A Good Year

merry christmas and 

happy new year!

looking back on 2013 

i feel nothing but blessed.

the health and happiness of

my family of course..

but this year has been filled

with 

amazing adventures..

reaching important milestones..

trying new things..

meeting new people..

learning new cultures..

i can only hope for this 

coming year to be 

as rewarding.

this year i..

finally..

turned my blog into a book.

this is the reason i write this blog.

to remember the days and years

of our little family.

the last photo i put in an album

was around 2002.

i don't scrapbook.

so my blog book documents 

our life.

and i love it!

i miss our tradition of 

throwing out the old in the 

fireplace new years eve..

and writing good thoughts for the new

year on rocks and throwing them in the 

ocean on new years day.

you can read about them

 here 

and 

here

...i'm sure we could throw a rock

in the seine?

christmas morning.

griff looks overwhelmed non?

merci 2013.

you were good to us.

happy new years eve!!

20

20 years ago today.

it was a beautiful

and cold day on

cape cod.

i loved our

wedding.

i still love my dress.

and of course my dashing 

husband in his dress

blues.

the day after our wedding

we hitched a u-haul

trailer to our jeep

and drove to ft. rucker 

alabama for steve to 

attend flight school

and begin our life 

together.

and what a life it has been.

(so far!)

we've lived in many places.

have had some amazing experiences.

and most importantly,

have brought 4 

beautiful souls into the world.

steve was supposed to

fly home this morning 

from boston.

but, mother nature

had a different plan.

he texted me at 3:00 am

(my time)

saying his flight was canceled

due to more snow.

i'm so sorry we won't 

be together today.

but, we'll celebrate this

weekend.

20 years.

i am proud and blessed

to walk through this life

together with you.

my dashing husband.

i love you.

Christmas Markets

the past few days i've been better.

not great..but better.

steve flew to boston

saturday..right into

a snowstorm!

he's back for work..

and christmas shopping!

saturday evening the kids

and i walked up to the trocadero

christmas market.

the entire time i'm thinking

to myself, "i live here!"

after a year and a half..

it's still incredible to me.

the eiffel tower all lit up

to honor nelson mandela.

such a beautiful sight.

i rarely eat meat.

but walking these 

markets sure smell good!

how do you think you go 

about eating one of those 

hanging things anyway??

cute felt slippers.

i didn't take many pictures

of the vendors..

it was SO crowded and 

i was pushing griffy in the 

stroller.

looking over the skating rink.

kids posing

:)

flying santas

eating churros

red flocked tree

and you can't go to 

the market without a ride

on the carousel! 

C'est Noel!!

Some Views...

so.. the past week has 

been trying.

i've been at the hospital,

doctors office,

having tests done.

something going on in my

head and neck.

a pinched nerve maybe.

degenerative disk disease?

whatever it is..

i've been in major pain.

i've been wearing a neck brace

and now count the minutes 

until my next dose of pain medication.

nothing matters when you don't have

your health.

but life goes on.

christmas spirit is slow

coming this year.

i know we'll get there..

yesterday i sat here..

and wrote out christmas cards.

probably one of my favorite 

activities this time of year.

we send them all over the world..

(we've moved 10 times in 20 years!)

it's nice to reflect on each person/family we're 

sending to for a few minutes.

many that we haven't seen in years.

with each card i say a little prayer

for that family for the coming year. 

i love my sweet little kitchen.

we were worried buddy

couldn't find our new apartment!

whew!

les invalides at dusk..

my favorite time of day here.

early morning view of 

sacre coeur.

morning view of

trocadero and the 

christmas market.

i hope your

christmas season is

a happy and healthy one!

Rue Cler

griff and i took 

some time away from 

unpacking boxes yesterday

and walked around our 

new neighborhood.

it was such a beautiful day 

here in the city.

we walked across

the champs de mars

to rue cler..

a favorite street of mine.

we stopped for a 

chocolate chaud,

cafe creme

and a nutella crepe.

the shops and cafe's are getting

ready for christmas.

it's so pretty lit up at night.

this little specialty food shop

was  beautiful.

just look at those panettone 

hanging from the ceiling!!

i couldn't decide what to get!

flowers and greenery 

and of course i had to 

get a picture of these 

gorgeous chippy blue 

tolix chairs.

still pinching myself.

Bienvenue chez moi

we are moved in for the 

most part.

it took all weekend..

we had more than we thought!

i can not express how 

grateful we feel to be here.

i'm actually thinking of 

going back to the old apartment

and thanking the woman upstairs.

:)

we are truly blessed

and i'm thankful every single day.

speaking of thankful..

we had our thanksgiving dinner

last night!

it was delicious and more 

importantly,

the turkey JUST fit

in my oven.

these two photos were taken

from my balcony

just a few minutes apart

as the sun was rising over 

Les Invalides

this morning.

and this one was taken

looking in the opposite 

direction from my balcony.

the sun is shining 

over paris this morning!

we call this room

the eiffel tower room.

steve and i sit 

in those club chairs

with our binoculars 

and glass of wine..

in awe.

we moved the couch 

and the coffee table

in to the adjoining room.

tv room..

i pushed both coffee tables

together to make

one large one.

a great space for all of my

books.

next up is 

hanging pictures

and getting some

bookshelves for storage.

my sweet and tiny parisian

kitchen.

washer/dryer in the kitchen!

can you see my turkey in the oven??

ok..back to unpacking.

enjoy your monday!