Happy holidays! A wonderful December to all!
Merry Christmas / Gelukkig Kerstmis Happy New Year / Gelukkig Nieuwe Jaar from Jan, Sofia, Amy and Cameron December diversion: In mid-December, Amy, Sofia, and Jan left Ft Lauderdale for an eight-day Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Miracle. Besides daily 80-degree weather, wonderful meals, and relaxation on the ship, we enjoyed stops at Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos Islands), the Dominican Republic (La Romana), Aruba, and Curaçao. On Grand Turk our snorkeling excursions were cancelled, so we spent the day playing on the beach/in the pool. We took a bus excursion out of La Romana to see area sights, although viewing daily life on the streets around us was possibly more interesting. We also took a bus tour on Aruba, which seemed to be an ideal spot for those who want to play by day, shop, and drink late at night. Curacao had more to offer (Willemstad is a World Heritage Site), and we spent our hours simply wandering the town; Jan was delighted to be able to speak Dutch. Despite our fun stops, Sofia's favorite part of the trip was spending time at the ship's Camp Carnival, where she was able to participate in a variety of activities with kids her age. She even got to perform on stage with the ship's professional entertainers in two separate shows! We were glad to return home for Christmas, but sad to leave the warm weather and pack away our shorts and T's for another six months.... Fall 2011Gobble, gobble!: We had a quiet, relaxed Thanksgiving day, as dinner was at Kitty's house, and we had to make and contribute only a few items. Cameron was even home from school, giving us a rare day all together. So on November 24th we were thankful for sleeping in; for spending time together cooking and baking, playing board games, and otherwise enjoying each others' company; and for all the good food we were privileged to eat in the span of 16 hours! Boo!: Sofia had a busy Halloween. On the 27th, her school hosted a pumpkin carving event. Sofia was very proud of not only designing her own pumpkin but also carving it. On the 31st, she spent the whole day at school in her costume, a flamenco dress we bought while in Spain. The school-wide festivities included a parade among classes, with different games and prizes in each room, followed by a craft project, cookie decorating, and lots of treats for her class party. That night, she donned warmer layers under her dress and trick-or-treated in cool, but dry, weather. She was so excited that she never stopped talking the whole time, and all that movement appeared to keep her warm, even when Amy began to chill! She didn't count her candy, but she certainly collected enough to last a month or two! More can be found on Sofia's page.
Sofia in her Spanish dress before trick-or-treating Dracula and the Black Widow: Jan and Amy attended a costume ball October 29th. Our well-matched Dracula and Black Widow costumes (including Amy's large, round web and wig) made it through three hours of swing and waltz.
We didn't win a costume prize, but we had great fun—bwah-ha-ha-ha! Second grade: Sofia began second grade on September 6th. She attended school in shorts all week, since summer has finally and truly arrived in western Washington (we've had an eight-day string of 80-degree days and above) just in time for the kids to be in the classroom. She likes her teacher, and she's excited to be back.
Ready for second grade (and an 85-degree day) September 6, 2011
Old NewsCatch up on past events.
OverviewOur TravelsRead about some of our vacation experiences, learn a bit about the places we've been, and find links to Web sites related to all our destinations. Lots of Amy's photos. Family Features
About UsA little history about Amy, Jan, and Cameron.
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" —Joseph Campbell This site was designed and is maintained by Amy, with guidance from Cameron. It was last updated on Thursday, January 19, 2012. Copyright © 2002-2012 |
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