Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas!



We managed to get a Christmas eve family photo after the evening church service
and we opened our secret pal presents that night. Julia got a tutu from Auntie Grace!
Julia was the first one up on Christmas morning, but didn't know what was going on. She caught on quickly though.
There was a little baby doll in her stocking and she was thrilled!
She was a little perplexed as to why there were things in big socks.
But she soon learned what opening presents were all about! (Thanks Caroline, for the scarf! I love merino wool!!!)
I gave Dave a rock! (but not just any rock, one with a fossilized shell in it that I found when we were camping on the coast)
Julia got fake money for her purse
and I got a beautiful copper saute pan and a Wustoff knife!!! (Thank you Dave!!!!!)
Grace made mom beautiful socks

Joe pretended to not be excited.
Julia got a tea set!
and a Chinese dragon hat! Presents went on and on, So many lovely thing!
Later that day we went over to my Aunt Christine and Uncle Mark's house where we ice skated (some of us had not been on skates in about 12 years and some of us had never been on skates before!) and then had a Christmas feast.




Dawn, Jack, Dave, Julia, Me, Grace, Christine, Mark, Justin, Jenna and Joey.



All in all, it was a lovely holiday and now it's over! I've spent the last few days packing and getting ready for moving to Alaska! We leave tomorrow morning for Mt Vernon, Washington for about a week spent with Grandma Gini and Grandpa Dave, and on the 7th, we fly to Anchorage.

potty update: right around when the family started arriving for Christmas, Julia started to have more accidents. It's continued at a rate of about 2 accidents per day and I'm not sure what to do about it except that hope that time resolves things. I fear that it will get worse before it gets better since we're about to subject Julia to much change.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Christmas surprise!

We went to bed last night all prepared to go get Dave from the airport in the morning, but who should burst through the door at 10 pm? Sure enough, he planned all along to take the train from Portland and my brother Joe was in cahoots about it. I had almost got Julia asleep when he arrived, and that put an end to bedtime for a good while! She was a little wary at first, but after 10 minutes she let him hold her and after 20 minutes they were wrestling on the ground. It was a good evening!!!! I was so wound up that I didn't fall asleep until 3 am! Now Daddy's here, Julia is happy and it's Christmas eve and the pies are cooling and the lamb is marinating for dinner and cookies are being cut out.
An early Christmas present, a quilt from my Granny!

and another early present, a wood block print from China via Anna!

Daddy!!!

cookie making
and pie!!! (pumpkin and cranberry-sage)

Friday, December 23, 2011

Tree Trimming

Olaf and Loki and Julia were eager participants in the tree hunting

We got a $5 permit from the forest service and went out to cut our own.

the winner, tall and narrow with lots of room between the branches! (we've rather unusual taste in Christmas trees)






Getting it straight

Adding the star




Julia was very helpful in decorating




It was my wedding anniversary and Dave sent me roses by mail!

finished!  
and I finished a dress I was sewing for Julia. A semi-invented pattern, and I was trying to make it reversible, but was foiled when it came to attaching skirt to top. Oh well. I'm pretty pleased regardless!