For Christmas of 2015, Julia, Arthur and myself visited Grandma and Grandpa Buller in Virginia. We were there for about 10 days, covering both Christmas and New Years. We stayed in a suite in their basement that has been rented out in the past.
With a stairway up to the main floor, we all lived together for almost two weeks, and it was wonderful. Grandma and Grandpa took great care of us, nourishing our bodies, hearts and souls. Chef Grandpa made duck for Christmas dinner! Arthur played a lot in the kitchen, even helping Grandpa make cookies. Grandpa also took Arthur for a few rides on the lawn mower and Arthur loved it!
A hot water heater cardboard box had been saved to be used for a fort or house. Boy did Arthur enjoy the house that Uncle John and I cut into it. Arthur would take his stuffed animals in with him to keep him company.
The weather itself was very welcoming! Warm weather greater than 10 degrees Celsius kept us comfortable. We enjoyed driving around in the convertible with the top down a lot of the time.
Julia and I visited Twin Oaks again, an ecovillage that has been around for more than 50 years. The tour guide showed us a new ecovillage just starting up that Twin Oaks is helping to get off the ground. Cambia is suited specifically for families, supporting individual residences. A blog post is forthcoming about Cambia and what we experienced there.
On New Year’s Eve the whole family enjoyed Harrisonburg’s First Night. It was a train night for Arthur! At the Children’s Museum he rode a Thomas the Train ride and also played with other wooden trains that were the same as at his daycare. We walked around the square and Grandma bought donuts. A DJ started playing some music and that set the stage for a dance party. With all ages present, it was awesome to see kids and teenagers getting into the groove. Arthur saw the dancing, and couldn’t wait to get out of his stroller. Together, Arthur and I danced to Macklemore. (Stay tuned, I will be updating this post with video of Arthur dancing.)
Leaving the family afterwards was difficult for everyone. Grandma and Grandpa were terrific hosts, and tears were shed. There’s definitely something about Virginia that is very poignant.
From my family to yours, Happy New Year!