We have been nearly a week at my parents’ house and except for an outing to Hobby Lobby we really haven’t left the house. Today I promised the kids they would get a surprise. I decided to take them to a nearby mall that has both a carousel and a train. I knew after a week of being inside they would love it.

It was a hit. The moment they saw the carousel, their eyes got wide. They just couldn’t wait to get on!

As many of you know, my sister and I practically grew up at our parents’ shops. Now that my husband is a wood finisher too, I get to see my children have some of those same experiences. Their eyes always light up when I tell them we are going to the shop. They squeal as we pull into the parking lot. When they get inside they love to explore and I love to watch them do it. Today was a magical visit with a moving dolly-train ride, a drying rack-castle adventure, and snack time on a bench.

Train Ride!

Train Ride with Naona

It’s a castle! This is the exact same rack my parents had when we were kids. So many hours were spent playing on this thing!

Snacktime!

She’s unhappy because I asked her to share the chair.

I wanted to take a moment to welcome you to Eating With Savages. Many of you followed our journey as a family during our 365 blogging challenge in 2015 at They Call Me Mommy. You were there during some pretty pivotal moments from moving into the first home we ever bought, to our oldest starting kindergarten. You watched as we grew and changed. You saw good moments and bad, but mostly I hope you saw honest moments, moments found deep in the trenches of marriage, parenthood, and family. Your encouragement throughout the year was invaluable, knowing that in the crazy, hectic, busyness of life, we were not alone. Thank you!

As we begin a new year, I am not committing to another 365, but I am committing to being here often. I love the idea of my children having a record of our lives as they grow up… the mundane and the exciting.

So I am cordially inviting you to join us as well. Check in when you can and comment as you choose. We are looking forward to 2016 and all it will bring!