Thanksgiving Eve

It's Thanksgiving Eve, and I'm nestled up by the fireplace at our family's house in Lake Tahoe.  We escaped here for five days with our girls, my Mom, and my Uncle.  This is the first ever Thanksgiving meal that Chad and I will prepare.  Wow, we've gotten off the hook for 15 years!

That's because traditionally, we have spent Thanksgiving in Fullerton, with the Suich family.  But, this year is different.  About 7 months ago, our family dynamic changed drastically when my Mom's marriage of 18 years ended suddenly and unexpectedly.  So, this year, we get to make new memories and start new traditions. 

It's bittersweet, and I am full of both gratitude and lingering anger.  God knows there is healing still needed in my heart, and that my holding onto resentment feels like tangible retribution even though that is not my place or right.  But tomorrow, we will sit around the table and talk about what we are thankful for.  And it is on my heart tonight to choose gratitude, even in the midst of the different and unfamiliar.     

I am grateful for my Mom.  While she isn't the only wonderful woman in my life to get that title, our relationship is deep and real and true.  She knows me inside and out, and there are no secrets between us.  That kind of vulnerability and love is rare.  Her strength inspires me, encourages me, and often sustains me.  She consistently overcomes tragedy with wisdom and grace and a bigger heart on the other side.  She is flawed but authentic.  She loves freely, without judgment, and is not afraid to risk her heart.  She's having a difficult time, but she still shows up -- ever full of love for her family and friends.

I am grateful for my beautiful girls.  This morning I woke up before Tess did, so I got out of bed and went to her room and crawled in bed with her.  I just wanted to be close to her.  I laid next to her and groggily tried to thank God for this precious gift I've been given...and I know he understands and appreciates what I cannot articulate.  The experience of having children is absolutely, mind-blowingly amazing -- far beyond what anyone described to me or could have made me understand even five years ago.  On an almost daily basis, I feel I cannot possibly deserve the beauty and magnificence of their presence in my life, to love and care for and (hopefully) guide into successful adulthood.  Tess is like the bow of a ship -- plunging me forward into motherhood, cutting through the still water or the whitecaps, whatever the weather may be.  While she shows me what is ahead, Kate is bringing up the rear -- somehow grounding me in motherhood and giving me the patience and confidence to stay the course and steer the ship, so to speak.  I've got two counting on me now, and my heart has expanded to depths previously unknown.  These girls are truly my purpose and my reason for each day and its decisions/actions. 

I am grateful for Chad.  He has endured MUCH with me over the years as I have struggled to find myself, and he continues to make me feel more loved and secure (and secure in myself) as the years go by.  Also, there is nothing like seeing your girls idolizing your husband, and falling in love with the father he has become.  I could not have hand-picked a better dad for these girls.  

I am grateful for my career.  There are many close to me who just can't understand what this piece of my life means.  I believed 15 years ago that my job at PrideStaff was intended for me, and this was re-confirmed for me 2 years ago when I returned to work after my brief hiatus as a full-time stay-at-home mom.  It is God-given -- to bless our family, to enlarge and mature me, and so that I may be a light and encouragement to others.  Mostly, I believe it's about what I get to do for others.  Many days I feel like I fail miserably at living out this "calling" (for lack of a better word...it's late) but I never feel like the investment I make there is without significant return.  At my best, I can teach people some things and make them feel valued; at my worst, I try to at least be authentic and learn from my mistakes, even if it's in front of others.  

I am keenly aware that I am blessed beyond measure.  I don't deserve it, knowing the depths of my heart like I do.  None of us deserve it.  But its ours, anyway...and so when I catch myself in awe of what has been entrusted to me, I am tempted to feel anxious but instead focus on gratitude.  Help me, God, to be a good steward of everything you've entrusted to me.  Clearly you think I can handle it, even if I feel like I mess it up a lot of the time.  Thank you for your belief in me.  Please continue to make me humble, mindful, grateful, and full of love for you and yours.  

So-Cal Mini Vacay

Last weekend we took a mini-vacay down to Southern California to see a variety of family, and have a little early birthday celebration for our Tess. 

We arrived at the Suich home late Friday night and had a very low-key day on Saturday, starting with a long walk around the CSU Fullerton campus and its Arboretum.  In the afternoon we attended a church picnic and stopped to play at a gorgeous park in the area, while capturing some really adorable pictures of Tess.  Chad and I also got to sneak in a great dinner date (sushi) thanks to Grandma & Grandpa's willingness to babysit! 

Sunday we took Tess for a stroll around our favorite mall (we spent lots of time hanging out there when we were young and kid-free!), and spent the afternoon getting ready for a big family dinner/early birthday party for Tess.  Grandma Meg coordinated all the decorations and cake for a Bubble Guppies-themed evening, which Tess just loved! 

On Monday we had a nice family outing to the Santa Ana Zoo.  Since we are Fresno zoo members, our admission was just $5.00!  We had a light lunch, played in their park area, and then looked at the small selection of animals (mostly monkeys) and visited the petting zoo. 

We headed out from Fullerton on Tuesday morning...our destination was Oxnard, where our other parental unit (the Unruhs) were at Channel Islands Harbor with their 24-foot sailboat.  The goal was to take Tess on her first sail, which didn't pan out like we thought it would.  She was all smiles when we got to the boat, and enjoyed investigating the cabin and cockpit, but once we put the lifejacket on her, things got dicey....and then she went into meltdown.  This resulted in some "time out" with Mommy down below, after which we FINALLY got under way, only to have Tess pass out from exhaustion in the cabin.  We had a WONDERFUL sail (complete with a dolphin escort as we returned to the harbor),  but she slept through the entire thing.  She woke up as we were docked and tidying up from the outing, in time to have a light lunch before we hit the road for Fresno.  Oh well!  She had a good sleep, and I know from personal experience that boat naps are some of the best. 

Below are some pictures of our fun weekend, complete with birthday, zoo, and sailing adventures.  Enjoy!

Happy Holidays 2012

As usual, the Haydens enjoyed a busy holiday season full of gatherings with family and friends.  I have always felt like we were light on tradition, but as I wrote this I realized just how many holiday traditions we do enjoy each year.  We are certainly blessed as we head into 2013!

December 3 - Junior League Holiday Social at Piazza Del Pane.  Below is a pic of me with the rest of the 2013-2014 Board of Directors.  Next year I take on the role of Board secretary!  This was a fun little social designed for girl time, cocktails, and a "favorite things" gift exchange.  A great way to kick off the holiday season!

I'm in the back row, second from left, in red!

December 7 - PrideStaff Christmas Party at Fort Washington Country Club.  This is our favorite holiday party every year -- PrideStaff never disappoints!  Somehow I missed getting a picture of Chad and I together, but I got a few with the girls and PLENTY with our special entertainment: Elvis!  Local Elvis impersonator Jeremy Pierce has been a regular at the PrideStaff holiday parties for at least 10 years and he never gets old (literally and figuratively)!  He's also an old debate buddy of Chad's, so it's fun to say "We knew him when...."

Sarah & Dani. Love the dress she loaned
to me...and then GAVE to me!

Elvis in the house!

December 9 - Gingerbread Houses with "the cousins."  We are really enjoying this holiday tradition that we've graciously been included in!  Each year we get together with my aunt/uncle/cousins (and their spouses/kids) to decorate graham cracker "gingerbread" houses.  It's super fun despite the fact that our structural integrity and artistic flair are devolving as the years progress.  Year one we had the standout house, year two our roof collapsed, and year three I spent so much time working on a house that would stand up that we lost precious decorating time.  OH WELL!  Although next year I'm going to suggest that we all come with our houses pre-made, blank on the outside, so that we can concentrate on eating candy decorating them to the hilt.  Here's a pic of this year's masterpiece, omplete with half-marshmallow pseudo-snow tufts on the roof.

December 14 - PrideStaff RiskManagement Department Christmas Party at Nathan and Trish's.  Since our department has gotten so big in the past year, we thought it would be fun to have our very own Christmas party.  Nathan offered to host it at his place, so we made it into a potluck.  His wife, Trish, planned out some very fun games and prizes for us and when we finished "Christmas Pictionary" we were all sore from laughing so hard.  It was a really fun night and we came home with a super plush "sherpa" throw for our couch that matches our living room perfectly.

Clockwise from top left: Nathan, Danielle B., Danielle H. (Dani),
Beverly, Me, Shirley, Maribeth, Rachel.

December 21 - Forensics Christmas Potluck at Christiana's.  How do you know you're a fantastic teacher?  When your students still want to hang out with you over the holidays and/or long after they graduate!  This has turned out to be a new holiday tradition for us -- a get-together with all of the forensics students from class of 2011 (those who graduated and also those who were on the team with those who graduated). This year instead of going out to a restaurant we had a potluck and white elephant gift exchange at the home of one of Chad's favorites, Christiana.  She's a sophomore at Duke this year.  (This is a totally separate topic, but MAN these class of 2011 kids are SMART.)  We had a great time catching up on their latest college adventures and I brought home a Mr. Potato Head for Tess!

The group, minus a few who couldn't make it.

With Christiana ~ she captioned this photo "Two people I really
look up to." Aww! She's about as great as they come!

December 23 - Holiday Open House In Hollister.  We had a last-minute opportunity to spend the Sunday before Christmas with Chad's extended family (the Drydens) in Hollister.  We enjoyed great food and great company, got to hang out with some of our favorite cousins, and Tess got to see her great aunts/uncles and great grandpa.  (On the Dryden side of the family we are up to 6 great granddaughters and 2 great grandsons!)



Here's Great Grandpa ("Pop") with 5 of his 8 great grandchildren.



 December 24 - Christmas Eve Cookie Baking.  Holiday sugar cookie making/decorating is slowly becoming an annual tradition with my Mom (Grandma Melody), and this year we got together at my house along with her sister (my Aunt Debbie) and cousin Valerie.  Tess enjoyed eating the dough and playing around with all the supplies....at one point her hands and mouth were completely red from getting into the sprinkles!

Tess wearing her first little apron and helping
press out the shapes with the cookie cutters. 

December 25 - Christmas In Reedley.  Another Christmas tradition for us is spending Christmas morning in Reedley with the Unruh parents and Uncle Dick, Aunt Debbie, and cousin Valerie.  We typically open our stocking stuffers first (all individually wrapped!) and then have breakfast before opening gifts.  Each year Valerie makes a delicous "stuffed blueberry french toast casserole" with homemade blueberry syrup.  YUM!

All dressed up for Christmas Day.

A tired Christmas Tess enjoying one of her favorite gifts.

December 28 - Christmas With The Eastons.  Our dear friends Michael and Sara Easton were in town for the holidays, and they threw a fun little holiday get together that included a variety of mutual friends we've met over the many years we've known them.  Many guests were people we hadn't seen in years so we thoroughly enjoyed catching up.  We had a delicious dinner, played "tele-pictionary" (hilarious!) and took turns sharing about 2012 highlights and 2013 hopes.  I took my camera but was having too much fun and forgot to take pictures!

December 29 - Christmas Tea At American.  Cousin Valerie just returned from about 3 months in Germany, and a few weeks ago she mentioned she was having a tea party with some of her girlfriends.  I thought it would be fun to put on a tea party, too, so we decided to have one with our mothers and picked the Saturday after Christmas to do it.  The table was set with china and serveware that is full of family history and while we ate we talked about where each piece came from and why it was special.  On the menu: salad with a variety of flavored balsamic vinegars and olive oils, homemade yellow split pea soup, homemade cranberry scones, lemon curd and clotted cream, and Christmas tea from Germany.  Tess was with us and managed to make it through the meal without breaking anything, and ate almost an entire scone by herself!

Table set for beautiful Christmas Tea.

December 29 - Christmas With The Haydens.  Chad's brother, sister-in-law, and our nieces came down for the weekend so that we could celebrate Christmas with the parents on that side.  Although I couldn't make it to breakfast at Geoff and Toni's, we did share a meal with Chris, Kristi, Elise, and Everlee at Paul and Barbara's.  Whenever we do Christmas dinner at the Villescas home we spice it up with Mexican food!  This year was delicious taco salads.  Tess got to play with her cousins and open presents with them.  It was a fun night!

Tess in her Christmas outfit from Grandma V.

The little cousins having dinner together - so cute!

December 30 - Christmas With The Suiches. Our Fullerton family made a day trip up to Clovis to share a holiday meal with us and exchange presents.  Chad and I made a delicious pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans and garlic bread for dinner and we had an assortment of holiday goodies for dessert.  We had a quiet day around the fireplace television and enjoyed each others' company. Thank goodness for low-key holiday events, because we were approaching burnout!

December 31 - New Year's Eve With Friends.  It's been several years since we went to an actual NYE party where we could cut loose and count down with other people.  This year we marked the occasion with some dear friends made through PrideStaff, whose daughter is also Tess's favorite babysitter.  We ended up staying night at their place (all three of us) and spending a relaxing New Year's morning recovering together.

Happy New Year from the Haydens!

January 1 - New Year's Day With The Unruhs.  Each year the extended Unruh family (all 30+ of us) gets together on New Year's Day to eat up the last of the holiday goodies and do a name-draw gift exchange.  We started doing this many, many years ago when we got too big to get together on Christmas Eve/Christmas day due to other family commitments.  It really works out well because it guarantees we all see each other and is a nice finale to the holiday season.  This year we got together at my Uncle Dave and Aunt Gloria's new home in Sunnyside, and every single family member was present (a rarity!).  We managed to get a group picture without too much trouble, but we're so big now that it's hard to get time with everyone in just a couple of hours.  Even so, it's a wonderful way to start the new year.

This is ALL OF US!  Wow.  Shocking we fit into one pic, and we didn't have to use the wide-angle lens!

Tess has a thing for hats...so cute!

Duck Tales

We spent the weekend after Thanksgiving in Fullerton with our Suich family, and on Saturday afternoon "Grandma" suggested that we take Tess to the park to feed the ducks. Below is a pictorial of our fun little adventure.

Beautiful Tri-City Park in Fullerton.  We initially tried the Fullerton Arboretum but they now have very conspicuous signage that ducks are NOT to be fed.  I was glad though, because this park was so beautiful!

Here, ducky ducky ducky!

Getting started....that's Grandma Meg (The Instigator), Great Uncle Dan, and Grandpa Ron along for the adventure.

Woops! We did not account for the fact that as soon as Tess saw bread, she would eat it. How would she know any better?  This was so hilarious to us, all the bread she kept shoving in her mouth, toddling around with puffy cheeks wondering why we were laughing at her....

Then Daddy stepped in and helped her learn how to toss the bread to the eager ducks....

And M ommy got in on the action, while Tess continued to snack....

And of course Grandma was at the center of it all, and was on-hand as the geese got brave and took the bread right from Tess's hand....look at that shocked expression!

Sometimes you randomly get a really great shot of a duck....

Or of the sunlight in your little girl's hair as she is playing on the grass....

Or of a PRICELESS Daddy-Daughter moment.

I PROMISE we did not see this sign until after we had fed 2 loaves to the ducks and were on our way back to the car!  I am sure the ducks survived.



2012 Western Christian Conference

Last weekend we ventured down South and waaay up high to Lake Arrowhead for the Western Christian Conference.  We headed out of town Thursday night and made a stopover in Fullerton, then finished up the drive on Friday morning.  We've attended the WCC sporadically over the past 8 years or so, but were excited to attend this year for 2 main reasons: 1) we got to show off our Tess to our "conference friends," and 2) we got to hear an amazing speaker, Stephen Kaung. 

The conference was held this year in Twin Peaks -- a tiny little town near Lake Arrowhead -- at the Calvary Chapel Conference Center there.  (This conference was held at Westmont College in Santa Barbara for years! We were so sad when a fire destroyed much of the campus there, and the conference had to be moved to another location.)  While we were there we also got to visit some old family friends, Bruce and Christa, who hadn't met Tess yet.  They hosted us in their beautiful mountain home for a delicious dinner.  On Sunday when the conference was over, we headed back to Fullerton to spend the afternoon and evening with our Suich family there.  We had a great time catching up with everyone and watching them play with our Tess.  "Grandma" got Tess to walk with holding just one hand, which means that official walking is not far behind!

Most of you probably know that we attend a very small church group, which is basically like a "home church." It was some of our church friends who introduced us to the Western Christian Conference, which they've been attending for more than 30 years.  Basically it's a gathering of individuals/families from church groups like ours from all over the U.S. (but mostly from the West coast) who have been coming to the conference (and thus have known each other) for years and years.  The conference runs Wednesday through Sunday, and each year there are 2 keynote speakers.   There are morning and evening ministry meetings, afternoon discussion groups, prayer meetings, and lots of free time to catch up with friends.  We've always found it to be so encouraging, restful, and FUN.  This time the dynamic was much different, having a baby there.  No late nights spent hanging out with friends -- we were in our room by 8:00 sharp, keeping quiet so Tess could sleep.  We still had a wonderful time -- it was great to see everyone (and have Tess be seen), breathe the fresh mountain air, and get a break from "real life" for a few days!  See below for pictures from our weekend.

Baby's First Christmas

Our Christmas this year was quite extended, which is to be expected, I guess, when you have an adorable "first Christmas" baby to show off! We spent five straight days celebrating with family, the good news being that we were able to spend each day in one place. The pics below are from Christmas morning and were taken at my aunt and uncle's place in Reedley.

One of our first "family" Christmas photos

 

Tess in her Christmas finery ~ one of her two special "first Christmas" dresses.

On Friday, December 23rd we drove over to Hollister for a Christmas gathering with Chad's extended family.  His Uncle Ted and Aunt Diane hosted, with a special appearance from Santa Claus. It was great to see everyone and take pictures of all the great-granddaughters together.  (Yes, all 6 great-grandchildren are GIRLS!) This was also Tess's first time meeting her extended Dryden family.  We had a great night!



Five of the six great-granddaughters (Everlee was missing)

Tess with Santa (aka Uncle Ted)

On Saturday (Christmas Eve), the Suich family (Ron, Meg & Uncle Richard) and my Uncle Dan all came up for a visit and present exchange.  It was one of those relaxing days where we all hung out at home in comfy clothes, and so Tess didn't get a special outfit OR much camera time!

We spent Christmas Day in Reedley.  It started with a wonderful breakfast (our traditional stuffed blueberry French toast casserole ~ thanks, Valerie!), church at Reedley MB with the family, and then presents and Christmas dinner at American Avenue (my aunt & uncle's place). 

The day after Christmas, Chris, Kristi and the girls (Elise & Everlee) came down from Modesto and we spent the day at Paul and Barbara's.  We also arranged for Kimi-G Photography (who did my maternity photos and Tess's newborn photos) to come out and take portraits of the girls (Elise, Everlee, and Tess) in their matching Christmas dresses. 

On Tuesday the 27th we went over to Geoff and Toni's (along with Chris, Kristi, Elise & Everlee) for a belated Christmas celebration with Tess's Great Grandma Vida and Toni's family (Michelle & Kevin, kids Toby & Kyra, and Melissa and daughter MiKayla).  It was really special to have Grandma Vida there and get pictures of her with Tess. 

By Tuesday night we were exhausted and I was coming down with a cold that lingered for most of the week!  It was great that Chad was still on vacation so that we could relax and recover together.  On Friday we got to see our friends Brian and Colette (visiting from San Diego) and on Saturday our friend Susanna (visiting from Israel) came over for a visit.  SO many people got to meet Tess over the holidays, and we had a great time showing off our precious girl!

Below are some pics of the various festivities.  The formal pics from Kimi-G Photography will be posted as soon as I have them!

Thanksgiving & The Beatitudes...

Recently I started reading the New Testament from "The Message" translation ("the New Testament in contemporary language") and was really moved by its take on the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes.  I've been reading this section and meditating on it the past few days, and felt like sharing it somewhere....and it seems really appropriate for the Thanksgiving holiday. So here goes:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope.  With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you.  Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are -- no more, no less.  That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God.  He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

You're blessed when you care.  At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

You're blessed when you get your inside world -- your mind and heart -- put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.  That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family. 

You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.  This persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

Let me tell you why you are here: you're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth.  If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste Godliness?....You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.  God is not a secret to be kept.

Now that I've put you here on a hilltop, on a light stand -- shine!  Keep open house, be generous with your lives.  By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, our generous Father in heaven."

Thanksgiving morning in Fullerton

We're celebrating our day of thankfulness in Fullerton with the Suich side of the family. It's Tess's first out of town trip, and so it's a bit of an adventure -- but she is doing great!  She's always a happy baby, whether at home or out and about.  Our hearts are full....and soon our bellies will be, too!  Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Chicago Bound!

After we returned from Dallas I hopped back on a plane to visit my extended family in the Chicago area over the Mother's Day weekend. The trip was also a rendezvous with my mother Meg. It was wonderful to see my Aunt Tara, Uncle Ish, stepsister Kristin and her family. One of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the Chicago Botanic Gardens (which I enjoyed even more with my new camera!). It was also so very special to get my very first Mother's Day cards and gifts.

Congratulations, Alex!

Last weekend I made a quick trip down to Fullerton to spend time with the Suich family celebrating Alex's high school graduation (Alex is my nephew on the Suich side). How impressive -- he completed his independent studies and basically finished classes before everyone else! I'm so proud of him, even though I sometimes wish he was still an adorable 5-year old. We had a great day together -- we went to lunch and to the movies, and then enjoyed a big family dinner complete with presents and a rousing game of Monopoly. It was wonderful to be with everyone... home is where the heart is!

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Pics

Below are some pics from Christmas Eve (spent in Modesto with the Hayden side of the family) and Christmas Day (spent in Reedley with the Watson/Unruh side of the family). As you can see, our niece Elise is growing up -- she is 4 1/2 now and excited about having a little sister arrive in February! Our Christmas dinner in Reedley was delicious and topped off with the traditional Watson family Cranberry Pudding dessert. On Christmas night Chad and I welcome the "Fullerton Parental Unit" plus 3, and enjoyed their company until they left for home early this morning. Milo especially loved all the activity in the house! I guess I got a little lazy with the picture taking on Sunday...just "picture" us having a great time relaxing and enjoying our post-Christmas bliss together!

Thanksgiving Update

We made a mad dash to "The O.C." for Thanksgiving this year, leaving Thursday morning and returning home Saturday evening, to spend time with the "Fullerton Parental Unit" (aka Ron and Meg). Our holiday meal was wonderful and it wasn't just because of Ron's prowess in the kitchen! The house at Wilson Avenue was packed full of the most interesting mishmash of people, all of us grateful to be together for turkey, even if some of us had just met. There were 17 of us around the table: Ron, Meg, Dave, Chad, Sarah, Richard, Tammy, Michael, Alex, Dan, Deanna, Jim ("JB") Alan, Roger, Marguerite, Scott, and Glen. (And under the table were the pets, Molly and Jayme....)

While I can't speak for everyone, I know the reason for my gratitude -- our hosts. At the Suich household, generosity abounds, and shelter (both literal and figurative) is provided for those who are in need. Family members are chosen from the heart, not just by blood or marriage. And family members are loved and valued, affirmed and esteemed, regardless of their beliefs, economic or educational background, faults and failures, or current life circumstances. All are welcomed and all are uniquely treasured. Chad and I are continually amazed at the demonstration of gracious, Christ-like love that takes place under that roof on a daily basis. It's the "pure and undefiled religion" shown by caring for others that's talked about in James 1:27. It felt so good to be part of such a tangible expression of "the kingdom."

My highlights:
--Being reunited with my dear and sweet "nephew" Alex after 10+ years of being out of touch. He's 17 now! But he still has such a big place in my heart. See "then and now" pics below!
--Enjoying cold mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving dinner, knowing they got that way because about 15 other people helped themselves to great food served with love!
--Skipping our usual day-after-Thanksgiving movie to stay home and do a 500-piece puzzle with family.
--Watching TONS of football.
--Stopping in Shafter on the way home to visit the beloved Becker family and our friends Jason & Stacy Coyle, who were visiting from Phoenix.

2010 Update

We have totally eased into this new year, and wow -- January is almost over, it seems! We had a relaxing New Year's weekend: we spent January 1st with the extended Unruh family at my Aunt Debbie & Uncle Jim's house (an annual tradition -- so great to have the entire family together!) and then hosted our Fullerton Parental Unit (plus Uncle Richard) at "The Oxford House" for the weekend. This past weekend (MLK Day) was the annual Logan Invitational speech and debate tournament up in Union City, CA. Chad has tournaments every weekend going into February, culminating in the Berkeley Invitational over Valentine's Day weekend. By then we'll be super-ready for our annual February getaway weekend. This year we're considering a visit to our dear friends the Pikes in Pasadena, CA. If the Pikes aren't free, we'll throw a dart and see where we end up, I guess! We've talked about San Luis Obispo (we love the Sanitarium B&B), Monterey (maybe the Portola Hotel?), and recently I tossed out the idea of Ojai (apparently up-and-coming for wine tasting and resort-y hotels). Wherever we end up, you know I'll blog about it!