Here’s to One Love!
Hope.
Peace.
Purpose.
Happiness.
Togetherness.
Connectedness.
Stillness.
Wisdom.
Health.
Being.
Love.
One.
nAMaster BeLoveRs
Tag Archives: Happiness
Took Our Time
Today we took our time to begin another adventure. We slept in and drank coffee while looking at the newspaper. Afterwards, Jeff and I worked out and showered and got dressed for the day and began packing and cleaning. I have to tell you that it felt so good not to rush and to not let stress in. This is the best way to travel.
We all worked together packing bags and cleaning and loading the car. We stopped on the road when we felt like it, ate a snack in the middle of the day and truly enjoyed our car ride. The kids had their headphones on and it was quiet and peaceful in our living room on wheels.
Life is good.
Happy Eve before New Year’s Eve!
Playing and Exploring at Stanford
Here I am. There You are!! How are you? I hope you’re enjoying the last few days of 2015.
Here I am, playing and exploring and relaxing with my family this afternoon on the Stanford campus, downtown Palo Alto and at home sweet home. I want to share with you some of the beautiful and fun things we discovered while wandering and exploring and geocaching.
The oval.
Gorgeous light on a naked tree in a green field. 
Exploring the new arts building.
Gorgeous planters around campus. 
Exercise as play. 
Charlie found the smallest geocache ever and was so proud and excited!
Playing with shapes.
Hoover Tower as the sun went down.
Playing together at home.
Life is good.
Happy almost New Year. Wishing you lots of love and peace!
nAMaste
Sweetness
This is just one of the sweet things I enjoyed today that made me smile. It’s an Oreo Pizookie and it’s the sweetest thing that hits that ooey-gooey yummy spot!
I wish I didn’t love food as much as I do, but I do!
Julie made me a delicious sandwich today and I think it tasted so good because she made it for me. Have you ever noticed that something you can make for yourself tastes so much better when someone else makes it for you? I think there’s a love additive they add.
And one more food story, just to see if you’re hungry yet…I was the lucky one who got to finish off the last few bites of the Christmas Gruyere au gratin potatoes with arugula and bacon. Mmm…was all you could hear and I couldn’t see anything because my eyes were closed, as I savored and enjoyed the decadent moment. They were that good!
The other sweet things had nothing to do with food.
We took down all the Christmas clutter and my house feels spacious again. I love Christmas decorations and I love putting them all back in the attic again before New Years.
The final sweetness involved spending time with friends. We were so thankful that our Dutch friends chose to come see us again before flying back home tomorrow. We loved having them here and fondly remembering our time living abroad, so thankful that we made lasting friendships. Thank you J, S and B for coming by and for dinner. We love you guys! Tot ziens.
Sweet dreams.
xo
Determination
You know how they say to see the gifts in a person versus seeing what bugs you?
I just have to share how much I love Charlie’s determination and clearly knowing what he wants and being able to advocate for himself consistently and repeatedly until he gets what he wants. He is an excellent planner and negotiator and I truly admire him. 
Congratulations on selling your Dutch bike and saving your Christmas and birthday money to finally buy your Fixy bike the day after Christmas.
I’m excited for you and am glad your dream finally came true. I hope you love being outside and riding for hours.
I wonder what you’ll dream up next. Oh, the anticipation!
What are you determined to create or bring into your world?
nAMaste
Christmas – Break?
We are staying home for Christmas and I have these sweet dreams of what it will be like, having us all together in our “cabin.”
Let’s just say the dreams in my head are different than my reality.
Our timing is off. Our desires are different. Our levels of cooperation aren’t in sync. This is our happily ever after?
We made a nice dinner for just the 5 of us. I was so happy that we weren’t in an airport or freezing in the snow or stuck in the car for a long journey. I felt thankful and was looking forward to watching a movie together or playing a game or going out to see the Christmas lights.
That was until our boys started arguing and the little one wouldn’t stop making noise. The disagreements continued and the discussions ended in frustration and the boys were dismissed to their rooms for the night. No movies. No games. No light shows.
I guess I got a break from them, but this wasn’t the Christmas break I dreamed about. I am enjoying the quiet though. There’s always a chance for a do-over tomorrow. I just wish they could learn before they cross over my patience threshold.
I hope they learn before the break is over because I really want us to all just get along and hang out and live it up, together.
Wishing you peace.
xo Adriana
Photo Booth Fun
I absolutely get a kick out of these every time. I love being silly and watching my family and friends be crazy, wild and free too. It’s good for my soul.
Thank you R&D for hosting a fun and festive Christmas party this past weekend. We definitely lived it up!
I hope you get a laugh out of our silliness too and make time to play with your beloveds.
xo namaste
Amazed
I don’t often feel amazed anymore by the newness of life, as I’ve been there, done that.
However, tonight I felt amazed while I straightened Juliana’s curly hair and helped to put on her makeup for her first formal high school dance. She looked gorgeous and grown up and I was amazed.
I was thankful that she was going with a great group of friends and that her friend’s mom graciously agreed to host a formal dinner for 11 girls and invited me to assist.
It was a beautiful evening and I loved seeing all the little girls dressed like gorgeous young women, looking very grown up, ready to dance and live it up. It’s their time to shine and they did. I was so happy to observe and to be part of their celebration, as a witness to time passing right in front of my eyes.
Life is good, even if my baby girl is really growing up after all.
nAMaste
Christmas Cards
I still love the Christmas and Holiday card sharing tradition, even though we have social media and instant updates. Do you?
Do you send cards? Do you enjoy receiving cards? I do. I do.
I absolutely love this tradition and love it even more now that Juliana has been helping me. We have a Google Doc that we update every year keeping our addresses current and I love how organized the process has become. She likes to hand write the addresses and stuffs the cards inside the envelopes for me. She keeps them in alphabetical order and has them ready for me to see and touch, stamp and seal.
As I touch each card, I spend a moment thinking of the person or family that the card is going to and reflect on our relationship and connection and say a prayer for them. It’s a little sacred moment that I truly enjoy.
Thank you for your cards, thoughts and well wishes – whether digitally or physically. I love the anticipation of waiting for the cards to arrive each day and seeing and opening your cards. The kids know how much I love this and even though they want to open them, they wait for me to do it and watch. We hang them up on our kitchen wall so that we can all enjoy the lovely faces and friendships and recall stories of how we know one another. I love seeing how families grow up and change so magically from year to year.
Wishing you love and light and a Merry Christmas in only 5 more days.
nAMaste
Surprise Visit
My friends from Holland happened to be in the Bay Area this week. I knew they were in town through our kids, as they were sending each other snap chat stories, Instagram updates and iMessage texts. I love social media and how it makes our world a little more connected and smaller after all.
I was busy working when I received a Facebook Messenger notification from their mama, telling me she was at the Winchester Mysyery House, 15 minutes away. I knew I had to see her somehow.
They decided to pop in to our house for a quick hug and cup of coffee before continuing on with their vacation.
I was so happy to see them here in my space and to hear what they liked about an American house, just like the movies! They liked the squirrel running across the backyard fence and noticed the basketball hoop in the driveway. They liked seeing the garbage truck drive by and our little row houses in the neighborhood.
I just loved having them sit on my couch, near the Christmas tree and sharing stories and laughter once again. It felt just like it did back in Holland and was a gezellig little visit, just much too short.
I hope we get to see them again before they head back home. The kids were so sad to not be home for their quick visit.
Thank you Jessurun’s for taking the time to stop by! We miss your family and you made my day. Hope you enjoy the rest of your journey around the West Coast.
nAMaste
here i am 