• Mood: accomplished
• Music: Jack Savoretti—Back Where I Belong

RETROSPECTIVE

hristmas Day is here and I have a pocket of time in between all the items on the to-do list, so I thought I would sit down and fire off my yearly retrospective. I know it's a little early, but we are leaving super early tomorrow morning and I won't be back until after the new year, and I don't want to post my retrospective for 2015 in 2016!

We've had a lovely Christmas, with much time spent with Anders' family, celebrating his mom's birthday (and her return home), Christmas Eve with her yesterday and the whole family tonight for turkey dinner. I was the first up this morning, despite threats from the kids last night to wake us at 7 a.m. this morning...they were the slugabeds, and Anders and I had to prod them awake. Everyone liked their presents: among other things, Karin got a lovely black wool coat, Martin got the games he was wishing for and they both got new iPhones. Anders got a drone with a camera and I got a beautiful ring, a new much-needed bedside alarm clock and a 2016 calendar full of family photos that Karin designed.

Family & Personal Highlights of 2015

• Anders & Karin's ski trip to France
• Martin's class trip to Berlin
• Karin's team coming in third at Gothia
• Our 2-week summer family road trip to Prague, Vienna and Croatia
• Karin's first year of high school and getting accepted to the elite NIU soccer program
• Martin becoming editor of his school IB magazine
• Visit from Liz's high school friend Debbie
• Liz's revamp of lifestyle and eating habits after her diabetes diagnosis with a weight loss so far of 10.5 kilos
• Karin starting practice driving
• Anders' first hand-built single-speed bike

I read 86 books this past year, and will read at least 1, maybe 2 more, before the year actually ends...it's a lower amount than I've read most years: I totally blame the iPad.

Best books of 2015 (in no particular order and not including re-reads)

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• Through the Language Glass by Guy Deutscher
• Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
• Uprooted by Naomi Novik
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Martian by Andy Weir
• Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
• My Real Children by Jo Walton
• Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher
• About Grace by Anthony Doerr

I don't know why I don't keep track of the movies I watch but a few I enjoyed this year were Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian, Woman in Gold, Mr. Holmes, The Social Network and The Imitation Game.

Best musical discoveries of 2015

• Tuva and Mia
• Jess Penner
• Natalie Prass
• Erann DD
• Phoenix
• Future Islands
• Tristan Prettyman
• Ibadi
• Jack Savoretti
• Meiko

Some manageable goals for 2016

• KEEP walking and working on healthy eating!
• Trip to the US for the big celebration year
• Get Martin into driving school so he can get his license
• Kitchen renovation or fireplace addition
• Start singing and crafting again

We are so looking forward to our second week this year with John and Simone and the boys...this time with JOHN. :) Although we've been warned that there is no snow in southern Germany, we're hoping that those who wish will be able to do SOME skiing and we have discussed lots of other fun alternatives for things to do during our week. We will be spending New Year's Eve with them also, but I suspect with 2 very small children in the house, that we won't be out partying until all hours. I'm not sure if I'll be able to post until we return so I wish you a very, very happy New Year's!