TRAVELS WITH MATTIE

Whoa you guys! I just found these on my camera from December. Total jackpot!  Some fun days at the park and Discovery Museum in Reno. Saw Mom at the airport. And the cabin feels like home.  Anni with the "giraffe" she made out of foam blocks at the Discovery Museum. It was abstract.  Two goobers at the Truckee River. Mattie looks REALLY pumped about this situation, right? Right?  She looks sweet. Then she steals your money and when you ask her about it she says "I'll buy you lunch at Taco Bell." That really happens. YETI AT THE AIRPORT!  Sometimes I can't even believe that we get to live in a Laughing Place. The warm cabin. A happy puppy. A calendar with a picture of the Eastern Sierras and the Alabama Hills. A map of the San Rafael Wilderness. This place is A-OK.  Our little home in the harsh Santa Barbara winter.  Love, again, Allison & Mattie (my little heartbeat)

Hi everybody (and ESPECIALLY Uncle Kevin!) --  We hope you're having a great 2014 so far!!! Mattie and I had a good/interesting/exhausting/beautiful Christmas break up around Reno, then a week in Utah for some skiing with Danielle and Cole (and we even got to see Hayley for New Year's Eve!).  Here's kind of how it went:  Mattie and I drove up some day around 12/10 after a nice night with Yeti and Dad. We got to Greg's after a freezing drive over Donner Pass. We got settled in and it was relaxing. We did some work, ate great food, and spaced out inside during a frigid week in Reno. We spent some time with Sid and Anni, picking them up from school and hanging out while Scott was at work. They're insane and I love them. We all went to paint ceramics together and did all kinds of arts and crafts. We tried a few walks outside with Mattie, but everyone quickly agreed it was too cold.  Total aside: one of Anni's new favorite phrases is "...I would...