Loving Life, Family, Friends & the New Year

I keep promising pictures and not delivering. My apologizes… I have now come to realize that I don’t have any pictures from Christmas. I wasn’t thinking about capturing the moments, I was too busy reveling in them. I have only my words to describe the events.

A few days before Christmas I was able to meet a few more members of MJ’s family at an early Christmas party with his aunt, uncle and cousins on his mom’s side. It was interesting to meet them all after hearing so much about them from MJ’s uncle Mike and Peggy. Watching their excitement at being together and planning another reunion in the mountains at the wedding this summer was a highlight of the season. There were so many kids running around that I lost count and track of which child belonged to whom. They were all so high on the excitement of Christmas and having so many playmates to share the excitement with – they whipped themselves into a frenzy running back and forth between new toys and their parents and aunts and uncles. I was honored that evening to receive my “something old” from my future mother-in-law – a vintage heart shaped locket that she had gotten from her mother. Tears ensued as always when she and I spend any amount of time together talking about anything not completely devoid of emotion. I definitely inherited this perplexing ability to tear up on cue from my own mother. Peggy was able to be in Boise for over a week. We spent as much time as we could with her and Jennifer and “Uncle” as they call Peggy’s brother Mike.

Scott & Angie and Kathy & Joe got in Christmas Eve week from Eugene and Indianapolis respectively and were here until New Years Eve. After spending a really cozy Christmas in town with Grandma and Granddad we headed for the Headrick Cabin in Garden Valley. We skied a couple times, but had to concede that the snow was melting faster than it was falling. There were a few midnight sledding sessions after partaking in a few too many glasses of wine, there was the annual Headrick Family Men vs. Women Shuffleboard Tournament, there was a family band night jam session (shorter this year than in years past), there was a lot of “really good Pinnacle” played, and there was some fabulous food as a new tradition took root. Mom decided since we have all taken an interest in cooking that this year each couple should have a night to cook. It turned out to be the highlight of the week. I think I gained about 5 pounds, but can truly say that it was worth all the extra running I am going to have to do this month to burn it off.

After everyone left we went to the MPC Computer’s Bowl to watch Miami scrape one by Nevada. It was a close game, but it was so cold that we spent most of in my company’s tent in the end zone. They had food and drinks along with the essential heater and television. We then went on a journey of downtown with our good friends Celinda and Isaac celebrating the New Year as we made our way back home. The next day we experienced the greatest college football bowl game ever played as we watched completely stunned as our beloved Broncos beat my Grandma’s home state Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl. It was the perfect bookend to an amazing couple of weeks.

Tomorrow morning we will embark on another adventure. We are skiing into a back country yurt around Banner Ridge. I won’t promise that I will post pictures… but I’ll promise to revel in the experience and share it here in words if not in pictures.

I hope you are living life to its fullest and enjoying every drop.