Christmas 2013

Well, it's been almost a year since I updated this blog. I'm surprised that I can still log on! I really am glad I wrote all the past posts because I wasn't on Facebook back then and blogs were a pretty good way to stay in touch. I like looking back to those posts.
I am not super active on Facebook either but it is nice to go to other people's pages and see photos. I have an iPad now...birthday present from the family, so I guess I'm officially part of the tech crowd now.
This past year has been a good one. Major events:
Trip to Oahu with Chelsie, Michael, Teresa, and Lainey...so great! We enjoyed being together, cooking in the condo, going to Hanauma bay and the swap meet, even swam with dolphins!

 
 Mom Martin was with us from May-July. We had a 3-day a week care provider come and help. Mom liked her. She went to Annette's in August and just now is heading down to Jeri's.

The Big event was when Polina's family came from Russia to see her graduate from PA school! They spent time with us at the cabin and I will always cherish that time with them!

 
Polina and Jasper on graduation day!





Polinka and Alexander in Yellowstone.

We went to Yellowstone, wade lake, a little boating on island park reservoir, and to the graduation in Pocatello.
Fall was beautiful this year, very warm, very colorful! We finished our porch over the summer and really enjoyed our evenings out there in the fall.
Winter has descended with a vengeance though! No porch time right now:(
Kathy came to visit us this past week and brought her precious little baby girl Genevieve! We had a wonderful time catching up, shopping, getting pedicures, and playing with the baby. I hated to see her go home but real life must always win.

The ladies brunch was another success this year! We made table center pieces with real greenery and flowers, they all turned out beautifully. This is a picture of the family members we had at the Ladies Brunch.

Christmas was here with our family. So lucky to have each of them in Boise and a huge part of our lives!

What's up with this blog page?

2012 was a challenging year for me and I decided that posting on this blog was something I could give up for a while. Nothing bad happened to me or anything but I have been struggling with my own time management. 

We had mom Martin with us until the end of November and I was trying to manage her medications, doctors visits, home care, my work, trips we took to the cabin, the holidays...before I knew it, it was the end of the year and I am shaking my head as to where all the time went. But it did go. That's the funny thing about time. It doesn't care if you are too busy to notice it.

I took mom to Yellowstone one day in September just to look at the fall colors and have a little picnic. She loved it. This is just before we closed up the cabin for the winter.

I also got to go down to Salt Lake to attend Kathy’s baby shower! She is expecting a little girl in January 2013 and I am so excited for her and Topher! They have been longing for a child for years now.

I guess a Christmas letter would have been good, just to sum up the year. I got a few of those through email this year and I think that's a good idea. This blog is kind of meant to keep track of all my comings and goings, activities, etc. But when you leave off for several months, it's hard to catch it up.

I will figure it out for the next post. But for now, I hope 2013 will be a good year for us as a family. I've kind of given up on it being a good year for the country. All I can do is the best I can for my very small circle of family and friends. Not to be "Debbie Downer" or anything...but it helps to just draw my focus in a little bit and try to concentrate on what I can control. See you in the next post!