Holidays in the States

Our family started the 2016 New Year in Denver, Colorado. We visit often to see my step-son, enjoy the local recreations and stare, with jaws dropped, at the incredible creation that God planted in the middle of our country. Leaving the country has appeal, but home, home is visceral. 

Traveling outside the country brings an exciting set of circumstances. Whether you're battling a language barrier, re-learning how to drive on the other side of the road or trying to constantly calculate a foreign money exchange- there's something so liberating about it. Here I am, World. I am a stranger in a strange land and I. LOVE. IT.  

Also, I'm the most awkward. I gawk and stare and will stop in the middle of the walkway to admire anything. I knock stuff over in almost every trinket store I have visited the world over- it's part of my charm. " I'm really sorry about that display shelf in the back. Did you see my beautiful babies?" Strolling them through any city store is worthy of an 'American Ninja Warrior' nod. IJS

So.. there they are at 12 months in all of their glory. Today we had their 15 month check up and it was as it has been- smooth sailing. I can be sure with the joy, and the source of it, in my life is enough to get me through any storm that may come my way. 

When Roxy sees a dog anywhere but home, where everything is as it should be, she points and she says "bay-bee". At home our 'puppy' is 160 lbs and 7 feet tall plus-on his hind legs. She sees one of our pups, points and says "dog" then proceeds to bark (usually). When she sees any other dog, she dubs it as a baby. 

No vicious, growling or intimidating breed of any kind will ever bother her. She will simply look at it and call it, "baby". No dog can scare her because at home she has a dog that is so big and massive and loud and stinky- everything else, any other mutt- just.can't.even.

I think about my joy like that. My joy is so big that when I face trials I just point them out and call them out.... babies. Get outta here you big babies!! My joy is so big and so massive and so loud that you don't get to hang out here! You literally.can't.even!!!!!!!!!

Trials come and go, but? The travel bug stays forever. 

In some weird automatic update at the end of last year my personal email was dubbed by Google under the name, "Holidays in the States" on my computer. <---- That is the only name I can pull up my address under on my apple products! I always loved how people in foreign countries go on "holiday" and stay for much longer than an american "vacation- so I will take it as a sign. I need to continue to holiday and I guess I should check out more of what "the states" have to offer! 

Next month, stay tuned for Valentine's pics with #dembabies and a trip to NYC. 

Big love, big joy.