a week off... how wonderful!

i am grateful to my organization for a week off of work. it has been so refreshing! i was lamenting to luke yesterday that it's too bad we can't store up rest. me resting a lot this week does not equal me being any less tired when work starts up again. his retort: i guess we have to enjoy it while we can!

enjoy it we have done. here are some highlights.

the small, boring things like lots of sleeping in and cleaning all those things i never seem to get around to.

then, there are the things that only i would get excited about, like the REI used gear sale today or spending my Christmas money on an apple corer/peeler so i can dehydrate apples with ease! i have also been excited to try recipes from my new cookbook (homemade pantry by alana chernila). yesterday, i made strawberry peach fruit leather!

then, there have been the big things. luke played a jazz show with some of his out of town musician friends. we had our 4th annual ugly sweater party with friends, which was more fun than ever complete with our fried Evan dj-ing and a white elephant gift exchange.

we got to go visit some of luke's extended family at their house on the mckenzie river and enjoyed a dip at terwilliger hot springs in the SNOW! it was majestic and so sweet to spend time with family.

my parents are off in europe having a train adventure, so luke and i spent christmas eve with christian, church and soup- a sandor tradition! since all the nieces and nephews are far off in other countries, we spent christmas morning not opening presents, but snow shoeing with rusty and mary lou at trillium lake on mt. hood. the trees were heavy laden with snow and the silence of the woods was deafening. we are so lucky to live so close to such natural beauty.

side note: another tradition in the sandor family was the Pillsbury orange sweet rolls on Christmas morning. you know the kind- the ones in the can that pops open before you put them in the pan. this year, i tried my hand at a homemade version and they were delectable. never going back! look here for the recipe.

i have managed to squeeze the most out of this week off, and still have a few more days! plan to spend it reflecting on the year of 2012 and all that God has been doing in these months.

if i had to describe relaxation in one word...

it would have to be breitenbush.

the name of a retreat center out in the middle of the cascades where luke and i spent the weekend. we went to welcome winter, to celebrate his birthday a week early, and to RELAX! mission accomplished.

it was raining hard all weekend, and there was even a dusting of snow when we woke this morning. the perfect weather to enjoy many long soaks in the outdoor, natural hot spring-fed soaking pools. that plus an incredible vegetarian buffet at each meal, lots of rest, games, reading (just finished under wildwood by portland local colin meloy and i couldn't put it down!), exploring in the woods, prayer, mate, and down time with the one i love.

my body, mind, soul, and spirit feel refreshed. thank you abba for the creation of a place like that and for all the people who care for it.