Happy New Year

EXPLOSIVE: Space Needle puts on a show for 2016's birth. Tim Durkan Photography. (Follow him on Facebook, you'll be glad you did!)

STEELY RESOLVE: Happy New Year to your and yours! We're looking forward to an awesome 2016. We don't have any hard-and-fast big plans for this year, but so far we've done pretty well pinballing our way from one adventure to a next, many on short-to-no notice. 

I asked the kids to list a few things they'd like to work on for 2016. Here's what they had to day, CJ first ...

I'd like to learn how I can change the world for the better
 I'd like to see the Mount Rainier National Park
 I'd like to be able to exercise to keep my body in shape

And here's Annabelle's list ...

• I'd like to learn calculus.
• I'd like to see the Grand Canyon.
• I'd like to be able to roller skate well.

I like their lists.

PARTY ON: We celebrated New Years Eve in a very fun way - watching "Drunk History" on Comedy Central.

Even though we love laughing and love history, for whatever reason, we've never watched the show before. Well, we righted that wrong Dec. 31, binge watching 8 or so episodes! 

We learned about amazing people we've never heard about before (for instance, Dorothy Fuldheim, an amazing TV news journalist), and learned more about people we've heard about. I mean, who knew about Harriet Tubman leading military raids on Confederate camps? And the story about Andrew Jackson working with pirate Jean LaFitte was amazing. And who knew children's author Roald Dahl's efforts was a spy in World War II?

We also learned lots more about Satchmo, Muhammad Ali's conscientious objection, the creation of the Los Angeles Police Department and the LA aqueduct. I think my favorite lesson might have been about the birth of the term "Banana Republic." So interesting!!!

You can (and should!) watch full episodes here: http://www.cc.com/full-episodes/j2m3au/drunk-history-new-jersey-season-3-ep-302

WALK THIS WAY: Though it was a bit chilly out, we managed a couple of cool walks over the weekend.

We checked out the snow-capped Olympics beyond Puget Sound.

 And we admired Mt. Rainier and a super smooth Puget Sound.

We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.