2012....

....ended on a very high note!  We spent a really nice week in Seattle for Christmas.  It was so much fun hosting a great group of friends for a holiday dinner, cheering on the Seahawks as they beat the 49ers, and just having a bit more time to spend with family and our dear friends.

We came back to SF for 36 hours (just enough time to unpack, do laundry, and re-pack), then spent an amazing week in St. Lucia for New Years.  Our time in St. Lucia was filled with laying around reading, enjoying the sun on our skin, admiring the gorgeous views and lush landscape, drinking delicious island rum, eating some great (and not-so-great) food, and loving our quality time with Peter & Rose.  

Some other highlights of the trip:

• The boys went scuba diving and saw some cool fish
• Visiting a sulphur volcano (stinky!),
• and a waterfall (of sorts), 
• Playing our new favorite charades game, "Shappy Chapeaux"
• Walking through the town of Soufriere, following a man who took us to the local fisherman where we bought a whole tuna, then watched him butcher it for us with a giant machete.
• Our lunch at Jade Mountain
• The crazy narrow, unpaved winding roads, that always seemed to be at the edge of a cliff (thanks to Peter for driving the whole time- being that St. Lucians drive on the opposite side of the road)
• A luxurious visit to get massages at the Rainforest Spa (the spa was set up to look like a village of tree houses)
• The soft sand, the beautiful blue water, the impressive Pitons, and the breathtaking sunsets.
• Spending a whole week with Peter and Rose, who we don't get to see often enough, but love to pieces.

This was the view of the Pitons from the house we stayed in.  The house was amazing.  Two floors, both wide open to this view.  I never once missed not having a TV.  :)  Not for a second. 

The living room

The polished hardwood floors were gorgeous, and virtually the entire house had these floors.  The hammock was quite nice as well, and on the left side of the photo is the pool area.

The pics above and below are from Anse Chastanet, which was the beach closest to us.  It was about a 10-minute walk or 2-minute drive from our house.

Sugar Beach  

Jade Mountain

The coolest infinity pool at Jade Mountain

The sulphur volcano

Our home for the week- Villa La Bagatelle