BABY XAVI!

Gabby and I were again blessed to make a trip to see Emmy and Mario in their adorable home where the sun sets into the ocean...

If Roger and I were to have more kids, we would not be sad, but having just two gives us the perfect opportunity to give our kids the gift of experience and travel and seeing family...for it is family that takes us on those travels to so many places outside of our frozen tundra where snow falls by the inches and the roads ice up and the temp drops below freezing nightly (and sometimes daily).

Not many of us can say we've ridden an elephant naked either!
How about that for an experience! :-)

This trip was supposed to be just me traveling to meet my little nephew, but after my "field trip" to see Lori in Oct (that's how we told Owen because he would have been sad to not get to go), I could not go 5 days without squeezing and holding and hugging one of my own little ones. Gabby is not yet two, so she can still fit in the luggage...actually, she fit on my lap for free.

Let me tell you...she was the BEST travel partner ever! And we were so blessed to have wonderful seat/row mates who love kids.

Xavi is a handsome boy with lots of hair (like his older cousin Owen had!).
He has his daddy's mouth and makes the cutest grunts.
He doesn't cry much, but MB also holds him close...so close.
She loves that little boy...like a mother should. :-)

MB and Mario braved the beach with us while toting baby, boards, hairy kids, and lunch. They'd been to the beach, but this was the first trip with all-of-the-above since Xavi's been born.

It was sunny and nice but the breeze was cool and refreshing...
not biting like the frozen air we've felt since returning!

Each time I have the privilege of staying with M & M, I learn something new about food. I picked up some new concoctions and recipes and learned some tamale-rolling skills! Thanksgiving was half traditional (as I've known it) and half traditional-ethnic (as Mario knows it). Mario cooked up turkey, tamales, pasole (yum!), and rice, and MB made up a sweet sweet potato dish. I did what I could...

Sticky hands?

Our days were spent napping, going to the park, taking walks, working on projects, running to get coffee, and taking more walks. We tried to catch the sunset but missed it the first night we went down to the beach...
I forgot Gabby's jacket...who knew she'd be so "c-c-cold" (that's how she says it).

The next night we tried again and were successful...and watched the sinking sun...

What a sight to leave behind...and we remembered jacket!

Back home Owen was happy,of course, to have his "boomba" back,
and they played and played and played.

What happens here and not there???
The snow and boys...

yep...that's after ramming the snowman over and "beating him down"...

winter is winter...
boys will be boys...
cold is cold...
gotta love being home!
HOME SWEET HOME!...