Roanoke, VA, on the last day of the year.

With a few days of vacation still to go when we returned from Maryland, it was my thought at first only to rest and clean and prepare to go back to work. But I found myself in only a couple of days more rested and generally caught up than I've been in months (I remember fondly what that felt like, now I'm back at work). So when I came across a Free Admittance For One Child ticket to the VA Museum of Transportation, we decided to be intrepid and drive up to Bustling Roanoke.

Unfortunately, we hit an unexpected obstacle. A beloved volunteer at the museum had just died, and all employees wanted to attend the funeral. So the museum was closing at 12:00 that day. Since we'd arrived at 11:40 that day, it seemed wise to find another occupation.

Fortunately, Roanoke's just finished this lovely new Center in the Square building, which is really a cultural triumph for a city of just under 100,000 people.

The new science museum is on the 4th floor of the CITS building. It is just what a little-city science museum should be: simple, attractive, hands-on, and cheap!

At this Living River you could pick up and handle sea urchins, sea stars, and horseshoe crabs.

There were loads of aquariums, which always cheer me up.

I actually love the reflections in this picture. 

There was this whole horrifying exhibit about parasites... very clever, very fun, and terrifying! Carrot Top was the ringmaster in this circus of fear.

I preferred the physics section, with exhibits about sound, noble gases, light, and electricity.

They loved being struck by blue lightening. 

But the dinosaur probably saw the most of the kids. Once they were good and convinced that it was plastic and unable to pursue them, they grew impressively bold with it. They'd charge up and roar at it, and just laugh and laugh when it roared back (has a motion sensor).

In the "Children's Curiosity Corner" where we lingered for a good hour:

Adele climbed up here herself and sat down to read. If only I had a shot of her reading to Spot, her beloved stuffed companion. That's one of my favorite recent developments.

In one corner, you could do what you liked with a HUGE pile of cool wooden blocks. We all tried our hand at engineering.

I think Jon won, though. 

In another corner, you could dig up dino bones like a real archaeologist.

Probably one of my top favorite things about this museum was the view it afforded of DT Roanoke and the surrounding mountains. Good place to gaze thoughtfully.

Here's looking at you, 2014. 

I have many reasons to think that 2014 is going to be an improvement over 2013. Jon is (hopefully) going to see some important milestones in his academic work, I have some resolutions that excite me, and *just* got an invitation for an event in the summer that took my breath away (more on that last later). Also, let's face it, 2013 had a 13 in it. It caused mild pain to write it all year! 2014 is just shinier and prettier and more angular.

My oneword for 2013 was "See." I wanted to notice more what was actually around me, both as an anxiety-fighting measure and to promote prayer and an attitude of wonder & praise. I have seen improvement in this area. Resuming daily yoga in September has done a lot to root me back in my body and physical surroundings, too. As I continue to battle anxiety, I have decided I need a subtle adjustment in attitude. I often fall prone to scarcity thinking. I think, I'll just have this meager little life and hopefully fly under the radar of Big Scary Forces in the world. I think my energy and abilities so limited, and assume I don't have the energy or time or money for this or that activity which might really bring great joy. I'm trying to wean myself from this mentality, fearing that if it continues, I'll one day be too meek to inherit the earth.

Because I am rejecting this scarcity mindset, I'd originally been planning to use "abundant" as my 2014 one word. But it just didn't give me the tingle. It wasn't simple enough, I think. So I'm going to fix upon "Alive." I want to do things that mean I'm courageously living life, things that give life, and things that allow me to experience more of it. I want to rise to the surface of my skin and meet other people in the world. As Anne LaMott observes in her lovely new book Stitches, "It is most comfortable to be invisible, to observe life from a distance, to be at one with our own intoxicating superior thoughts. But comfort and isolation are not where the surprises are. They are not where hope is." (Thanks for the book, Dad!)

So I have either set the bar very low or very high: in 2014, I will be Alive.

Days of Christmas

 The days since Christmas have been filled with rest and family time, two things we really, really needed. I have finally been able to experience again the almost totally novel sensation of having adequate sleep. I had forgotten how many more spiritual and emotional as well as physical resources one has when one is rested! I'm hoping, no, resolving to live as much of 2014 in that state as possible. It's been amazing.

On Saint Stephen's Day, we spent several hours at the National Zoo with our old friends, the Browns.

We found out that we could get a much reduced parking fee if our trip concluded during Zoo Lights hours.

Unfortunately, our kids have needs that meant we really couldn't stay much past sunset to see the spectacle of the lights in true darkness.

Namely, they need to eat regular meals and keep their napping and sleeping hours likewise regular.

Still, we got to take in a lot!

David, the Browns' 3 year old son, enjoyed himself, we think. 

 Welcome to our new camera, where even animals far away or in dim lighting can be photographed!

Miles hears the lions roar and imitates them gleefully. 

This camera makes me so happy!

We got a meal with our friends, then went our separate ways. The kids got to enjoy more cuddletime with their grandparents:

There was even time while in Annapolis for a walk and a visit to the playground. We put the fresh air to good use!

On Saturday,we packed up the car and were off again. It was a smooth and uneventful trip south with these two good attitudes:

Adele was SO happy to be back in her crib:

Coming home on December 29 meant we had several more days of vacation to enjoy at home! We got some cleaning and other projects done around the house, and the kids enjoyed their Christmas gifts....

Meet "Kyrie Gale" (Miles got the names from our book of baby names) and "Baby Doll" (Adele's still in a pretty literal stage of toy naming). These dolls, made by Ikea, were among the Christmas gifts. If you know our kids, you'll not be surprised to learn that Kyrie Gale is treasured, changed, bathed, and carefully dressed, and Baby Doll spends most of her time in a corner of Adele's room (she prefers her huge menagerie of stuffed animals). For pity, I have dressed Baby Doll and put a blanket on her. I know it's bizarre, but the poor doll is so cold! Anyway. we'll see how these relationships develop over time.

There was even opportunity for a little outing on New Year's Eve Day. We went to Roanoke & visited a brand new museum in the new Center in the Square. Pictures to follow!

"Of all the good days of the year..."

Christmas Eve day was filled with wrapping and baking, as it should be. In the early evening, we dressed the kids in their holiday best and brought them to the children's service at Dave & Cindy's church.

It was adorable! Each kid got a halo or sheep head so they could participate, everyone got a bell for the song at the end, and there was a lovely call and response of "Emmanuel: God with us." As a result, Miles now knows this word and its meaning.

In the evening, before dinner, we posed for a couple family shots, the last we will probably take with the old, inferior camera!

What's that? You can't handle how adorable she is either?

Jon and I sneaked out for the 11:00 service at St Anne's in Annapolis. It was regal, gorgeous, dreamy... and over 100 minutes long. They hadn't finished their pre-service oratorio selections when 11:00 hit, so they just went ahead and finished those, and then proceeded to a full mass just laden with glorious music. We stumbled blearily out at about 12:45 to a chill night and a sky full of stars... I regret nothing.

Still, it was a sleepy morning! This is what the tree looks like when you celebrate with 8 adults and 2 kids for Christmas morning:

Okay, so it was more than half for the kids. We couldn't help ourselves.

The kids couldn't believe their luck.

It was way too much fun! 

These hats were from the Blacksburg Christmas market, and were labeled, "To Miles and Adele, from Blacksburg." 

Among our haul this year was a new camera. The next entry begins pictures taken with that, far superior, device. 

I forgot to mention the 12.5 wonderous minutes of snow we saw, Christmas Eve, just before church. Snow was not in the forecast, and Jon & I agreed that it appeared to be snowing against Annapolis' will. The kids were jumping up and down and shouting, "Christmas Miracle! Christmas Miracle!"

They *might* have learned that from watching me do it. Might. 

Pray for me. Forecast here says "Chance of Snow: 0%"