Home Again!

The rest of the drive from the Painted Desert was mostly a breeze.  We did take a less than satisfying detour to find a spot Thomas passed years and years back, but it wasn't on the map and thus difficult to find.  We turned around before running out of gas.  We also stopped for groceries and dinner in Santa Fe.  It was late when we got home, but we managed to drag ourselves and any perishable items out of the car.

Tom built a fire and stood in front of it.  This was what he wanted to do.  I called our parents to say we arrived and then listened to messages and sorted through the mail.  We both were a little too keyed up to just crash, but the time came and reminded us what a comfortable bed we have.  We let the sun get high in the sky before daring to step out of it.  We busied ourselves with getting ready for NM family Christmas and New Year's Eve celebration rolled into one, unpacking the car and possibly unpacking the bags unpacked from the car, watering plants, napping, and getting our bearings.

The Christmas party was fun.  We showed up a little early to Marie and Dave's to hang out.  The last couple years the party has been across the road at Daniel & Julie's, but the snow and mud slick between their driveway and Salado Creek Rd might have turned our fun into a tow-party.


Maya helped Sofia feel a little more festive with her Santa hat.

Sofia was happy hanging out in front of the fire place until we all descended on the tree and many presents underneath.  Everyone was so generous!

We ate, we drank, and we were merry!  Julie brought a delicious frozen strawberry-fruity punch that we spiked, and the boys were sampling shots of Christmas presents.  The party lasted until about 11:30 pm for us, and then it was time to pack up.  We made it home and rang in the New Year with a kiss and a phone call to my parents.  Having officially celebrated New Year's with me, they were free to go to bed.  We slept in for another sluggo day.  The compost, some housecleaning, stacking wood - much that could have been done, but we left it for another day and enjoyed a day of rest (Thomas loaded a new computer game, and I worked on a new kakuro book) and talking with friends.

The second is another story.  Having enoyed our day of rest, we both had Monday off and put it to good use.  I went for an hour long walk and came back ready to work.  Thomas got to work on a cat house for Felix and blocked off the entrance to under the trailer - it was time.  I restocked the wood porch and split kindling after composting a few buckets of food scraps.  And then I set to work on cleaning the bathrooms (the last motel of our trip home inspired me).  We put in a full day of work and then called it quits.  It feels good to be home!

Felix's new home...Tom put it a little platform inside and carpeted the whole thing.  We welcome any suggestions on how to get Felix to live in it.  Monday night we lay in bed listening to her scratching for a way back under the house, and from what we can tell, it hasn't been lived in.