tales from a far-land

As we reflect back on 2016, it was a year of travel and adventures.  We journeyed to places afar filled with cultures different than our own.  We drove to visit family and friends.  We traveled to the beach for fun, sun and relaxation.  We visited Northern Arizona for cooler temperatures.  And we finally earned our Mouse Ears as a family.  We are so fortunate for the opportunities 2016 delivered to us. And we are excited to see what is in store for us in 2017.  Wishing everyone a new year rich with the blessings of love, joy, warmth and laughter.  Happy New Year!

This year Christmas was very cold and rainy.  In fact, it hailed that morning.  This is the closest that Phoenix will come to having a white Christmas. However, Santa still prevailed and presents were still delivered. Our morning started at about seven o'clock.  We have to have the only kids in the entire world who do not wake up before the sunrises on Christmas.  After waking up and sauntering downstairs, they quickly noticed what Santa left for them. Each of the kids received exactly what they wanted from Santa.  Aiden a Spider-Man motorcycle and Madilyn a puppy and stroller.  They weren't as excited as Santa may have hoped for them to be right that that moment, but later on, when they finally had the chance to play with their toys, you could see their happiness and joy shine. Aiden on his Spider-Man Motorcycle As a family, we continued to open the rest of our morning presents from the youngest person to the oldest. Madi received quite a few artist type of

For the past couple of years, the Farrell-Landers family has hosted a Christmas Eve trailer ride so we could enjoy the Moon Valley luminaries and holiday lights.  Sadly, this year, the rainy weather did not permit us to continue with this tradition.  Instead, we had a small gathering of family and friends over to our home to celebrate the holiday.  Despite the chilly weather, we were able to capture the spirit of the holiday in our home through laughter, joy, and conversation while a yule log burned in the fireplace.  The meal was simple and consisted of appetizers, chili, corn muffins and cookies.  A perfect combination for the chilly evening. The kids enjoyed a fun book exchange while listening to my dad read How the Grinch Stole Christmas!   And the adults tried out a new game I found on Facebook called "The Santa Hat Game".  It was pretty hilarious and one that I may have to perfect for the adults to play again next year.  The evening concluded with the kids opening some