one day

I have been thinking, this holiday season that I will spend in the arctic, of all the things I miss about home.  I have thought about it so much, that I have made a list of what I would do with just one day at home in Vancouver.

It would start with an early morning walk on the waterfront. Chilly as it might be, I would enjoy walking alongside a river that is flowing.  Then I would hit up the downtown Vancouver Starbucks, meeting my bestie, Sis D, for some coffee and a blueberry muffin, as well as the latest gossip.

Post caffeine and sweets with Lisa, I would drive to Barnes and Noble and spend about an hour choosing books, journals, and stationary to send to myself.  There would be Christmas music overhead, and I would smell those fresh books and be in reading heaven.  I would check to see if Anita Shreve or Lisa Genova have written anything new, and I would spend ridiculous amounts of time reading the backs of books at the bargain table.

From there I would head to the mall, bringing the kids along, to sit on Santa's lap, window shop and just enjoy the joviality and beautiful decorations that live in the mall this time of year. I would probably stop in at Bath & Body Works to stock up on Vanilla Bean Noel scented lotion and bubble bath, as well as yummy smelling hand soaps.  I would buy the boys new shoes, because they love shoes, and I would take them on the train and carousel, delighting in Wyatt's reaction to these new experiences.

Then I would take the kids home for naps (the mall wore them out- perfect!) and Josh and I would curl up on the couch, watching Love Actually or The Holiday while eating Panda Express (Hello Orange Chicken! Oh, how I missed your sweet face!) and drinking Sierra Mist. 

*The village has been out of Sierra Mist all month. I miss it!

In the mid afternoon, we would meet up with Julie and her boys, as well as my sister and her boys, to go to zoo lights.  We would ooh and ahh at the twinkling lights, enjoying the animals in the dark, and braving the cold train for the thrill of seeing the lights from above.  

We would follow our zoo light trip with a visit to Ice Cream Renaissance, ridiculous as it sounds after freezing our buns off, and we would delight in how adorable our eight (eight!?!) boys are, eating ice cream with whip cream and sprinkles and toppings delight!  I would have honey vanilla, bittersweet chocolate love affair and milk chocolate. Yes, that's right, three scoops. Plus warm fudge. Ooh, yummy!

 Then I would ask Josh, nicely of course, to take me on a date, just the two of us, pawning our adorable children off on my mother, who is dying to kiss their necks, ask them questions and see the three of them squeezed in her bath tub together, fighting over Matchbox cars.  He would comply, as would my mom, and we would go to Red Lobster.  We would sit, in the dimly lit dining room, ordering yummy drinks, like a cream & kahlua for me, and enjoying the calm atmosphere.

I would eat until I could hardly move- stuffing myself with Cesar salad, shrimp scampi, mashed potatoes, butter rolls and a Shirley Temple, because that's what I always have- and we would talk about how wonderful our children are, how lucky it is that we're still in love, and fight over who got control of the radio on the drive home. I will win, because he can't say no to me, even if he is sick of Christmas music.

He will get lucky, though, and his favorite Christmas song, Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Carol of the Bells, will be on, and we will both be happy.

Then we would pick the kids up, sleepy and in their jammies (thanks, mom) and take them up to Prune Hill in Camas to see the best Christmas lights in the land.  Because it just isn't Christmas until you've driven into a ritzy neighborhood to ogle their Christmas displays!

...

Peter, a fellow teacher out here, told me that a friend of his shared these brilliantly true words:

"Happiness is just a matter of deprivation followed by the restoration of what was missing."

Indeed!