!!!
surprised?
no?
oh.

thats right everyone...i moved back to the 'burbs.
because...well...it turns out i actually hate broadway plaza lofts. ha. i mean its the obvious reasons of that it just didnt feel very safe in 211. and there were way too many incidences. cars broken into, our place being ransacked, fights outside our window, puppies stolen! i cant make this stuff up. its like the "fool me once" saying.

and so...i am now safe and sound in white suburbia living in a place that (since i was 15) has always felt like home and has always been welcoming. its hannahs parent's old house and her and josh are still living there, along with our friend amy! i am so very grateful to have them in my life and although i am still driving to arvada or downtown or the airport what seems like daily. i know i can come home to people i love and dogs greeting me at the door. a safe little house in lakewood.
since the move my dreams have been sweet...and let me tell you, nothing compares to a good nights sleep.

g'night :)

seven day cruise.

correction....seven day DISNEY cruise.

i got "home" sunday night with this feeling like, "what the heck just happened?"
seven days of non stop kids, overly happy crew members, signing, eating and entertainment.

im not joking. non stop, people.

im not a cruise person really - but i AM a family person and you know you can have fun going anywhere with the right attitude. and when you are with 8 people, all with different opinions and needs, sometimes a cruise seems best.
surprisingly, everything went pretty smooth - no lost bags or missed flights or throwing up.
i mean there was a little (a lot) of crying. mostly from the kids of course.
i would like to compare it to - roskilde. but for kids. the kid version of parties and alcohol and concerts...is water slides, mickey time, bingo, milk shakes, pizza and toy story the musical. they had the time of their lives and by the end of each night they were exhausted!

for sure my favorite day was in cabo when we paid Gabriel 80 bucks to take us on his sketch little boat to go whale watching. we were about 8 feet from 2 huge, beautiful humpback whales. we followed them for about 20 minutes. it was obvious they were lovers. on a journey together :) it was incredible...it almost brought tears to my eyes! we took the boat to some beach while about five seals waved to us! and then we drank margaritas, ate chips and guac, traded some altoids for some sun glasses (i love bargaining) and buried each other in the sand.

our family is not perfect, but these are the moments you want to remember. these are the moments that will go in the books.