Some final words on 2013

What a year it has been for us! Back in the US after living in France for well over a year now, our time overseas often pops up in everyday life, although less than it did at the beginning of the year. We still miss our friends from Clermont-Ferrand terribly, but have started making new friends here in Greenville. We’ve celebrated a first birthday and a third birthday, with family visiting us more frequently than in the past two years combined. We’ve found new favorite places to play, eat and explore right here in the city, and done some exploring further from home, not just in South Carolina but in the neighboring states as well.

 

My favorite trips this year: my visit to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Auldbrass Plantation in Yemassee, SC, our vacation on Sapelo Island, GA, the day-trip to Bulls Island SC while staying on the coast, two Blue Ridge Parkway experiences this fall (in NC), the weekend in New York City, the cousin’s confirmation in Toronto, the Key West experience and finally our family’s trip to Latvia to experience the National Song Festival.

Throwing rocks at Paris Mountain State Park yesterday

 

Unexpected surprises close to home: the Greensboro Science Center, Congaree National Park, the Carl Sandburg Home Historic Site, Columbia SC, the Georgia Aquarium and Balloons Over Anderson.

 

Fun blogging firsts: I hosted my first giveaway, was voted into the top 5 SouthernMom Bloggers by you guys, hit the 300 post milemarker and am nearing 10,000 pageviews a month.

 

We continue to honor our Latvian roots; in addition to the Song Festival in Rīga, we also attended a family reunion while in Latvia. We hosted the Upstate (and surrounding area) Latvians for Latvia’s Independence Day celebrations, continued with Latvian traditions such as dying Easter eggs with onion skins and baking piparkūkas for Christmas, represented Latvia in the International Festival in Spartanburg, and participated in the Jāņi (midsummer’s eve) celebrations here in Greenville.

Our tree is still up - and will stay up at least another week

The French sneaks in as well, with the bells on Easter, Bastille Day brunch, making gateau au yaourt with the boys, meeting our friends from Chatenet in Chicago and celebrating Kings Day.

 

But there is one thing this year has been all about, and that is family. After our time in France when we averaged only a couple visits with close family a year, it is as though we have been trying to make up for this deficiency the last twelve months. We rang in 2013 with my husband’s parents in Michigan and are sending it on its merry way with my parents right here in Greenville tonight. In between it’s been all of our favorite people, in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, New York and even Latvia. If only Seattle weren’t so far away…

 

I’ll end this retrospective with a few New Year’s resolutions. First, I resolve to spend more time with the boys (not just supervising); getting down on the floor with them to play trains, throwing the football around in the backyard and involving them in regular household activities. Second, I resolve to spend more time outdoors, walking or playing in the park, even in the backyard, but outside. Finally, I promise to worry less about the little stuff, like clean floors and put-away toys.

 

We wish everyone health, happiness and adventure in the coming year; the strength to fulfill all your resolutions and the resolve to know which ones are important; time with family, friends and loved ones. Happy 2014!!!

 

Greenville holiday checklist

We’ve managed to squeeze in more downtown holiday stuff into the past few days than we had managed all month! With all the guests in town it meant a lot of time at home: cooking, eating and having family time. However, guests always give us an excuse to show off our small but happening downtown, and this Christmas was no exception. As we had already seen the Miniature World of Trains holiday display we headed first to the opposite end of Main Street, to the Hyatt’s Festival of Trees. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit the dozens of trees on two levels in the hotel lobby, you have until January 1^st. Decorated by local schools and organizations, the trees provided plenty of inspiration for next year’s tree, ornaments and gifts.

Dad took a few spins with the boys on Ice on Main. Last year I had done the heavy lifting, keeping Lauris upright on the ice, but this year Roberts opted in. It helped that there were these blue walkers on the ice for those not-so-steady on their feet.

We often ride the Greenville downtown trolley as we can walk to catch it from our house and therefore avoid parking problems downtown. During the holidays we make it a point to ride the trolley at least once in the evening, as the trolleys are decked out in Christmas lights and prove a warm and cozy way to see all the lights of the holidays on Main Street. If only we could figure out the schedule, we might ride more often; although the website gives an overview of supposed start and end times, more than once we’ve seen the trolley running before the supposed start time, or waited in vain for the last one… I find that with the trolley, the best is to have an alternate plan.

We admired the giant tree near the Marriott, and asked a passerby to snap a family photo of us. Although nowhere as big as the tree in downtown Clermont-Ferrand that was trucked in by semi, the fir is magical in that way that even the sparsest tree can be when decorated with just a few twinkling lights and the joy of the season.

There were tears shed today as one set of grandparents departed for the airport, leaving the house feeling empty and bringing an abrupt end to these Christmas celebrations. However we are blessed to have the second set arriving in a day or two to celebrate a second Christmas before helping us ring in the New Year! Is it any wonder that Mikus’s newest favorite word is partija?

A plethora of family on Christmas day

My husband’s parents and siblings made the trip to celebrate Christmas with us this year. We were grateful not to have to pack Christmas into the trunk of our car as we have done so many times in the past... I loved being able to enjoy our tree on Christmas morning, the comforts of my kitchen and home in which to cook, wrap presents and enjoy the festivities.

 

We took a family portrait which (surprisingly) everyone mostly cooperated for. We ate meals together, as a family, squeezed in around our tiny table. We opened presents, ate copious amounts of piparkūkas, sang Christmas carols and played football in the backyard. The grandparents took long walks, enjoying Greenville and our neighborhood. The cousins took Lauris and Mikus into their fold and spent hours around the train table, playing in the boys’ room and sharing new toys. There was plenty of time sans kids to spend creating in the kitchen, and even a few minutes of rest for me. It has been a jam-packed, food-filled, loud and boisterous three days, and there is more to come…

Happy Winter Solstice! (yesterday) and Christmas in the Upstate

Christmas sort of snuck up on us this year. Really, I put off all holiday related activities until after our return from Key West and then found two weeks wasn’t nearly enough time to do everything I wanted to do. Somehow we’ve decorated our tree, sent out cards, baked scores of piparkūkas and had some holiday fun in that time, and I’m once again reminded how many wonderful holiday things there are to do with kids in the Upstate.

We missed the downtown Christmas parade this year due to our trip to south Florida, but got our fix of lights at Roper Mountain Science Center’s Holiday Lights (last year's visit here). Lauris politely explained to Santa that he’s already sent his letter off, Mikus took one look and wanted nothing to do with the whole thing, and mom told the photographer “just take the picture,” resulting in a classic photo that caught the moment perfectly. The lights were beautiful and we opted to drive the loop a second time, Lauris and Mikus caught in a daydream looking out the windows.

The trolleys are decorated with Christmas lights, and are a great way to see downtown decked out for the holidays. Ice on Main, the great tree and thousands of twinkling lights strung up and down Main Street helped me shift into holiday gear.

The boys in front of our tree

A comparatively new addition to the Greenville Christmas scene is the Miniature World of Trains. $5 a person will get you in to see the 2013 Christmas Model Train Display, an amazing train setup complete with cities, mountains, lights and about 20 trains! For the older kids there’s a scavenger hunt to complete to get in the running for a prize, but our boys were content with watching the trains circle. Favorites included the Snoopy train, Thomas, and “Snoopy’s friends” (Linus and Lucy).

We’ve been trying to get out of the house even on days when there is nothing Christmas-related on the agenda, and one day we met friends at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. We were pleasantly surprised that they too have a Christmas display, downstairs in the center room. Lauris was torn between looking at the miniature Christmas scene and watching the holiday video, but both boys tried their hand at cutting out a snowflake and took turns peeking in the giant dollhouse to see what holiday activities the inhabitants were up to.

There have been several Christmas brunches, playdates and cookie making sessions with friends, discussions on the meaning of Christmas, practice reciting our holiday poems, and finally frantic cleaning of house to prepare for the arrival of guests. We are hosting family in South Carolina this year, and yesterday the first wave arrived. Christmas dinner will be for a party of 12 tomorrow, please wish me luck! And as you all turn to the last of your Christmas preparations, start your holiday cooking and complete your traditions of the season, my family and I wish you a bright and merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus un laimīgu Jauno Gadu! Joyeux Noël et bonne année! Merry Christmas y’all!

Loose in Miami Beach!

With the sun low in the sky and the crowds probably gathering in Mallory Square for the daily sunset celebration, we found ourselves 170 miles northeast crossing the Julia Tuttle Causeway to Miami Beach. Since we would pass through Miami on the way back to Fort Myers, we had contacted friends who live in South Beach and arranged to spend the last night of our vacation there. Located on a series of natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the city has been one of America's top beach resorts since the early 20th century and the Art Deco Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. We were hoping to get a quick feel for the area, made popular by TV show Miami Vice and featured in movies such as Scarface and The Birdcage.

Wanting to be within easy travel distance of South Beach but to avoid the prices of the hip hotels, we ended up at the completely unique Freehand Miami. The hostel, located in the classic 1930’s Art Deco Indian Creek Hotel, caters to individual travelers as well as groups. Offering private rooms and shared rooms, it is easy to book based on individual needs and budgets. Our “standard king” had a private bathroom, free wi-fi and breakfast, and was luxurious in every way but the price. Those traveling alone can opt for either a “shared quad” or “super 8,” and in addition “private quads” and “bungalows” are available.

The highpoint of Freehand Miami is the common area. In the lush tropical courtyard chaises and tables are tucked between palms and colorful vegetation, an outdoor pool reflecting the crystalline blue of the sky. We enjoyed drinks from the specialty mixology bar in the warm December night, the city blocked out completely in this private retreat. A historic house on the property is currently being restored, with plans to transform it into a restaurant and bar; The House, scheduled to open early 2014, will complement the hostel theme and feature a rooftop garden above the Kitchen Pavilion. There is a Freehand Chicago opening in my hometown next year too, right in the heart of downtown; I'm excited to see if they succeed in bringing the Miami Beach vibe to the 1920's Art Deco building in River North. 

After drinks our party headed to South Beach (also known as SoBe, or simply The Beach), and enjoyed a casual dinner overlooking the Bay. The boys made quick friends, and together the four kids ran around until the late hour brought us back to the hostel. We slept soundly, stomachs full and tired after a long day, awaking well-rested and ready to start the new day.

We joined dozens of other travelers downstairs in the lobby for breakfast, once again admiring the common area but this time in daylight. The boys were crushed that we were not going to be able to try out the pool until we told them we were headed for the beach.

We headed south to South Pointe Park, hoping to avoid the crowds on Lummus Park beach but enjoy the same view, sand and surf. On the way we enjoyed the Art Deco scenery, getting a quick taste of the aesthetic of Ocean Drive before winding up at the very south tip of Miami Beach. The park was a perfect choice for us: no crowds, excellent beach, restrooms and a shaded playground. We watched cruise and cargo ships passing through to the ports, jumped endless waves, people-watched and dug in the sand until it came time to leave. Though Miami Beach had given us a final chance at beach time in December, Christmas was awaiting us back in Greenville. As we crossed MacArthur Causeway and wound our way through Miami and the Everglades, the sun on my shoulders and the saltwater around my ankles quickly became more a dream than a memory.