On holiday

Forgive us for our negligence, few and precious blog readers. At least a couple of you have told us that you've been on the edge of your seat since the cliff-hanger we last posted. Well, David S. and Jess G., the wait is over. The visa sleigh didn't exactly come bounding down the mountain, but we were able to secure an emergency visa for the little traveler while the visa meandered its way to us on the scenic route. Thanks for all the prayers!

Our US tour has ended, and we are back in Oxford grappling with dribbles of jetlag. Right now, Naomi is taking her morning nap, and I am sipping tea while taking quick glances at the gorgeous blue sky outside. Yesterday, it was sunny, too. And when I was out and about in Oxford, I got some smiles from passersby - and smiles are the British equivalent of bear hugs! A little vitamin D goes a long way in these parts, for me as much as for anyone. It's nice to enjoy some sun, especially when my heart is still in US territory.

Speaking of US territory, we covered quite an expanse of it while visiting family and friends in Tennessee and California. Here are some highlights in pictures:

Introducing Naomi to family, of course. Especially her cousins:

Naomi's first Thanksgiving celebration. I devoured my mom's classic feast. The last time I enjoyed it was in Dave's and my first year of marriage, and I have worked every Thanksgiving since. Here's our little turkey in her Thanksgiving outfit (Thanks, Nana Piers!), practicing the art of sitting up:

Keylor, our five year old nephew, performing in his first nativity pageant. He was a shepherd - just like his dad, my brother, was in his first nativity pageant. These are the moments I miss the most when I am in the UK, so it was so delightful to be present (Keylor is in the center of the top row):

Christmas was spent with my side of the family this year. We spent Christmas Eve with my brother and his family. While there, we dropped our digital camera and broke the lens. So, here is one picture of the tree as proof that we were there:

After Christmas, we flew to California to spend time with Dave's side of the family. We were able to introduce Naomi to her Papa, Uncle Brandon and Aunt Jeni, and she loved snuggling with her Nana and Aunt Amy. Sadly, she did not meet her cousins, Abri, Luke and Eli, or get to see her Uncle Matt and Aunt Katherine again, so some skype dates are in order. Again, because our camera was broken, we have no pictures to share. However, we have some fun video highlights.

Here are Naomi's second cousins, Cassidy, Paige, and Lily, teaching Naomi to clap. Naomi was enthralled, to say the very least:



We took a day trip to the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas (a town called Three Rivers). Here is Beth (Nana) luring Naomi to sleep while on the road:



And now, gentle readers, as the sun sets on all vacations, we leave you with a picture of the way it set on ours: