This and that

I love a long weekend, and this was a nice one.  A little extended family, a little holiday eating, a little (internet) shopping, a little decorating, a movie (Wreck-it Ralph--we liked it), and a day trip.

We went to Poulsbo on Friday to see the sights.

You have to take the ferry to get to Poulsbo.  While we were waiting to get on the ferry, we speculated about what the W.S.F. stood for that was on the back of all the ferry workers' jackets.  (I mean besides Washington State Ferry.)

"We're SO Fun" and "We Sing Falsetto" were batted around as possibilities but Emma, the wordsmith, won the day with "We Sink Ferries."

It was November on the Puget Sound so it was raining.  Of course it was raining.  We are happily not made of brown sugar so no one melted.  (It was touch and go for awhile though.)

Below is my best trying-to-keep-my-hands-warm pose.  It doesn't work and I had gloves in my pockets so I'm not sure why I wasn't wearing them.

This is Emma and Mark trying not to blow away on the ferry.  It wasn't that windy, but where is the drama in that?

blurry because I was too far away but I didn't want to go out in the rain...

Poulsbo was settled by Norwegians because it reminded them of the fjords of Norway.  I told the children we were getting in touch with our Scandinavian ancestry, then there was a random British phone booth for some reason on a street corner so we got in touch with our British ancestry as well.



We wandered in and out of lovely little Scandinavian shops decked out for Christmas.  I was tempted to buy some Finnish licorice.  (Not really, that stuff is nasty.)  What I did buy was everyone a pastry at the delectable Sluys Poulsbo Bakery.  Everyone picked out something delicious and approximately the size of our heads except Mark.  He wanted a ring pop from one of the gift shops.

Weird kid.

We had a longer wait for the return ferry and I'd brought The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to read aloud.  Adam and I traded off reading chapters.  We started driving but I couldn't finish reading the book.  I had to pass it off to Emma.  I cry the entire last chapter.  Every time.

I also spent time reflecting this weekend about all I have to be grateful for.  Everywhere I turn there are blessings.

I'm also grateful for reminders to notice.

On Saturday night we were decorating a little for Christmas.  I looked over and saw Adam, chin in his hands, leaning on the counter, watching our children.  I joined him.  Braeden, Emma and Mark were pulling Christmas bears out of a box and recalling their names and the circumstances that we got them.  Adam said, "Someday we'd pay money to see that sight."

And he was right.

My life is chock full of moments that are to be savored, remembered, enjoyed.  My job is to slow down, pay attention, rest my chin in my hands and watch the magic.