Heavenly Waters

 

I'm still reeling from the loveliest weekend ever.  This year marked our fourth annual getaway to the Alpine Hot Springs Hideaway.  

I greeted our first morning by reading and drinking coffee in a bed covered in feathery, white bedding

We moved right in...you'd never know we were only using this refrigerator for the weekend!

Plenty of fruits and veggies...

Mamas up to no good....(note the breast pump parts mixed in with all the debauchery!)

Lovely dinnertime conversations with all these smart, interesting, funny women

Bloody Marys in the morning...

 

 A killer mid-day snack spread...

 
And best of all...these hot springs. These waters are so relaxing, healing, comforting, and wrap us ladies up in all their beauty and magic.   I am so thankful to be able to have this getaway every year with my dearest girlfriends. 

These are humans

LOVING Sadie's art skills lately...

January, Slowly

January was lovely.  I think that most years January is likely our very calmest, least scheduled month of all.  That's so rare for us, and although I never regret all the many things our weekends are full of throughout the year (family celebrations, festivals, camping, travel, house concerts, etc), it sure is nice to have a month where there's not much at all that's on the calendar.

During this slower month, however, we found plenty to entertain ourselves.  We swam at the rec center, we cooked, we read, and snuggled and watched movies.

 

We have a bike rider on our hands, so we've been working on that quite a bit.  Walks outside with the dogs and the neighbors.  Lunch with Nana and fabric shopping. 

 

A last minute decision to spend the morning at the National Western Stock Show turned into a family day in Denver.  Visiting the animals; lunch at one of our favorite Denver institutions, My Brother's Bar; beers at the Falling Rock Tap House; and enjoying the sunshine outdoors with friends.

 I've been reading up a storm, cooking up a storm, and catching up on sleep (thanks to a pesky little back issue that arrived with the new year).  February will be busy as usual, and before we know it, house concerts and visits from family and to family will commence.  Soon we'll be talking about festival season and summertime plans.  With all that fun ahead of us, it sure was nice to have at least one month of no plans, close to home.

And that's not all

The holiday season was only about halfway over after all the stuff I've blogged about so far took place.

We proudly watched Sadie participate in her school's holiday program.  Big difference from last year when she hid in my lap with her eyes closed for most of it...

We had our annual solstice celebration...just the three of us.  Chinese takeout, Christmas movies, and a simple gift exchange.

We hosted the annual bookclub party for my girlfriends and their husbands.

 

We went to Nebraska to see the Peterson clan and celebrated Christmas with them.  I love my husband's extended family and am so thankful that we were able to be with four generations of Petersons. 

We spent a night and a day with my parents partaking in all the Ingersoll family traditions (crepes, lox and bagels, Christmas movies, Christmas music, a LONG DRAWN OUT gift exchange, naps and reading while we get ready for a big, delicious dinner, a discussion of all that we're thankful for, four big dogs running around, hot tubbing with Sadie, and canasta).  I love our celebration...

and then it was New Years Eve!  We kept it close to home and about family this year.  My brother and his wife, our neighbors, and another couple of friends joined us at home for a big dinner, games, drinks, and lots of laughing.  Sadie stayed up late and insisted on putting herself to bed.  O.k.!

And now this big, beautiful holiday season has run its course.  Oh it was so good.  I am so grateful for all the beauty and love and good fortune in my life.  Absolutely reveling in it right now after all the celebrations we've had in the past couple months.

Tea Time

Our annual afternoon tea at the historic Brown Palace hotel in downtown Denver was a perfect and gorgeous as always.  I am so, so grateful that my mother treats us to this special outing every year around the holidays.  And it's such a joy to have a little girl in a fancy dress with us!  Her favorite part was her new best friend, the piano player, Jon.  She spent most of the time sitting on the floor next to the grand piano requesting Christmas carols and dancing along to them.