Flashback: Christmas 2009

I don't really know if an event that happened one month ago technically counts as a flashback, but it is the one post that is extremely overdue.

We were so excited to travel back to the US to spend the Christmas holiday with our families and friends back in New England. But, Noa had a cold, so he had to begin the trip with a Japanese-style mask in order to not offend other travelers on the plane. This is common practice in Japan. Often people who are not sick wear them just to keep from getting sick. I think he wore it well, don't you?

In order to keep this post shorter and more concise than the past ones, I'm not going to go into every detail of the trip, but give highlights. Before I do, I just have to say that it was an EXCELLENT trip. One of our better trips home. We had a great time. Here's why:

Memorable Family Moments: Spending quality time with each of our families was one of the priorities for this trip. Some examples...

...spending time with our nephew, who we haven't seen in years....

....laughing at some crazy gifts...

...family "reunions" (Here are the guys from my dad's side of the family)...

...and getting both of our families together and laughing, laughing, laughing.

Seeing Old Friends: We were so fortunate to also spend some of our time home with good friends, like the Fillions, Hartleys, and Cummings. Oh, and Noa's buddies, Barrett and Brian (and Barrett's cutie son Owen) even traveled up from Virginia and Florida to hang out for a few days. What a bunch of great friends!

We had a great afternoon with the Cummings and Hartleys. Apparently, something during present time was hilarious!

Cristyn and Aaron's little girl is a doll. Look at those curls!!

My mom and her BFF, Nancy, in their matching purple sweaters. Great minds think alike, you know.

Snow, Snow, Snow!! I LOVED the winter weather. It snowed several times while there and I couldn't get enough of it. Isn't is beautiful?!

I joined my mom, sister, and friend Kerry for lunch at the lovely Bedford Village Inn for lunch and it started snowing during our meal. The light, fluffy flakes were perfect!

Here's a close up in my parent's yard.

My parent's mailbox was so festive with snow and garland.

Furry Friends: Megan got the cutest puppy for Christmas named Carter. He is so little and sweet. I love his little face!

My cousin has an 18-pound cat that I was in awe of. I called him "18 pounds of lovin'!"

So, yeah, it was a great time. It will be a holiday that we will remember for a long, long time. Thanks, everyone for making it so special for us. We love you and miss you!