Christmas Break

James and I were quite fortunate to come home for 10 days this Christmas – we knew that after graduation, our breaks would most likely be shorter. But working in a college environment has its perks, such as the fact that the whole university shuts down between Christmas Eve and New Year’s.

Even with 10 days home, things felt fast and furious. Lots of last minute Christmas shopping (it’s hard to bring much home on a plane), Christmas parties, and running around. But we loved it! It was so good to be back home with family, and so good to be back in the Pacific NW. This was the first time for both of us that we hadn’t been home in a year. This may sound cheesy, but it felt so true – my soul was THRILLED to see the mountains again, and the ocean, and the snow covered foothills. James and I went up to Mt. Baker with my mom, brother, & sister one day and it was fabulous – clear, crisp, snow-covered peaks. We had lunch at the lodge and went sledding and had cocoa, and it was perfect. I just can’t imagine a more beautiful place to live; the mid-west is nice, and Chicago is a cool city, but seriously – nothing beats the landscape of the PacNW.

Highlights of Christmas? Time with family, Settlers of Catan with the little sisters, Lois’ Christmas bread, a day on the mountain, James going fishing with my bros, sitting in the hot tub with vino, scaling down a cliff to forge a river in the rain at the Leenstra Christmas party: all good things.

This is the scenery that awaited us when we got back to Whatcom County; on a clear day, we have a near 360 degree panoramic view of the mountains!

Evan taught Jason and James how to tie their own bait for steel-head fishing.

My sweet girls!

And the views from up at Mt. Baker:

Playing cards at the ski lodge.

Now we’re back in freezing Chicagoland, but I suppose I’m gradually adjusting to the temps. Thankfully there has been lots of snow – cold weather seems better if there is snow on the ground, doesn’t it? We’re looking forward to spring, but in the meanwhile we have some fun winter trips planned to break up this long, cold winter. James is going on boys trip, back-packing with some friends in Big Bend National Park in Texas; I’m flying to Houston, and another friend is flying down from Princeton, to visit a friend at the end of February; James and I are leading a Wheaton spring break trip to Denver in early March; and then I’m meeting up with 3 of my “2^nd East!” (freshman year dorm floor) girlfriends at one of their houses in Kansas City at the end of March. So, I think we’re going to keep pretty busy!