T'was the night before Christmas and I decided to finally type up a Christmas letter. Here is the e-mail version with the benefit of a few images.
Over the past year our little California bungalow has primarily been a whir of the domestic adventures of the early parenting years: preschool art projects, potty training surprises, and the challenges of getting playdoh out of carpets. But we realize the unique joys of sleeping with a toddler's foot in one's face and snuggling with a footed-PJ clad 4-going-on-14yr old are almost over. Thea will start Kindergarten this year, and Noah has begun the 2's with the energy of a revved up Energizer bunny.
To keep sane we try to stay true to our pre-parenting vagabonding days and ensure our children are thoroughly eaten by the travel bug from an early age.
This year, our destinations were more nostalgic than exotic: we rang the new year in in Vermont, Jen finagled a trip to Victoria to speak as one of her high school's centennial speakers in Feb; March took us back to NY for Jen's annual presentation at the UN Commission on the Status of Women, followed by a sunny wedding for Brent's cousin in South Carolina (all in the company of Brent's patient folks). April I think we actually took a break (if you don't count camping along Cali's coast and welcoming visitors to San Diego) in order to gear up for May!
It only took seven years and a successful conference submission to get us back to Small Trees. We started with 10 glorious days in England before heading to Prague for Jen to present a paper at the fourth global conference on Storytelling.
Devon was everything I remembered - misty mornings, cream teas, cold drizzle, warm pubs. Little had changed around Yelverton's small roundabout, with the notable exception of a little café boasting free Wi-Fi. Better yet, we discovered the Rock pub had it too. Introducing Thea and Noah to places that hold some of my dearest childhood memories and long overdue reunions with friends, family and the Moors brought a commitment to make sure we head back every other year.
Prague was wonderful as well. Despite a wetter week than England, we balanced strolling along old cobblestone streets, taking in famous landmarks like the St. Charles Bridge, the Astronomical clock, and Prague Castle with periods of sheltered respite watching life go by from the covered patios of numerous cafes. Thea and Noah seemed at home amidst the culture and ancient landmarks of both countries, and didn't let a little rain get in the way of sampling traditional European delicacies, like ice cream.
Jen and Brent's work have both been drama-filled. June - Oct. Jen was consumed with the Women PeaceMakers residency, and Brent was consumed with keeping the house running and the kids (and himself) alive and well amidst her long absences. Along with the usual hecticness of the residency, this year additional intrigue swirled as Jen worked behind the scenes to try to find a new home for the program. By the time the PeaceMakers left and our little family flew to Vermont for two weeks of RnR and to welcome our new niece, Lucia Freeman, things were starting to fall into place. There are too many moving parts still shifting to announce anything yet, but we're hopeful that the coming year will offer new opportunities and locations for the program, and maybe for our little family too.
For now, our focus is on slowing down. Sitting in my parent's light-drenched kitchen typing this over breakfast, we are looking forward to three luxurious weeks to surround ourselves with friends and family here, enjoy the cold, celebrate the holidays and breathe the cool moist air of the west coast as we contemplate the year to come. Something tells me its not going to be any less eventful.
Wishing all of you light and joy for the season, and laughter and hope in the year to come. May our world and its interconnected lives be filled with kindness, gratitude and peace.
