15 months in Iceland, really?! It sounds so strange just typing that out. I guess Iceland is truly becoming home!
This past month was cold and dark in Iceland but that didn’t bother me as I spent most of the month soaking up lots of family time back home in Oregon . Spending the holidays with my family after over a year away was the highlight of my month so this post is going to be full of lots of Oregon fun!
Let’s start this 15th month recap right, with pictures of Azora of course!
Dozens of pictures taken with my favorite pup
A tie for the goofiest face
No such thing as personal space with this one
When I arrived back home I was greeted to an excited pup who spun in circles while peeing, thankfully not on me, and I jumped up and down squealing like a little girl who just got a puppy for Christmas. I have missed my dog so much this past year so being back home with her was wonderful. I had to refrain myself from posting a hundred pictures of me and Azora, it was rough.
Two of my favorite foods enjoyed
Two food items I have missed the most this past year, Trader Joe’s almond butter and a delicious yumm bowl from Cafe Yumm. I will admit, Trader Joe’s was so overwhelming to me I couldn’t stay in the store longer than 5 minutes, just enough time to get my favorite almond butter. And Cafe Yumm, ahh I already miss that place!
One hour decorating our “kid” tree
What is a kid tree you may ask? Well the kid tree is the small tree my mom has us girls decorate with ornaments we have made over the years. Us girls call it the ugly tree but my mom thinks all the ornaments are precious. For some reason each year the ugliest ornaments always get credited to me, I swear they are not all mine but being the least artistic in the family that’s what happens. It is always hilarious going down memory lane looking at the ridiculous ornaments (some with pictures!) we have made over the years. We may think my mom is a bit crazy for keeping some of those ornaments but it is a tradition I am thankful my mom has created with us girls.
Countless smiles on Christmas Day
Well maybe not Azora, but she was to tired to smile.
This Christmas was one for the books. It was the perfect low key day surrounded with those I love, delicious food, and lots of laughs. Exactly what I needed after being abroad for so long. I will remember this Christmas for many years to come, and H won’t forget his first American Christmas either, he loved it!
Hours spent reading on my new Kindle
One of my favorite Christmas gifts, my Kindle has been getting a lot of use on all these cold winter days. Perfect for helping me reach my reading goal this year!
Twelve of my favorite people at my painting party
My mom is the best and knew I would be stressed rushing around to see everyone, so to make things easier she planned one party where I could met everyone at once. Painting is not my thing (see early note about my lack of artistic skills) but this class was an absolute blast! One of my favorite things I did during my trip back home. I am still writing a full post on this, I don’t care if it has been over a month, so stayed tuned!
Five hours living it up on a party bus
Oh my gosh, this was a blast in a glass! Over 20 of my family members piled into a party bus one rainy Saturday afternoon for a wine tasting tour that showed H the real side of my family. And by that I mean how freaking awesome we are! I don’t think I stopped laughing the entire time, this could be the wine talking but I think my family is just that much fun. I am already convincing them all we need to take another party bus wine tour this summer!
2015 welcomed with my loved ones
Are New Years was anything but crazy this year and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Being the night before we had to say our goodbyes to Oregon I wanted nothing more than to spend a nice evening with my family. Add in a few martinis and rounds of Cards Against Humanity and you have our NYE in a nutshell.
One final walk before we said goodbye to Oregon
During our visit Oregon had some beautiful sunny days that we took full advantage of. Walks out in the always pretty Oregon nature with H, my mom and Azora were just what I needed before heading back to the dark Iceland.
Evenings spent blogging in my cozy socks
My grandma knows me well and got me the best socks for Christmas. I am talking cashmere socks that are like heaven on my toes! As soon as we got back to the cold Iceland these socks have been on my feet almost every night. I am just trying to figure out how to make wearing these socks with heels a fashion trend.
Two weeks of jet lag in the winter darkness
Jet lag hit us hard and we spent the rest of the month trying to get our bodies back on schedule. When there are only a few hours of daylight each day though it is quite difficult to get past the jet lag, like extremely difficult! At least the limited daylight makes for some pretty pictures!
Writing this post made me miss my family so much, but also reminded me how lucky I was to get to spend such a wonderful few weeks with them. January has been a bit dreary since we returned back to Iceland but the month is almost over and lots of fun things are on the horizon. And hopefully some more daylight!
Previous by the numbers month recaps:
First Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Second Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Third Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Fourth Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Fifth Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Sixth Month in Iceland by the Numbers
Seventh Month in Iceland by the Numbers
8th Month in Iceland by the Numbers
9th Month in Iceland by the Numbers
10th Month in Iceland by the Numbers
11th Month in Iceland by the Numbers
12th Month in Iceland by the Numbers
13th Month in Iceland By The Numbers
14th Month in Iceland By The Numbers
Question of the Month?
What do you do in January to make the month less gloomy? Any fun plans coming up?
