A good Christmas...

I had a really good Christmas this year!  On Christmas eve I was able to hang out with the kids and open presents and play, and on Christmas day we went to Sandy's sister's house to spend the day and have dinner with her family.  I did score some excellent presents this year!  Sandy bought me a replacement pair of snowshoes (my old ones were thrashed and the bindings broke last year), and a beverage container for trips into the back country.  From her family, I got a cool multi-tool (similar to a Leatherman but lighter and cooler!), slippers, flannel pants for lounging around the house, two sweaters, a new set of Addi Turbo's, and a flashlight!  We had a great dinner, and then watched the second of the Narnia movies.

As this year comes to a close, I have been enjoying taking account of the blessings in my life.  I feel a sense of calm and peace knowing that God is working in my life.  This year will be filled with lots of smiles and adventures, I am sure!  I hope yours is too :)

Done!

Well, almost done, I just have some assembly to do on one gift, should take about an hour, wrap another, and finish a hat (which Sandy is designing as I knit).  Here is a photo of the hat I knit for William.  He likes silver and black, so I hope he likes this one OK.

Pictures from the coast

This past weekend, a group of friends and I went out to the coast to camp a couple of nights at Shi Shi beach.    We had the most perfect weather you could ask for considering it was December!  I got a slight sunburn even :)  Temps got down to below freezing at night, and up to the mid-40's during the day.  I was able to finish knitting Elizabeth's scarf, and while I was out there, I taught myself how to darn a pair of socks.  Turned out to be a good repair, and now I can go to work on the pile of "holy" socks I have in my drawer.  Yesterday, I got the photo's from Mike.  Lots of great pictures for sure!  This one is of the coals of the campfire.  They turn purple because of the minerals that are soaked up from the ocean water.

 Here is the group!  L to R Mike, Merritt, Matt, Keith (Matt's dad) and myself...

 Mike and I on the way out...

 This is a picture of the Milky Way...it turned out sort of a purple in the picture...no way to show it, but talk about an awe inspiring night sky out there...phenomenal!

 Point of Arches from the log pile in front of our camp...

 Sunset...

 Evening sky...

 Sun is almost down...

Nothing like it!

A three day weekend at the beach, even in December!

Wednesday, the morning after...

John Butler Trio with my baby!  Flew down under the radar and back in 11 hours.  Nice!  I am feeling sorry for Sandy because she had to go in to work, on little sleep for sure.  Got back at 3:30 this morning.  I am brain dead, but trying to be productive, I promise.  The show itself was no less than amazing!  Sandy had the perch too, standing on the bench in the back a head above everyone.  I did my best not to sing loudly the whole time, but it's hard not to, and belted out a line or two more than a few times.  Near the finale, JB had the crowd singing a love song to anyone they could think of that they loved.  Parents, children, partners, brothers and sisters, cousins, soldiers, teachers, mentors, ...the list goes on and on doesn't it, it was cool.  Then he played peaches and cream, a song about how children are so adorable that you just want to eat them up!  Its not really a song about eating children, but they can be that sweet.  He played One Way Road, after that which Sandy called perfectly, saying that she could tell because of the way he sitting on the chair but I think it was some sort of clairvoyance!   Ended with Get Funky Tonight which made me want to dance but Sandy wouldn't come down from her perch...I don't blame her, I dance like I am trying to keep the music out of my eyes.

Listening to Matisyahu this morning, and getting busy...we come into this world, we are sent here, for one reason and one reason only, to bring light to the darkness...I love you...

My knitting needles are hot!

Only a few more things left to knit for Christmas!  These are the latest three, for Skylar on the left, and Elizabeth (purple with pink hearts) and Megan (pink with purple hearts).  Pretty simple Fair Isle hearts that turned out really well I think! 

I am going to knit the girls a matching scarf with the leftovers from the skeins.  I might knit the scarfs on size 32's, which are about the size of a broomstick!  Manly sized needles, that's right!

The Thanksgiving weekend turned out ok after all.  Sandy and I went down to Portland to my brother's surprise birthday party Friday and stayed in a hotel in the Rose Quarter.  Got up Saturday morning and shopped a bit at some of Sandy's favorite places.  She bought some pretty cool things downtown and then we went to Alberta Street for more shopping then headed north to have dinner at her sisters.  Today was a kid day and I had a nice visit with the kids.  Megan was ready with a Christmas wish list, the other two are not quite so organized! 



Thanksgiving delayed...

I know I have a lot to be thankful for, and a lot coming that I am already thankful for.  Today a staged miscommunication and the weather keeps me from celebrating, but I am not without thanks.  I am thankful that I will not give away my hopes for a better future.  I am thankful for the drive to make it a better future.