I am the girlfriend of an UNCLE!

Yes, since I have no siblings, I have to take what I can get :). Wes' sister had a beautiful baby girl last night. Her name is Kaelin. Isn't she beautiful! And sooo tiny!

It's just a cell phone picture, so it's kinda grainy, but you can definitley see her cuteness!

Welcome to the world Kaelin!

I think Bridget has us ALL beat!

I haven't posted in a while...Probably because of the holiday busyness...among other things...but I was impressed by Bridget and Sarah for their updates...so here is my own. In college I put off Christmas presents and cards til after finals because then I would have a plethora of free time. But now that I'm not in school, I have the same mentality...but no free time! I assume the break will come...but it is much shorter and much too LATE. Esp this year considering my vacation starts on Christmas eve. Hmm...Hope no one is offended by my lack of preparation....

Christmas cards sent out: 0
Christmas cards not yet sent: who knows...I'm thinking if you're all lucky you'll get New Years cards this year

Christmas gifts done knitting: 0 uhhh not the knitter here...
Christmas gifts yet to knit: see above

Gifts otherwise hand-crafted: 0
Left to craft: remember that lateness I mentioned...uhh yeah...

Gifts purchased: 6
Left to purchase: 0 financial situation has dominated unfortunately

Batches of cookies baked: 3
Cookies eaten: 2 ..yay I win on this one. I packaged them up to give out so fast I could hardly have a taste.
Left to bake: as many as possible

Tree in house: yes
Tree decorated: yes
House decorated: yes
Lights up outside: nope...don't have any
Wreath on door: nope

Impressed? You shouldN'T be. I think I've finally given myself permission to not be a Christmas production machine this year and I am embracing it! You'll have to settle for hugs and love this year, but I think that's the best anyway.

But I have been spinning twice a week, working like a mad woman to meet work deadlines, and now madly preparing to go to Oregon for Christmas. Those of you wondering, Wes and I will be driving up on the 23rd, doing the Christmas Thang at my parents new house in Corbett, and then driving up to Seattle to see Wes' brand new NIECE on the 27th. Yay for the first baby in his family. Then back for New Years even in Portland, and then back down to work on the 2nd of Jan. Quick week.

Hopefully next time I post I'll have some good Christmas or New Year's photos!

Merry Christmas!

Ahhh Thanksgiving!

I had a lovely Thanksgiving this year. Sarah and I decided to go for a run at Rancho to work up an appetite. We slept in, and unlike crazy Lizzy and Judith, we went running at a reasonable holiday hour of 11:00am. Unfortunately, we were not the only ones with that idea. It was this morning that Sarah and I really realized the idiosyncrasies of people in the Bay Area. Where else would you find a running trail PACKED on Thanksgiving morning?!? It was like there was a festival or something. All the parking lots were full, there were families and children running around, and of course...many other runners with the same idea we had. I guess we weren't that revolutionary. But we earned our dinner!

Since I've moved to the Bay Area, my aunt Diane and her family have been kind enough to include Wes and I in their celebrations. The menu goes back years and was put together by Miles' mother Gayle. She even has a cookbook you can buy. Check it out! If you look hard you can find a pic with me in there. Anyway, the food is absolutely delicious, and the company is wonderful. This year I invited some friends from church to join us. Here we all are:

And after we are utterly stuffed, after the annual basketball competition of Horse ( for which Miles' is the reigning champion for who knows how many years now ), which unfortunately I was too tired to partake in, the dessert came out. Round 2 so to speak. I thought we were all on the same page with the fullness, but obviously my cousins Nicole and Amy had a different story. Check them out:

You can see the enthusiasm there, that's for sure :). Gotta love 'em.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!