Calm New Year

January has been an incredibly slow month for us! We aren't really New Year's Eve celebrators when we're in the United States.

NYE destination: the couch!

What is New Years Day without cabbage rolls?!

Allow me to explain the whole qualifier of when we're in the U.S. as it seems odd. Where would you celebrate around these parts? NYC always looks so darned cold and the idea of standing around unable to pee (they wear diapers!) or eat anything other than what you pack (I've never been good at planning snacks ahead- to the point where I get jealous of little kids with a parent who thinks of that for them. I'm sometimes the parent's age and my ability to pack snacks still hasn't kicked in yet. Must come with the birthing process or something? Jackson just leaned over and asked me if I had packed snacks for this flight because he's hungry. He was visibly disappointed when I told him that I have not mastered snack packing yet. Anyway, I've seriously digressed here. Blame it on the altitude?!) I am fresh out of ideas for any other domestic destination for an amazing experience.

Also, honestly, once you've rung in the new year in Paris watching the Eiffel Tower light up and shoot off fireworks is anything else really special? Perhaps ringing in the new year a day earlier than our friends in the U.S. in Sydney, Australia would fit the bill? That's the plan for NYE 2017!!!!!! (INSERT UNCONTAINABLE EXCITEMENT HERE!)

I'd return to blogging but I'm busy looking at photos of koalas, kangaroos and fireworks over the Sydney Harbor (yes, I am an American, why ever do you ask?!) that I've been googling and sending to Jackson at random intervals.

I cannot deal. TOO CUTE!

This only looks mildly awesome

Seriously.

Moving on. Besides not really celebrating the ushering in of 2016, we've been hiding from the cold Indiana winter. We got weak and started using the fireplace. This pleases MacKenzie beyond measure.

We are still recovering from the Petefish Flu of Christmas 2015. This illness deserves a name. It was a force and it knocked us out hard! Thankfully we subscribed to Hulu since we still don't have cable (pats self on back for fighting "the man") and have had some entertainment from that. After reading both of Mindy Kaling's books we started watching her show, "The Mindy Project." Ok, season 1 was the funniest stuff is ever seen. We are in season 4 now and things have sadly slumped. I guess you can't expect comedic gold forever. Side note: binge watching a series might be more addicting than crack cocaine. Whoa.

Cutie playing with new toys!

TV and snuggles

MacK hates the snow, too!

We did finally buckle down and print out our color travel photos for the blank wall in the dining room. I am really happy with how it turned out. Yes, we will take a last photo to make it complete.

From the top right: Chimney Rock, St. Louis Arch, Sedona church in the rock,
Chicago's Navy Pier, Golden Gate Bridge, Naples palm trees
Toronto from the river, Las Vegas and empty

Love this puppy!

I'll be by the fire if you need me

Handsome Jackson

MacK & Sherri

We've been home for about three weeks and got itchy so we are off to Florida this morning. Actually, this weekend has been on the calendar forever as a girl's getaway to Naples to celebrate my friend Amber's birthday. Last week she decided she couldn't come due to some personal issues so Jackson came in her place. We were lucky that one of my co-workers signed on to watch MacKenzie (Grammy being in Florida really throws a wrinkle in her schedule!) so she didn't have to go to a kennel for the long weekend.

Jackson talking, me trying to concentrate 

We'll be here until Tuesday evening and then we'll be home for 2.5 more weeks of tax season before heading to Puerto Rico. We'd planned to be in Naples again for Super Bowl Weekend but thought 3 trips in 3 months was plenty for now. Did I mention tax season?! It has come on with a fury this year. I guess this should not surprise me anymore but each year I go from just being in the "in crowd" to Ms. Popularity in January- April 15th. Woe is me. ;)

We are excited to explore Puerto Rico for another week and to stock up on their coffee beans to grind at home. That's right, coffee tourism. Does that make us old? Don't answer that.

Alright, off to the beach we go! Happy weekend, friends!