photo © 2004 Alfonso Surroca | more info 
My first day of winter vacation was filled with the kind of quietness I've learned to love. The morning -- a frosty but sunny one -- had a hushed atmosphere to it as Jaimie and the kids and I did our best to slowly set the day in motion. We had a lazy breakfast in the "great room" as the fire fed the room with some heat, and then the morning just passed peacefully by. Noah and I went to several stores to purchase Christmas candles and suchlike, and around noon Jaimie gave us all the gift of grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. The afternoon came and went in a restful way. Even when we went out in the freezing weather so the kids could get some exercise on the trampoline, there was a sense of no hurry, no need to scream and shout. All seemed soft and undisturbed, even Ava's and Noah's unrestrained bouncing.