Back.

It has not been an easy road through these holidays and new year.

If you're new here, I have had pneumonia and have been sick since the beginning of December.

I'm not usually the sickly type so it's been a real blow to my daily routine and mental state.

Me no likey.

I just had to let it all go.

The gifting, creating, cooking, projects, knitting, cleaning, blogging... all of it.

Slowly, in the past 2 weeks, I've been catching up.

Chipping away.

I still have so many things I want to do:

Review my 2011 TDL

Make my 2012 TDL

Bake some bread

Make some soup

Finish my 2 knitting projects

Post about it all

blah,blah,blah

It will happen.

My mantra for this year is... simplify, slowly, gently.

So that's what's been happening around here.

Here's a little photo journal of our holidays.

Celebrating my bestie's birthday.

Inseparable since we were 23.

She's gotta thing for pants and underwear on her head.

Christmas morning.

Playing in her new kitchen.

All dressed up to attend Christmas dinner with Daddy.

Mommy couldn't go because she had a 102 fever.

Navy blue cape. Bananas.

Snuggling with a new stuffed friend.

We've hosted a New Year's Day Brunch every year for 8 years.

This was the first year we didn't do it.

Secretly, sick or not, it was kind of a relief.

Maybe taking the year off will boost my enthusiasm for next year's party.

I also turned 35 this holiday season. 

I feel like it was a milestone that was not properly celebrated.

I think I'm going to need a do-over.