So much for trying to outsmart blogspot!

I was going to be so smart and add the last pictures first so that they would appear in the order I wanted them to...namely chronologically. But the blog software must have changed such that now, the pictures appear as you add them in that order. Oh well, you will just have to hear all this in reverse chronology (?). what ev...

Christmas day, 2011...set the table for a relaxing dinner with Kevin and the kids (sans Polina, who is in Russia right now, visiting her parents). Jasper couldn't join her this time, hence the five place settings. We ate and played poker...Jasper won. But then he was the guy who brought the poker cards and chips...hmmm. Bet they were rigged somehow... I like to take a picture of the table each year to maybe get ideas for next year.

This is what I made for dinner on Christmas. I'm kind of proud of it because I made it up myself. It's basically whole wheat pizza dough with a cheesy tasting sauce (no dairy) topped with herbs, spices, and a potato/onion mixture. You put all that down the middle of the rolled out crust and then fold the dough over it and top it with prepared honey mustard and more spices...baked. Viola! It turned out really well and I will make it again for sure.

Time warp...Christmas celebrated 1 week earlier...still with me? We went up to a cabin (not THE cabin) in Tamarack, which is about a two hour drive from Boise. Polina was leaving to go to Russia on Dec 20th so we wanted to have an early Christmas with her. We tossed around some ideas and came up with renting one of the many wonderful cabins in Tamarack (a defunct ski resort development that still rents out vacation homes) for the weekend. We got up there and were blown away by how beautiful this cabin was...so comfortable and so nice! Four bedrooms, three baths, hot tub, fireplace, etc. We had every intention of cross country skiing like Polina wanted to do, but there wasn't much snow yet. We ended up taking some walks and spending time in the hot tub.

We set up a Christmas tree and everything! Here is Kevin in front of the beautiful fireplace (he built the fire, of course). We didn't have real ornaments for the tree so we tied a bunch of gift tags on it. It turned out cute.

Here is Polina hanging out in the kitchen area helping with dinner.

Jasper brought his computer so here are Kevin, Polina, and Jasper looking at something in the dining area. I think they were trying to find a movie to watch later on...

Chelsie and Michael helped with dinner that first night (and other nights too!) In fact Michael and Kevin made our dinner the second night by themselves because I had a slight headache (wink wink...) no I really didn't feel well. They did a great job :)

We stayed for two nights and then had to get home. It was a really relaxing way to spend Christmas...first of all...a week early so we didn't have to mingle with all the last minute craziness we saw all around us this past week. Secondly, a nice get away not too far from home but with the things we love like cabins and fireplaces and fresh mountain air. I'm thinking this could turn into a nice tradition! Next time there may be enough snow to ski or snowboard.

Time warp again! I threw my annual Ladies Brunch on December 4th this year and we made cupcakes! it was so fun. There were about 10 of us this time just eating and decorating and getting little candy sprinkles all over. Here is the finished product. Everyone got to take a box home to give as a gift or just to eat. I totally fell in love with these little silver boxes from Michaels Craft. It's the only thing that could make transporting cupcakes even possible.

Here is Chelsie with her 1950's housewife impression of domestic skill. She is such a pill! We had a blast!

My friend Nettie with her box of cupcakes...so cute! Everyone's turned out really great.

Kind of a funny story though. At the end of the party, Chelsie's sis-in-law Makinzee was leaving and had to put on her coat so she asked Chelsie to hold her cupcake box. There were a couple of extras on top in a plate made of foil. Chelsie held the box for her and when she went to hand it back, it tipped and Chelsie tried to catch it. The momentum from trying to catch it sent the loose cupcakes right down the front of Makinzee's white coat! Oh my gosh...should have seen the look on Chelsie's face! No harm was done to the coat though! I think I laughed for five minutes...

Well, that's my December! Backwards but still understandable I think. I am pretty sure I was able to come up with at least a post a month this year. I do regret not posting more but I at least can feel good about the ones I got written.

Next year we already have some exciting plans. I will be visiting my mom and Jeri down in Arizona in January. Our mom has parkinson's and has gone to stay with Jeri for the time being. I will get to help her for a little bit of time and see how she is settling in there.

February takes Kevin and me to Hawaii again! Kevin's mom, Cathy, and his sister Teresa will be going with us again and that always makes for a great trip. This will be the third time the four of us have gone together. We will be staying in a condo right off Waikiki beach. I will post from there once we get settled. My friend Kathy and her husband Topher will be there at the same time. We will both be attending a conference there for continuing education credits for anesthesia.

January and February might see some significant changes to the cabin up in Island Park since we will have a young married couple living in it and working on it. That is the plan so we hope it works out. That would mean that we will almost have the whole inside done!!!!!

June or maybe September Kevin may have to travel to Italy for work again and I may have to go with him this time! Lots of trips to Island Park (every chance we get, of course)...hoping to catch the huckleberry harvest this time...missed it last year..

And then it will be the holidays again...cross that bridge later.