Normally, a theme park twice in one weekend would make us feel like very worn out cattle, but we took it easy both times and just saw what we wanted to. And some of my favorite things were the simplest: the tea cups, Tom Sawyer’s Island bridges, hot cocoa and cookies, riverboat, time with Chris, monorail, Christmas lights, ferry, fake snow, story telling, stars, and snuggling rides — hey, I’ve got time to make up for here!

We were sad to hear Nikki wasn’t up to going to Mickey’s Christmas party, but we really enjoyed our first Christmas celebration of the year. (And of married life, come to think!) My favorite shot of the night:

The camera battery about died within half an hour, and, instead of capturing the magic, I managed to capture a completely different side of Disney. I can just imagine some kind of pre-teen horror flick starring Hannah Montana. Which gives me TGIF flashbacks, actually… 

Then I let Chris have the camera.

See? That, my normal camera face, is why it’s so amazing that the Roots’ pictures of us turned out so well!

And this, well, this is me very very very very excited that we got to ride something we missed the first time around! And Chris knowing before I did that I was going to want to keep the Astro Orbiter as high as possible the whoooooole time — I LOVE heights!

Thank you Maggie, Nikki, and Chrissy! :)

Astara’s a lab who hasn’t quite figured it out yet. She’s curious when it comes to baths, but she’s sure not going to sign herself up for one either — although Mom B reports that running through a sprinkler doesn’t phase the pup.

Neither does eating all of Mom B’s azalea flowers in 2 minutes flat — other than the purple poop part, of course, but that’s a different story.

OK, when it comes to the chewing everything, happy when something’s in her mouth, high energy, big appetite, annoyingly cute aspects, Astara’s certain she’s a lab.

But at just barely a year, she was unsure about water, so Chris and I were excited to find that the beach around the corner from the state park allowed dogs — and I love impromptu beach trips.

I also loved the scenery on the way:

She was cool with the beach when we got there.

But we possibly shouldn’t have played the chase-and-run-away-from-the-waves game if we wanted to get her in the water…

She wasn’t quite sure what to think,

so I tried.

And then Chris used treats.

We did finally figure out that she had no problem splashing through the water to get a treat so long as the waves were receding — darn game.

Proof that they jog.

And then…

“Save me!”

I did not make a water-pool for her to wade in,

thereby teaching the lab to dig –

I would never!

And though she was still suspicious of this “water” phenomenon,

she seemed to like the beach OK.

I just wanted to include this picture. It’s hilariously accurate, and it kind of makes my photos look more passable.

Well, maybe not. But doesn’t she look cute? She stayed like this until we got home,

when she commandeered my clean blankets and pillows.

Yup, she’s a lab. Snores like one too.

Serving at a shelter or having over people who need somewhere to celebrate is how Chris and I would like to spend our “ideal Thanksgiving,” but each year is its own. Tradition = things you happen to repeat and enjoy = good; tradition = things you must repeat = stressful. This time, we spent the day at a state park with Chris’ extended family, and Astara had her first experiences with soccer and salt water.

I’m pretty sure Chris taught her this one in our dating days:

Astara being all cute and innocent. Yeah, keep that stick in mind come Christmas…

Pup vs. Pro

This guy was impressed by her machismo and deemed her his new girl:

And a warm fuzzy to close on: