Happy New Year!
We had a wonderful holiday break... and it's not over yet. The kids don't go back to school until next Monday the 9th so we are still enjoying our time together. Christmas was lovely -- quiet but also so relaxing and easy. No trips, no company -- just the four (six) of us enjoying our new home and surrounding area.
Our official 2011 Christmas Card
For Christmas, we gave each kid a "certificate" for the undivided time and attention of both their parents for one day to work on their bedrooms. Henry's room was the first to get the make-over. His room was already a nice shade of blue so we avoided the full paint job and just added the horizontal line and posters. We also bought him a nice bed -- we decided to sell his bunkbed before we left CO -- and some new bedding. All in all, he is delighted with the finished room.
Here's the mid-painting shot... we forgot to get a true "before" picture.
"After"
We took a couple days off before starting Emily's room. We decided to head up to Marin County and check out the Muir Wood National Monument. The weather leaving San Carlos was ok -- not bright sunny but certainly not what we found when we got to the Golden Gate Bridge...
Muir Woods is a great park, only 90 minutes away and we got another stamp for our passport! The park is really amazing. The coastal redwoods there are one of the last stands of uncut redwoods. The trees there get up to 375+ feet and can be up to 2,000 years old. We enjoyed lunch in the park after finding out that the grilled cheese sandwich (always a favorite for me) was featured on the Food Network show called "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"... and it was a good sandwich. Normally park service food is pretty yucky but this cafe was really special -- all organic, locally grown, etc. We loved it!!
Then we went on our walk...
We are standing in a tree trunk!
We love our camera remote control!!
Just a couple of kids (PS -- yes, I told him to put his arm around her shoulder!)
It was a lovely day in the forest and we look forward to going back with any visitors we have who might be interested in this lovely National Monument. Be fair warned though... the drive to the park is hideous... twisty curvy and just plain scary. We gave Emily her dramamine before we left San Carlos but I ended up needing it too on the way home and I never get car sick... It was worth the trip but next time, I'll be dosing up before we go!!
So then we were rejuvenated and ready to tackle Emily's room! She is a girl with a lot of important stuff so we also had a lot of de-cluttering in store for us. Her room was already a lovely lilac color so all we needed to do was add some "tween-y" touches and she'd be happy!
Here's the super messy "before" picture.
This is mid-paint job.
And the happy "after" grand reveal! This room is a tween-delight.
All in all, it has been a great holiday break. We are looking forward to 2012 in hopes that we finally can stay put!!
Hope this new year finds you all happy and healthy. Happy 2012!!
