Another Year Gone

 
Here are a few things that I remember about 2010...

- This was the summer I fell in love with Yoga and the year I started running
- The iPads came out and everyone in my family is addicted (especially B)
- Chase's favorite thing this year was superheroes (hero up!)
- Boris had quite the health challenges this year (not a happy memory but definitely a big player in 2010)
- Chase's mastered counting, his ABCs, tracing letters, and is working on letter sounds (2011 may be the year he learns to read)
- I had many fabulous "Kate Dates" with my BFF Capricious
- Boris became a CIO before 30 (Wow!)
- I read a lot of fantasy / sci fi romance novels
- My parents were amazing this year with all the love, help, and support they gave us
- I finished knitting my first sweater and quilted my first queen sized quilt (it was quite a quilting year for me)
- Chase was potty trained woohoo!
- This is the year we decided to move the city (granted that will probably actually happen next year)
- We had an amazing family vacation in Breckenridge
- Chase got his first bike
- Boris was in The Reformers


 

Zoo Lights

 
We were planning on trying to go to Zoo Lights for New Year's Eve but it is suppose to be below zero degrees so we ended up going last night instead. We had candied nuts and cotton candy YUM!







The highlights for Chase were the turtles in Tropical Discoveries and his light saber.


 

Sweater Dresses

 
I have always been afraid of sweater dresses because they tend to cling to my belly which is the part of my body that I am the most uncomfortable with. But here's to new knee high boots (thank you Santa), recent weight loss, and a hopefully rockin' new body in 2011 (and Spanx if all else fails). I ordered 2 sweater dresses - wish me luck!




Also here is a skirt that I really wanted but it sold out before I could get it (I promise it is way cuter in white)....darn Lululemon and their limited quantities. I will have to keep an eye out to see if they release it again.




Note: Also just a running update, I had taken a running vacation but I am proud to say that I am back to it and it is going well! I ran 4 miles on Sun and Tues- apparently my running break was just what I needed. I got my first pair of running tights so now I can pretend to be a real runner.
 

Trained Dog

 
After we move a trained dog may be in our future (or at least I hope). I think that is the only way I could ever own a big dog, I am not sure I could be committed enough to doing the training myself.

I have been searching the internet for programs where you can buy dogs that have already been through obedience training and the prison trained dog program looks promising. They are more reasonably priced then some of the other sites.

The only thing to consider is that I am not sure B could survive the dog hair that goes along with having a big dog....


 

Christmas Day

 





 

A One Horse Open Sleigh

 
For Christmas Eve I finally got to take a horse carriage ride through downtown Denver, I have always wanted to do that. I went with my mom, B, Chase, and my two cousins. It was very fun (but unfortunately I am terribly allergic to horses and I got the sneezes!)







Also, just because I was thinking about it a lot, here are some of my favorite past Christmas memories:
- Christmas Eve at my aunt and uncle's house (they used to have homemade candy and Fannie Mae and eggnog and pinecones that you throw into the fire that burn different colors and baby's breath in their tree and lots of good snacks and sparkling cider and we did a big gift exchange and everyone would be there, it was amazing)
- Crazy busy family get togethers with loud kids all opening presents and throwing paper around at the same time
- Stockings - need I say more - they would all be lined up along the fireplace because they were too heavy to hang - my parents always used to put an orange in the toe of the stocking...
- Big Christmas meals with all of the family (kids tables - basically card tables that all the kids would sit at) - we used to fight over the gravy boats - is there ever enough gravy - I would always make a little mashed potato pool to pour my gravy into
- My mom used to always make amazing homemade rolls for big family meals
- French silk pie (although that is something that I have come to appreciate more and more recent years - when I was little I liked pumpkin with tons of whipped cream)
- My parents used to get us a Christmas ornament every year, I love decorating trees! Real ones are my favorite but fake ones are so convenient
- I think my most memorable Santa present was the year I got an American girl doll (Felicity)
- Snow (not sure that this is a Christmas memory or just a general winter one) sometimes my siblings would make amazing snow things...one year we tried to make an igloo / cave type structure
- Hot chocolate with little marshmallows and hot cider (although like the French silk pie the cider may be a new love)
- We used to have giving days in our family where a few days before Christmas we would start giving gifts and each person would have a day where it was their turn to be the one to give gifts out
- This is definitely a new one and I partially blame Capricious for it - Little Debbie Christmas Trees

Now that I actually look at my happy memories in writing I guess most of my memories revolve around family and food =)

I think I am just a holiday lover in general. I hope Chase ends up having happy holiday memories too.

 

Chase's First Car

 
Chase got a Mercedes for Christmas from his Papa, what a lucky boy. I wish Santa would bring me a Mercedes =)






 

Merry Christmas!

 


Merry Christmas Eve / Merry Christmas everyone!!! Hopefully Santa brings you all something nice tonight.

This holiday season I am grateful for my amazing mom and dad, Chase, Boris, all our amazing friends, and the health that we have. I could go on and on...I think there are a lot of things for my family to be thankful for this year and that is really a blessing!
 

A Quilt for a Friend

 
My husband and I have an amazing friend who is always very helpful and generous and for Christmas this year I wanted to get him something one of a kind. I made him a queen sized quilt (the first quilt that large that I have ever quilted myself!). I haven't finished the binding yet but I figure that is a minor detail that will get taken care of shortly, I am going to use a lighter gray patterned fabric.

I had a really hard time picking out fabrics that would be suitable for a guy with modern tastes. I went with gray and black batiks and I am really happy with how it turned out. I thought about doing blues but I was afraid that the final product would have looked too purple.



The center section is a rectangular panel that fades from darker colors to light colors and back to dark colors (1 inch strips). The border is a thick charcoal gray.



I ended up quilting the quilt in lines because I felt that it suited the style better then free motion quilting. The backing is a dark black gray color with charcoal squares that almost look like dots.

I am in love with this quilt. I am sad to see it go but it is going to a good home!
 

Gum Drop Crafts

 
Capricious and I did a few gum drop crafts, the kids only participated for about 10 minutes and then they got bored. Capricious and I had a blast though. I never realized how bad gum drops taste!











Here is Chase's creation.





We also did a little gift exchange and Chase got Spiderman Webs (silly string shooters) - he LOVED them but B was less then thrilled.



The night ended in a few tantrums (I suppose that is what happens to 3 year olds who don't nap and then eat entire Lofthouse cookies and cupcakes at their school party - Chase was the only kid to finish his). Christmas time is just too exciting but I guess all those overly exciting activities are what memories are made of....
 

Scuba Hoodie Delight

 
*SQUEAL* Look what made it into my closest for Christmas in both pink and lime. I couldn't be happier.



If you don't own a Scuba hoodie from Lululemon I highly recommend them. They are warm enough to work as a light weight jacket.

 

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas!

 
This year between the stress our family has been experiencing and the lack of snow it hasn't felt much like the holidays. I think this week has me warming up to the holiday season though. Last weekend we had a fabulous little gift giving get together with a friend who was leaving town and yesterday night we went to the Wildlife Experience for their Winter Wonderland. There's nothing like some kettle corn, lights, and cold to get me feeling festive. Chase had so much fun he was practically squealing in delight.



Later in the week I am going to try to get Capricious and her kiddos to come over for some gumdrop action.







Yes, that's right I'm an over buyer....those are 4 bags full of gumdrop supplies!



 

Jumpin Jammerz

 
My life has been crazy hectic lately which has resulted in a blogging vacation but I am going to try to get back on track!

To start here is something that every adult needs - Footsie PJs!!!!



I think Santa may be bringing me some for Christmas.

 

Skinny Empire

 
I finished knitting Skinny Empire from the Custom Knits book. It is a really simple knit.



I wish I had made it a size smaller but otherwise I think it turned out well.


 

Pumpkin Treats and Scarves

 
I made pumpkin cookies last night but man do I want to try this pumpkin dip recipe that Capricious posted about!



I've been trying to do the "healthy" thing lately and it has me thinking about unhealthy food all the time *sigh*.

In knitting news, I have been working on this lovely scarf. I am kind of bummed because I messed up one of the cables and it goes the wrong direction and it is making the perfectionist in me crazy. Makes me want to rip out the entire thing and start over but I know that isn't practical....

Can you spot the "bad" cable?