First Sunday

....which means the first big planning session of the year. 

I love the dots on the pages; they're making a huge difference. They can't help me keep my days of the week straight, though (ha). It's a good thing I'm not going to obsess on perfection this year, isn't it?

I stopped making New Year's resolutions years ago, noting that like most people's, mine tend to fail. Guidelines relating to a year-long theme work better for me. 2021's theme is getting healthier. 

Hey look, blue sky!

Wednesday decided to help with my journal:

Then: adventure time. We didn't have much time, so we only stopped at Portland Women's Forum. We drove past Vista House and a few waterfalls before turning back toward Portland, then drove through Rooster Rock State Park to see what it's like.

I kept falling asleep on the way home, so I took a giant nap while Hubby ran errands. Here's one errand:

We have our J hooks installed! Kayaks, here we come!

Also, the string of bells I bought at Tipton's in Seaside looks very festive on our front door:

Later: Spaghetti and silliness for Sunday dinner

First weekend of 2021: GOOD

Seaside Saturday

My favorite picture of the weekend. 

New Year's Day 2021

Sometimes when it's the first day of a new year, you find yourselves in a hotel on the beach in Seaside, Oregon. 

Amazingly, and not without some major effort, we were able to get all twelve of us there to spend the night. It was so fun. 

Here we are at Pig N Pancake:

Taking a walk after dinner:

Playing cards with Hubby:

Hanging with Hubby

.....and a couple of furry lumps

We did the following things today: had BC and Tawnee visit and meet L and the granddaughters; went shoe shopping in Portland, bought nothing; played catch at the park with my NEW MITT; had Sunday family dinner with H (deli chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, potato wedges); watched TV

Post Christmas Purchases

Not the hat (gift from H & C). Not the huge embroidery hoop (gift from Baby R & Baby C, one of my favorite Christmas gifts this year). Not the plaid flannel nightgown (gift from Mom).

Nope. Today Hubby and I went to Dick's Sporting Goods and I bought myself a bike helmet and a baseball mitt. 

Maybe it's all the times that Field of Dreams and A League of Their Own have been on TV lately, or maybe it's my way of getting through the winter, but I've got a serious baseball jones. Hubby says he'll play catch with me and maybe I can drag the kids outside sometimes too.

Mom's and Bob's Gifts

R's Dental Appointment

Just here for a checkup and cleaning. 

The Left-Right Game

Sadly, because of the pandemic, we can't have a regular Christmas party at work this year. Rachel and the team throw wonderful Christmas parties. 

But we wanted to do something, so we arranged a gift exchange. I told Nick about the "Left-Right" gift game we've been playing at home for the last two years, and he was all for it. Here's the tree with all of the gifts we brought:

We had such a great time. Most of the group had never heard of the game, so it was fun to show them something new and watch everyone enjoy it. 

At lunchtime, H and I ran to Wendy's and grabbed food for ourselves and C. Here we are lunching in H's car.

After work, I shopped for Christmas gifts. Tiring!

This Sweet Moment

Delicious Lazy Wednesday

O Christmas Tree

Staying with Mom and Mel in The Dalles

Pick-a-Pom

Here's something we've never done before: we offered customers the chance to create their own bonnets - they were able to choose the bonnet color and pom color. Ivory was my favorite bonnet:

...especially with the red and blue poms, although that orange pom on the right is doing it for me too. So festive and pretty.

Meanwhile, we're trying to put together some semblance of a shop Christmas party since we can't get together at our previous spot, The Grocery Cocktail and Social, this year. Stupid pandemic! 

(I say that while simultaneously feeling extremely blessed that my contact with the virus has thus far been minimal, and grateful and relieved that vaccines are being produced and shipped to the USA as I write this.)