Here We Go…2016!

We wish you all a gloriously healthy and happy New Year!

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We returned to Whidbey Island from our Thistle travels last year at the end of May.  Since then it has seemed like we'd never get back on the Thistle Adventure Road.  First one thing and then another.  In mid July we opened our doors to an Airbnb business and have been slammed with visitors...meeting  one delightful guest after another.  We enjoyed an amazing trip to China and Thailand.  We celebrated the holidays with eating and decorating and family and friends.  Plus, we are trying to put garden and home  in order so we can leave again.  You know, it's called living life...

We finally saw the possibility of driving away in early January, but then Ed was called for jury duty.   With a whole lot of luck we might still make a mid January departure, but late January is looking more and more realistic.

In the meantime, life is good and the holidays were wonderful.

It's fun to be surprised!   And with the arrival of Brad and Yessi in their Chinese-Wedding-Red-Silk-Pajamas for Christmas morning,  we were delightedly surprised.

Rather than heaps of gifts under the tree, these past several years we've limited ourselves to stocking stuffers only.  Well kinda.  Cheating is a big part of the game so we switched from stockings to large shopping bags.    We squeal with delight, still, at the excesses of jams and vinegars and chocolates and pens and doodads.  And who can be blasé about WD40 or the ugliest joke gift imaginable?    

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Showing off the new socks. 

Benton loves celebrations with all the excesses of
snuggling and doggie treats!

How do we rate the holidays?  Well, by the food…of course!

Greg wears the crepe chef hat this year.

The house empties out after breakfast as Greg and Deb depart for snow at the Pass and Brad and Yessi depart for his Dad's in North Bend.   With so much snow, guess who couldn't stay away from the Pass, with North Bend just being down the road a bit? 

Brad just had to get a little white
stuff fun.

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"Love doesn't make the world go 'round; love is what makes the ride worthwhile."

~ Shannon L. Alder