The Year That Was 2010

January 2010: Cordelia and I


February 2010: Cordelia likes carrots


March 2010: Eric giving Cordelia her 1st driving lesson




April 2010: Working on Ella Stitchgerald, my sewing machine---a b-day gift.


May 2010: Eric and Cordelia. Eric turned 30


June 2010: Cordelia and I in Missoula




July 2010: The fam on the 4th


August 2010: Kissing Cousins




September 2010: Visiting SoDak


October 2010: Cordelia and Sam


November 2010: Cordelia and her Grandpa


December 2010: Cordelia with her Grandma

Snow Day

Winter is upon us and lest we become jealous of the storms out east we have been given a big snow storm here in Wyoming.

Yesterday was windy, really windy, there were ominous clouds lurking above the mountains. They rested there all day, darkening and looking meaner by the hour. Eric and I went and watched Black Swan (have you seen it?) and the storm still had not made its appearance. The temperature plummeted and night came, but no storm. We went to bed as the wind howled outside and our heater rumbled quietly inside.

Winter trees

I awoke in the night and there was silence. The kind of silence that happens only during snowfall. I didn't get up to check, but I knew the clouds had finally made their way over our town and were letting loose on us. Around five this morning I could hear the familiar sound of the snowplow scraping down our street.

Fresh snow

When the sky lightened I opened the curtains and sure enough we had a fresh covering of snow and it is still falling as I type, hot chocolate sitting next to me. The snow is supposed to continue for at least another day. We are prepared. We have a fridge full of fresh groceries and cold weather treats, we've got entertainment and projects galore.

Vegan hot chocolate

So we are going to spend the day indoors. We probably won't get out of our comfy clothes, if we even bother to dress. We will sit in front of the space heater to take the edge off after quick trips to take Bumblebee outside.

Holmes, our space heater

Cordelia is on the go, wearing her pajamas and getting into mischief. She is happy to have her parents around to entertain/entertain her.

Busy girl on the go


Cordelia and Bumblebee

My plans are to do a little cleaning, baking, sewing, art, play, listening to music and enjoying a day with my little family.

What is it like where you are?

About Her and Also a Bit About Moles...

I am regularly asked about my little girl and how she's growing and changing. Let me tell you she's been developing new skills, interests, quirks and charms on a daily basis! Today I thought I would cover a few of her new skills here.

She is talking a lot. He first sentence was, "I love you!" She has a large vocabulary at this point. I can't even count how many words she knows. She's learning new words every day. We are noticing that she is a bit shy when trying out a new word; she will blush and whisper each new word until she becomes comfortable with it.

The drama with the dog water dish continues. Last week she poured it over all over the kitchen floor (problematic because she immediately slips and wipes out--tears and wailing ensue) for the 9 qua-billionth time. I experimented with a little time out, about 30 seconds in her crib. When that was over we went back to the water dish. I pointed at the bowl and said, "No, no." She picked right up on this and started pointing and saying, "Nah nah." Now she does this quite regularly and since then she only poured it out once while wagging her finger and saying "Nah nah." She has even woken from a dead sleep wagging her finger and saying "Nah nah," before she even opens her eyes.

Most recently her father taught her the word mole. Oh man, now she likes to point at moles and proudly announce, "MOLE". We are just waiting for the first time she points out a mole on a stranger.
Reminds me of this...

A New Knitter

When I read the blogs of you bloggers out there around the world it seems as though many of you have a secret knitters club, apparently there is no crochet club, and you are kind of exclusive. You will nonchalantly mention that you are "casting on" or "binding off" and club members all understand the simple terminology. When I read that, you might as well post a foreign language. My eyes glaze over as I read through posts about knitting technique, method and stitch.

Well, those days are behind me my friend! For Christmas I received this magnificent book, almost the Rosetta Stone of knitting. Just look at the woman on the cover. She looks so pleased with herself and her ability to knit. Now that's self-confidence. I want a piece of that knitter's confidence.

Thanks to the very simple instruction I have cracked the code. OK, so maybe knitting isn't really all that mysterious considering that I was knitting within minutes and this book is just a normal knitting instructional book. I am also trying something different, a revolutionary idea really, I am reading the directions and not just looking at the pictures.

So now I am practicing, again and again before I move on to the next segment of the book. I think this is also a reflection of my personal growth because I tend to have no patience for practice; I am the type who dives into cold water rather than wading and the same goes for nearly everything in my life. I tend to get the gist of things and then just try and figure out the rest as I go along. Usually this kind of works for me, but I hear tell that there is a better way. So I am giving this instructional business my best effort.

The other night I watched (sang along with) The Sound of Music as I practiced my newly learned skills. I have yet to actually make anything since I am still practicing the basics, but I am sure it will come. I am developing my knitters muscles, because my hands are quite wimpy or else they've frozen into crochet position. Soon enough I will be whipping up booties, dog vests and hats with the best of them.

How did you learn to knit?

Holiday Low Down

Christmas Eve
Friday was Christmas Eve. Our usual Christmas Eve events unfolded as planned. We spent the day completing final preparations. We even ventured to the mall. Whoa, have you ever been there on Christmas Eve, it's cray-zay! Thankfully we were only there to get coffee and that was a speedy procedure.

We returned home for cleaning and getting gussied up (as they say in Wyoming). We had a Christmas Eve service at 5:30. So we had some snacks and got into our dress up gear. Now, I don't really consider myself a girlie-girl because I generally take about 15 minutes to get dressed for the fanciest occasions and 5 minutes on a normal day, but I really do like getting dressed up.

Cordelia with her pastor/Grandpa

We went to the candlelight service and Cordelia was obsessed with the lights on the tree. She was into the music and she was a bit noisy, but she's little it happens. After the service we took some photos and headed home.

Cordelia kissing the nativity while her gorgeous grandma looks on

Normally we go out for Chinese food, but this year we had it delivered. My parents and youngest brother Sam all came to our place and enjoyed some vegan Chinese food (sweet and sour tofu yummmm). Cordelia put on a massive cute show and we were all amazed at how well she was holding up past her bed time. The moment my family left she had a complete meltdown and fell fast asleep.

Eric and I watched Sixteen Candles and went to sleep.

Christmas Eve collage

Christmas Day
We woke up late Christmas morning, late meaning 8am-ah thank you ah very ah much! We opened a few gifts at our house before heading over to my parents around 9:30am.

Cordelia opening her gifts

We opened stockings. My mother still does stockings for all of her kids, it's kind of awesome. Then on to gift giving and merry making. Cordelia was thrilled by her gifts and their boxes. She enjoyed tearing the wrapping paper into tiny bits.

Bumblebee was really excited


So was Eric


So was I

After the awesome gift giving we had breakfast. My mother made vegan caramel rolls (oh yes they are so good). Then we headed back to our place with our loot for a little r & r. Cordelia napped and we began to go through our gifts. I tried out my new knitting book while Eric set up the Wii.

Eric showing Cordelia the dragon mask given to him by my brother Ben (thanks Ben).

Christmas collage

Later we went back to my parent's house and Eric helped Sam set up his weight bench while my mom and I worked on lunch (she did all of the work I just made tofurkey). We all ate until we were nearly ill and then we ate dessert.

Christmas dinner

Finally we returned home. Cordelia slept while Eric and I watched a movie. Then Cordelia got a holiday second wind (which lasted until nearly midnight) and enjoyed watching Eric and I play Wii.

A gift from my husband

The day was calm and lovely. How did you spend your Christmas?

One More Day

We had a lovely Christmas with the family. I am going to take one more day and I will be back with a full recap tomorrow.

How was your day?

Merry Christmas 2010!

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve. I love this day, full of anticipation, not much left for preparation. I hope you are happy today and that you have a beautiful Christmas day spent with those you love.

P.S. I just wanted to look at this picture again...

Christmas Eve Eve

When I was a wee little lass I always wanted to start celebrating Christmas early. First I thought Christmas Eve should be celebrated a bit more. We do a family dinner of Chinese food and sometimes we open a gift from one non-family member. Then I decided Christmas Eve Eve should be celebrated, nobody got on board with that. Boo. I was way into the 12 days of Christmas idea, although who really needs 10 Lords a'leaping?

Eric's childhood Christmas Stocking

Handmade Peruvian Christmas Ornament

Now that I am an adult I really prefer more of a slow build up to the holiday. The little details are where it's at now. Currently I am loving that each morning Cordelia runs into the living room and asks for the lights to be turned on (then she asks for a cracker).

Inherited Decorations

Today is the day to finish up last minute odds and ends. A few last minute gifts to be made and some sugar cookies to bake.

Inherited Nativity and table runner

What do you still have left to do?

A Day To Say Goodbye

Thank you all for your kind words yesterday. I am going to take another day to meet up with family, say goodbye and celebrate the life of one amazing woman!

I will be back tomorrow to focus on all that we have going on for the holidays and to concentrate on the joys and happiness that we have ahead of us.

I hope you are preparing for a lovely holiday weekend!

Goodbye Grandma Rose

Last night my Great Grandmother Rose passed away. She was an independent woman and she passed on her own terms, in her own bed with family close by.

Where do I start? How can I tell you how much this woman has meant to generations? How can I express how deeply she was loved, how much she will be missed?

She grew up as a homesteader a real homesteader. She was educated, worked, raised a family, she loved, she lost, she had so much. She watched her family grow and grow and grow. She was there in good times and bad. She made each and every one of us feel important and loved (and there are many of us--she was a great great grandmother to many).

Her home was the family home. Many family members lived there at some point or another. Her house, with its red carpet and black couch, was a childhood playground to many of us. The growth chart on the wall, the toys, the artwork of grandchildren, the photos.

She was an elegant woman, kind, graceful, loving. She was always a hostess, always the heart of the family.

Last night as I looked down on Cordelia, sound asleep I wondered about her future. I thought that one day, nearly a century ago my Great Grandma Rose probably lay in her own mother's arms while my Great Great Grandmother looked down on her baby and wondered about the future of her little Rose. I am sure that she dreamed that her daughter would live a long and full life, surrounded by love--and she did.

While me heart is aching I am so thankful that so many generations came to know and love this wonderful woman. I am sad because she is gone, but happy that her story was so filled with love.

Goodbye for now Grandma Rose, I love you.