I'm Big on Little Rock: Wrapping up Christmas Break

I just realized that I didn't put the finishing touches on our extra long Christmas break in the Rock Town!  Let's go back to where we left it.  On New Years Eve my mom, Alli, and I went to Pinnacle Mountain to get Alli out of the house.  It was actually a warm day (and by warm I mean not freezing) so we had a great time playing on the new playground equipment and even taking a walk.  I can't tell you how many times I went to that park as a child, so it's always so much fun to take Alli on the same nature trail and visitors center.

Alli was pretty excited to actually hike the mountain, so we promised her we'd come back the next day.  That evening, Ryan and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary at the Packet House, which is a really old house that overlooks the river.  We had a four course meal, and I got the wine pairings too.  Fabulous!  

The next day I was anxious to get the New Years resolutions off right, so I went on a three mile walk with Dad followed by hiking Pinnacle with Ryan and Alli.  The views were amazing, and spending day one of 2014 conquering a mountain?  I can't think of anything more symbolic than that!

That evening, Mom made an awesome roast with mashed potatoes and of course black eyed peas.  Even Alli ate some, so good luck is sure to be ours this year.  And Riley got to be held by her Nini.  Sometimes I wish I were still small enough for Nini to hold me.

We spent the next several days working and working out, and then Saturday we took Alli to Altitude, which is a new trampoline park in Little Rock.  It was awesome.  There was a foam pit that we could jump into, a dodgeball court, and trampolines on every available surface.  We could hardly keep up with Alli - she was literally bouncing off the walls.

Sunday morning, Ryan drove back to Fayetteville in the snow, but we Lowe girls stayed on in Little Rock due to some unforeseen circumstances.  We made the best of it and spent lots of time with my parents.  Alli and Riley are nuts about their Diddy and Tata.

We had to get back to reality last Tuesday night, and I finally got my Christmas stuff down Saturday (horror of horrors) so that I could go back to judging people who hadn't done it yet.  I'm really terribly sad that the holidays are over because we had such a wonderful time with our family.  Blessed, blessed, blessed.  I can't say it enough.