Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Delish!

I really, really enjoy food blogs, especially when they're well designed and simple enough to carry out on my own without a billion ingredients!

Lately I've been reading smitten kitchen and I enjoy her regular posts AND the ability to easily search the archives based on certain ingredients. Tonight I tried the apple pancakes/latkes. Oh my, they were delicious. They were a great opportunity to break out the new cast iron skillet I got for christmas!

Sunday, December 27, 2009

knit tastic!

I have one more glorious week of break left, YES!
and then it's back to the working/learning world for me...

until then, i've been trying to get back on track in the knitting department. although my camera sucks and this hat wasn't everything i ever wanted it to be, i'm still happy that i got something cranked out beyond tara's bag!

i'm hoping to start on some socks soon w/my sock club yarn!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Xmas w/the fams!

We made it back to see the fam and are already back home!

It was great to see everyone, but it's also great to be home and to have a bit of a break! Our trip back was a bit of a whirlwind tour--since our parents are divorced on both sides and we only had five days, each parent got one day with an extra day for travel. I got most loved ones squeezed in on this trip, but hope to get back again next year (for the fair, perhaps??) before the holidays.

We had a great time with the in-laws. This year, christmas coincidentally fell on grandparent audition day--miles' cousin needed a babysitter in a pinch so MIL volunteered to watch 3yr (4? I'm pretty sure he was 3) Ethan, who was a total doll.

We quickly put him to work passing out, then helping us open, all the gifts.



He helped me open my birthday gift as well!
Favorite quote of the night, (sharon), "I don't know if you've noticed, but MIL would make a very good grandmother....and I'm getting older and would like to be a great grandmother someday...you never know if my next fall will be my last!". I like all all pretense of subtlety has faded. My FIL, on the other hand, instructed us to decorate our home with the avoid the stork coasters from the bar. I think between the sides we got a measured perspective, although I'm not sure how both parties will up the ante for the next holiday season!



Then Sharon gave me a sweet snuggie to do some studying in. I'm pretty excited to break it out.



Jas and I had a couple hours, and some tacos :), together. It was great that our trips back overlapped. Love you Jas!



We hung out at lunch, then at my dad's place, where he got to open some of his presents a bit early. I really like snapping inappropriate candids of people when they don't know I'm taking their pictures. My dad, however, is NEVER surprised. It doesn't matter how sneaky I am, he always poses! He's so good. It was nice seeing him, and we're hoping he'll come to visit before we move again in 5 years. (He needs a bit of lead time).



Before seeing my dad and jas, we had xmas with the boys. (I forget that the photos always upload in the opposite order you select them, so we're moving backwards)

Some indivdiduals, ahem *ballerina*, enjoy mucking up photos. I finally got one decent-ish one, but when I asked them to pose nicely, this is what I got. Jerks.
Oh well, I think this pretty much sums them up.


Speaking of people who easily tire of photos....can you tell who's slightly tired of me following him around? I think I may have interrupted a saber battle at this point and had to quickly scoot out of the way.



Andrew, however, is much more tolerant of photographic opportunities.
And, he looks more and more like his dad everyday! (sorry christobel, i meant to get a group photo and totally forgot!)....however there is a pic of all of us on your camera that i'd LOVE for you to send to me!!



In all, we had a great time back and we miss you all. However, it is nice to have our own xmas thing up here as well :)

Monday, December 7, 2009

Fun Weekend Before My Impending Doom

So this weekend was amazing! We went and chopped down a tree...and by 'we' I mean I chopped down a tree! The place was very dog friendly and just a lot of fun. They give you a little hand-cart-turned-wagony thing to pull behind you--I momentarily thought about having Percy ride in it, but I didn't think he would enjoy that experience.

Otherwise, the weekend wasn't too exciting beyond our putting-up-the-tree experience: we bought a tree and miles bought a 'tree bag' for it--since the person in line told him to buy it. so, he buys the bag, and then you have to put the tree IN the bag and then in the tree stand. so, we do that and then decide that it isn't going to work because how will we water the tree? i ripped enough of the bag to poke the tree through the bottom so it can get water. miles goes to get a pitcher and fill the base up. he wasn't paying attention to what he was doing and is just pouring away. suddenly, he hears a weird splash. he thinks to himself how odd that splash sounded and, of course, kept pouring water. only THEN does he realize that he's actually been pouring water into the bag and overflowing the base! so, now our floor and the bag are covered in water and pine tree needles. *sigh* it was hilarious in an i-cant-believe-you-are-nanie sort of way. ahh, marriage :)

Now, it's the end of the semester and the stress is ON! I have three more papers to write and none of them are in any condition to show to others. AND only EIGHT DAYS until we head back to visit the fam. YIKES. Better get rolling on this one...

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Dec 2

Ok, week 1 of the new plan obviously failed.

However, I feel my excuse is pretty good: we were in the BAHAMAS!

We did fun things like sit in giant chairs,


swim with sharks (except me 'cause i'm a chicken),


and be generally lazy while boating around!


hope your turkey day was equally fabulous!

also, my bday was spectacular. it was great waking up in the bahamas, even if it was to catch my flight back!