Welcome 2013!

It's hard to get excited when we've been sick for the past three weeks. Just as we think we're getting better, Little Brother went down again followed by Big Brother shortly after.

We were all asleep by 10pm New Year's Eve.

Big Brother and I continued our New Year's Day tradition by joining ~50 other adults and kids at Sutter's Landing for a morning walk along the river. We crunched the still icy mud and watched for birds. Big Brother has been especially interested in dinosaurs lately so he made sure to point out all the "tracks" he could find.

Best way to start the new year!

Cookies to fuel the hike.

Sadly, the big guy's energy waned quickly and his temperature spiked shortly after the walk. He rode back home in the Peanut Shell, enjoying the cool air but coughing up a storm.

We haven't done much since. I got Tim to weigh the Mundo--a whopping 79 pounds!

Topping off the hanging luggage scale.

I also peeled up the trailer seats to get as much mold out and spray it all down with Bac-Out as suggested by some bikey friends. Thankfully, Chairot had the foresight to make the seats washable. It's looking much nicer now. The Peanut Shell also got a much-needed scrub down. The hay bale took a toll on the cushion but underneath it was even worse. There were entirely new life forms emerging from below. The straps and padding all joined the Chariots' in the wash. A nice, clean, new beginning for the new year.

There isn't much that I want to do differently for this year. I feel like we are on the right path and I am looking forward to continuing. Slowly, we are simplifying our lives, clearing out the clutter, and trying to make healthy choices. We will slip up from time to time but overall, we're doing okay.

All the best for 2013 from our family to you and yours!