Hellllloooooooo 2016! Â We ended 2015 with a bang, with snow and champagne and fireworks.
Since Juliette’s daycare was open on New Years Eve but Shane and I both had the day off, we dropped the kiddo at school and reveled in our freedom by heading to the mountains with Jason and Nance for a day of cross-country skiing.
![20151231 cross country1 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20151231-cross-country1-sm.jpg)
It was cold out there, but clear and absolutely gorgeous.
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And once I found my stride and really got going, the numbness in my fingers and toes waned. Â I can see why Shane has fallen in love with this sport – it’s hard work, but also invigorating and kind of soothing.
![20151231 cross country4 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20151231-cross-country4-sm.jpg)
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We made it as far as this serene lookout over Keechelus Lake…
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Which seemed like a perfect place to pause and toast with a little tipple from Shane’s flask.
![20151231 cross country11 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20151231-cross-country11-sm.jpg)
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Once we’d caught our breath, we headed back toward the car, making good time on the return leg – I was kind of getting the hang of this skiing thing!
![20151231 cross country12 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20151231-cross-country12-sm.jpg)
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Made it!
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We warmed ourselves with lunch at Kukai ramen in Bellevue on the way home and then squeezed in a quick couch doze before heading out to pick up Juliette and then hit the beach. Â Brian and Nicole were bonfire-ing over at Alki and that seemed like a perfect place to watch the sun go down on 2015.
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The Rust clan came over for dinner and we partied hard until about 8:00. Â That champagne I mentioned earlier? Â We cracked open the bottle at 7:30. Â And those fireworks? Â I vaguely remember hearing them around midnight, as I rolled over in bed and sleepily muttered “it’s tooooo loud!” Â We’re wild, I know.
Speaking of wild, though, there are hundreds of crazies that jump into the freezing cold Puget Sound from Alki beach every New Years morning! Â Shane, Jules, and I decided to head over there Friday morning to watch the show.
![20160101 alki plunge1 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160101-alki-plunge1-sm.jpg)
And to cheer on Jason and his sister. Â I suspect these two might have a slight adrenaline addiction.
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Gosh, they’re fun, though!
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Brian and Nicole were also there, but we’d missed seeing them take the group plunge.  I joked that I really wanted a group pic, which apparently was all the incentive they needed to jump right back in!
![20160101 alki plunge7 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160101-alki-plunge7-sm.jpg)
Nuts, I tell you.
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We went back to Jason and Nancy’s with the Polar Bears for hot coffee and treats – we’ve been brunching at their house on New Years day for a few years running now.  But this was the first time baby E joined the mix!  Juliette was very excited by the prospect of holding a real, live baby doll.
![20160101 new year sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160101-new-year-sm.jpg)
We passed the rest of the day at home, mellowing out after a couple of busy days.  Shane and I spent the evening talking about the year to come, planning vacations and making goals, building anticipation and excitement about what 2016 may hold.
Like…more snow days! Â We loaded the sled and our snow gear into the car yesterday morning and set out for Hyak. Â It was another gorgeous day in the mountains, but also super-duper cold. Â Jules tolerated the biting wind for about five minutes…
![20160102 hyak sledding1 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160102-hyak-sledding1-sm.jpg)
And then didn’t want to do anything but nuzzle into Daddy’s chest.
![20160102 hyak sledding2 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160102-hyak-sledding2-sm.jpg)
We tried to shake it off, but this picture says it all…
![20160102 hyak sledding4 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160102-hyak-sledding4-sm.jpg)
Shane and I each had a couple of fun runs on the sled, and Jules was a good sport, but it wasn’t long before we packed it up and called it a day. Â We’ll give the snow another go on a 30-degree-plus kind of day.
![20160102 hyak sledding3 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160102-hyak-sledding3-sm.jpg)
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This kid was done.
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But man, she sure perked up once we were all tucked into the car with hot cider and snacks! Â A blanket, a banana, and a warm drink, and she was exclaiming, “that was fun, mama!”
![20160102 hyak sledding9 sm](http://www.littleblackjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/20160102-hyak-sledding9-sm.jpg)
Cheers to 2016. Â It’s going to be good.
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