Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our family and friends! We enjoyed the holiday season here even though it never really did feel like "Christmas"! With being so removed from the hustle and bustle that usually goes along with that season (not to mention the lack of snow!), it really could have been any time of year. We celebrated Winter Solstice with dinner and a fire on the beach. We ate, talked, sang, the girls danced hula and we had a beautiful evening.

We sure were missing our friends and family across the ocean, but at the same time felt so blessed to be celebrating at the ocean (in shorts!)

Please excuse the grainy photos.

With friends Bill (in white hat) and Virgil ( in red hat)

The girls dancing hula to "Christmas Luau".

We had dinner with a group of friends on Christmas day, a gift exchange and more singing and playing our ukuleles. On New Years Eve, we had dinner and a fire on the beach again at a different location, the kids had fun playing with sparklers (firecrackers and fireworks are BIG here for New Years!)  and we layed out under the stars, listening to the waves.  We were in bed by 10pm but the New Year arrived even though we weren't up to ring it in!

We got to the beach in time for sunset.

Hanging out on the beach before dinner.

Horsing around!

I LOVE this photo! Such a handsome little man!

Playing in the waves.

And now we begin fresh... a new year. 2011 was a wonderful year for us. We made some huge changes in our lives, travelled to some amazing places, I turned 40... lots of adventures! Who knows what this year will bring, but I'm trusting it will be more adventure! And more incredible experiences. I am SO happy and grateful for this beautiful life.