cubby is still overcoming a cold and, while we were sad to miss out on a couple wonderful invitations for some guaranteed new year’s fun, we decided to keep her home and bunker down…

…and it was wonderful.

of all the new years we’ve spent fabulously dressed, shakin’ and shimmyin’ amid horn-blowing and confetti…this was my favorite.

spent in the quiet of our home…in our jammies.

fabulous, it still was with a lovely stash of fruit, brie with toasted candied pecans (props to sister) and bagel chips stacked high with smoked salmon, dill dip, boiled egg, onion and capers.

…and some bubbly.

after a few fireworks, we settled inside.

she fell asleep, runny nose and all, in my arms on the couch next to a fire.

and then i laid with her in bed, listened to the ball drop and thought about just how wonderful this beautiful moment was. and, of course…my first kiss of the new year was to the little wonder breathing in my ear.

there will be years for dancing. for horn-blowing. for confetti.

…but this one belongs to her.

cheers to beginning a new year in the happiest place of all.

dear 2008:

thank you, kindly.
for all the love.
all the happiness.
all the discoveries.

thank you.

i love new years. they are clean slates…and i’ve got this fabulous box of colored chalk to mark with this year. i’m gunna color like there’s no tomorrow.

hoping your year is fabulous.
celebrate. celebrate it well.

happy new year.

the various sources of loveliness are abundant these past two days…

a birthday dinner down near the water with my in-laws who are insanely lovely…

…where i blew out candles and made big wishes surrounded by some of my favorite people…

…and watching miss lovely make lovely with a hijacked lipgloss of mine today..

……and some quality times with the dogs…

…and then, a little surprise…a trip to the zoo. she’s never been, and we keep saying we’re going to take her with her growing adoration of anything with four legs. and, today we finally did. and it was splendid.

we walked and walked and walked…forever. and the stroller held our bags rather than her as she wanted to run and be free…and be held.

she did a lot of pointing…at monkeys and zebras and birds and turtles…and then would look at us and smile…like this-is-really-cool-isn’t it?

we dressed her to blend in with the zebras, of course…

…oh, i’m just loving having brett around so much…i know she’s loving it too…

…but she still loves her mommy…

oh heavens…this next picture…she is so her father’s daughter.

…enjoying the routine-life-is-soon-to-come-so-just-a-little-longer-please things. ~k