Bridge, couple, teddy bear

Postcard from postcardlover29 from the USA
Description: Sacramento. Aerial view looking down Capitol Avenue from the Tower Bridge to California's State Capitol.


Postcard from Ludasik from Russia


Postcard from Katuxa994 from Russia

Rocking horse, puppy, sleepy girl, paper doll

Postcard from Dendulinka from the Czech Republic


Postcard from lunastella from Germany


Postcard from BubLik from Russia


Postcard from Miraal from Finland.


We also got some stickers and a fun reflector to wear on your coat.

Mole and snail, Jip and Janneke, angel, Syringa and kisses

Postcard from lily_of_the_valley from Germany


Postcard from SophieR from the Netherlands
Description: Jip and Janneke


Postcard from Ulla_Maijia from Finland


Postcard from i8nutella from the United States
Description: Syringa - The Latin name is Philadelpus Lewisii. The first known recording of its existence was by Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The plant grows as a shrub and thrives in almost any condition. The bloom of this shrub has a very distinct orange-citrusy fragrance.


Postcard from elorah from France

Tea, leftovers, puppies and Romanian sites

Postcard from Kamikochi from Japan
Description: Tea shop card


Postcard from lostinindonesia
Description: Handmade care made from leftover postal papers


Postcard from Cok from the Netherlands


Postcard from Zgabel from Romania
Description: Clockwise from upper left: Constanța Casino, Sibiu Central Plaza, Romanian Athenaeum - Bucharest, Putna Monastery and Bran Castle

Candy, angel, beach and Christmas

Postcard from Waldkus from Germany


Postcard from CreatievEsther from the Netherlands
Description: Handmade angel


Postcard from Winni from Germany
Description: Typical roofed wicker chair on beach in Northern Germany


Postcard from evitasr from Lithuania
Description: Christmas time

Wally and Heidi, handicrafts, stamps, light rail and flowers

Postcard from Juuth27 from the Netherlands
We found Wally! There are also nine fishing nets, two seahorses and a catfish and a dogfish hiding. Can you find them?


Postcard from purplemarvis from Switzerland
Description: Heidi!


Postcard from condorow from Germany
Description: Handicrafts exhibition


Postcard from Padrinos
Description: 20th century paintings on German stamps (III)


Postcard from mapcardcollector from the United Kingdom
Description: Light rail in Britain - Tyne & Wear Metro


Postcard from JohnS from the Netherlands

Postcards, postcards, so many postcards!

So, we sent a ton of postcards and then, just as they started rolling in, some super exciting life things happened, so they got put in a pile until I had time to sit down and register them. I remember saying this wasn't going to be a postcard blog, but it's leaning that way...stay tuned for an onslaught of postcard posts!

Postcard from Gaiasduhter from Germany
Description: Greetings from Bahern


Postcard from Tippex from Switzerland
Description: This is an illustration from the Swiss children's book, A Bell for Urshi.


Postcard from Ringa from Finland

Postcard from Standa from the Czech Republic


Postcard from Bombordina from Russia
Description: Russian pickles


Postcard from Inna_G from Ukraine
Description: "The hunger of stars - a keeper of desires"

Texas Wildflowers

The postcard blogging is back if nothing else…

Postcard from CarrieJo from the USA.

Wrapping up 2015

So...this used to be an annual thing...if I'm going to start blogging again maybe I should start with a tradition?

1. What did you do in 2015 that you’d never done before?
I'll have to get back to you on that one...

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don't make New Year's resolutions

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
A few friends had babies

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No

5. What countries did you visit?
Just this one

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
Our own home

7. What dates from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
No specific date...lots of big stuff happened and most of it happened over time not in just one day

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Sanity

9. What was your biggest failure?
No failures...not that I would call failures anyway

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just the standard colds and other assorted viruses

11. What was the best thing you bought?
New duvet covers for our bed and for J's

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Everyone who voted

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
dare I say it? Donald Trump

14. Where did most of your money go?
into our car

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Some new babies, some new jobs

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
Roar...Saturday morning dance parties were one song wonders!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
 a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
about the same, about the same, always richer...

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
playing with the girls

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
battling the world...but it had to be done

20. How did you spend Christmas?
quietly with les parents, teamhardcore, Alex and our girls

21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
Nope

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Downtown Abbey

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
no

24. What was the best book you read?
All the Light We Cannot See

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
J...or small pianist and singer

26. What did you want and get?
An awesome job opportunity

27. What did you want and not get?
Our own home

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Inside Out

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had a BBQ with some friends and my family...including both of my sister, Oncle Jado and my great-aunt and uncle. I'm just old enough

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Some stability

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
Concept? Needs help!

32. What kept you sane?
Deep breaths

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
none

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
This federal election

35. Who did you miss?
A number of people who are far away and/or in Vancouver

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Some parents of J's friends

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015.
Just keep breathing

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Change magic carpet ride to roller coaster ride:

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride

Procrastinator? Who, me?

Well, my announcement that I was back was clearly premature. But as always, when I have a million other things to do, I come back to blogging. This week coming up is so busy so of course I'm taking ten minutes to update my sorely neglected blog.

We are all happy to see the holiday season approaching...not just because we love Christmas but because it means 2015 is finally going away. It's been a roller coaster of a year and we are hoping that 2016 might mean some stability. We're heading into the end of two years of upheaval and while Alex and I will appreciate a more settled life, Miss J needs it in the worst possible way! Little C is quite content with her situation but she doesn't remember anything except our current life.

We've been on a crazy ride of gentle climbs with great views of the future that all of a sudden fall into steep drops that leave your stomach hanging somewhere at the top. But as Alex said to me the other day, good things are coming. And he was right. Less than 24 hours later we got some great news and it just kept coming.

This week I have two term papers and two finals and then I'm starting the Christmas baking and decorating and celebrating with my kids. And maybe I'll start blogging again (although I may have lost my readers!)...we are just starting year two of a huge life change and it is pretty amazing, even with all the ups and downs!

Back to the books!