Holiday Detox

There is no better place for Holiday Detox than a snowy cabin in the middle of nowhere. The holidays are full of a lot of hustle & bustle. With all of that cheer comes late nights, decadent foods and crowds of friendly faces. Don't get me wrong, I like to raise a glass of nog with the best of them, but it can be exhausting. And that is all before the man in the big red suit makes his grand entrance.

R & I loaded up our sleigh on Christmas Eve day with 2 little elves, 1 large Jackie Bear in a festive bandana (Thanks groomers!), mysterious packages, and the kitchen sink. We were off 'over the river and through the woods to Montana we go'. Seven hours and a blizzard later, we made it! The girls were excellent passengers, no doubt because Santa was watching. R & I attempted to sing Christmas songs to them the last stretch and failed miserably. It turns out, we both know the first verse of a song and then do a fine job humming the rest. Note to self: Brush up on caroling skills.

Upon settling into our winter wonderland, we quickly donned our uniform for the week...PJ's! It was so magical having a little person in our midst who believes in all the Christmas mystique. Before tucking our little ones in, G-bean asked us to tell Santa hello and to ring his bells quietly so he didn't wake up 'little sister'. Pure Magic!

Christmas morning we awoke to a bright eyed G-bean excitedly telling us how she had heard the bells on Santa's sleigh last night. Following a candy cane trail upstairs, G-bean confirmed the big man's visit. Santa had not only found us, but he had also left the Hello Kitty she had been dreaming of. Oh Santa, you are good!

A week of leisure and adventure finished off our holiday. Sleeping in, playing in snow, skiing at Big Sky, snacking on our Holiday booty (everyone brought their sugary goods), rowdy card games, playing with Santa's gifts, -3 degree weather, teaching G-bean how to ski, teaching E how to walk, lazy afternoon naps, Sushi night with relatives, visiting the grizzly bears (G-beans favorite), hot-tubbing, reading a good book by the fire... what a week. A highlight was meditating in an upside down yoga pose with Eucalyptus scents while my mother impersonated her Yoga instructor with a metal stool for her makeshift gong. Never a dull moment in the land of crazies aka my family.

We would like to wish you and yours Happy Christmas, Joyous Kwanza & a Merry New Year!