Friday, December 21, 2012

Feliz Navidad!




I’ve been gone.   Have you noticed?  We shared Thanksgiving with my family in Lincoln and extended the holiday by celebrating Dean’s mom’s 85th birthday with his family before driving home, unpacking, packing again and leaving two days later for Ecuador where we spent 12 days with Abby and Jorge.  I have lots of stories and lots of photos.  What I haven’t had is time.  Time to share those stories and photos.  Heck I haven’t had time to LOOK at any photos we took.  I haven’t had time to bake one Christmas cookie or write a Christmas letter or even just sign my name to a Christmas card, slap a stamp on it and throw it in the mailbox.   (Don’t worry Dean, I did find time to shop – a little.)

I have only had time to unpack and make a list of things we need to bring to Leslie and Ryan’s before we pack again to spend Christmas with them in Sheridan.  We will be relaxing and napping  in front of their fireplace, playing with kids and pretty much just kicking back and being lazy.  (There ARE advantages to reaching this “golden age”!)   Abby and Jorge will be spending their Christmas with Jorge’s family at the beach dancing until dawn.   I wish we could all be together again like we were last year, but if Jorge’s Complicated/How Does Anybody Navigate This Process?/Really?  Immigration needs WHAT piece of paper now?!/Visa Process goes well, Abby and Jorge will be living here in the U.S. for next year’s holiday season (another story I haven’t had time to tell).  Cross your fingers!

When life slows down and I have put our suitcases away for longer than seven days, I will tell you stories about blue-footed boobies, pina coladas on the beach, a street filled with luminarias, lying in bed listening to the beautiful early morning singing flowing from the cathedral across the street from our hotel, walking on the paramo at 13,000 feet in El Cajas National Park  and listening to the deep sighs of  my head-holding sick husband as Jorge drove down winding mountain roads, brow wrinkled and tense with worry about his father-in-law, on our last day in Ecuador.

In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Joyous New Year.   I hope you are all able to share it with someone you love.


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