Christmas part 2

Scott and Brandy and my parents came to our house for dinner the weekend before Christmas so we could all be together during the holidays. Scott and Brandy were celebrating with my parents that weekend and then with Brandy's family on Christmas weekend. This is the only picture I got! :( But it's a very nice one!


Christmas in Montrose was, as always, wonderful and delightful! We got to watch the kiddos open presents, went snowshoeing and to the hot springs, had great food and a fantastic time just being together.

Cade and Connor playing a new game


Kylie, Jeff and Conner. Isn't Jeff just precious.


Carving the turkey


Cade and Hannah. Hannah really likes Cade and Cade is so great with her!




Cades cool new bike gloves


This is just a picture of how hectic it can be and I LOVE it!


Pretty Kylie girl


Grandma showing Cade how the pros do the yo-yo


Grandpa and Cade on the precipice






Lucy making her way down the steep hill


weeeeeeeeeeeee!


Jenn and Hannah (who will be 3 in February)


Cade mastered the yo-yo. He really loved this gift, which was awesome!


Hannah checking out the old fashioned top






Hannah decided it was nap time right on the wood floor, and so Jeff joined her


Cade also got a rocket, which they set up and it then proceeded to break and squirt vinegar directly in poor Cade's eyes :(


EVERYONE played with My Little Ponies this night. Patsy even snuck a picture of Cade brushing a pony.


Hannah sucking on her toe at the dinner table!


Princess Fairy


Flying!


Precious

my FINE woodworker

Get it? Fine woodworker. FINE (as in hot, handsome, sexy, etc) woodworker?! :) Jeff has found something he really likes to do. He has made our kitchen table, coffee table, Adirondack chairs, and his latest project, a kitchen table made of walnut for his sister and brother-in-law, Jenn and Jake. These pictures are out of order, and I can't find the pictures of I took from the really early stages, but at least you get an idea of the beauty of this piece. The pictures don't do it justice, and I didn't really get a wonderful shot, but here it is. Man am I ever proud of my man!

Here it is, freshly delivered to Jenn and Jake's dining room from Jim and Patsy's garage. We took 45 minutes wrapping and loading this precious cargo for our drive to Montrose from Colorado Springs. It arrived safely there and ready for a last coat of finish!


Jim taking a look at Jeff's handywork from the underside. And you can be sure it looked just as beautiful from that view!


The boys (minus Jake) sitting at the table. Cade of course not looking.




A close-up view of the legs










carrying it in the house


getting read to take it out of the truck.


Jenn and Jake seeing it for the first time in the garage






putting the final coat of finish on




some sanding and filling (trust me, Jeff would be covered in sawdust after he worked on the table each time. Therefore my couch would be covered in sawdust! clearly it was worth it!)


Part of the legs before the finish


intense sanding




other parts of the legs before the finish

Decisions Decisions

Well, I've made my decision regarding the new year resolutions and the final resolution wasn't even on the list! Of course I'm going to do my best to complete all of the 4 on my list in my previous post, BUT, I've decided that for 2011 I'm going to be NICE, KIND, PATIENT and GRACIOUS to service people on the phone. I confess that for some reason when things go wrong with bills, services, etc, and I have to call customer service or for technical help, I get way too frustrated, impatient and sadly even mean sometimes :( I really dislike that about myself, and every time when I hang up (except one time with DirecTV, in which the guy was a total JERK to the millionth degree) I regret how I've reacted and how I've let a small situation to affect me on such a huge level. I confess again that I let this happen already just a few days ago with an Internet problem. The poor tech was not at fault and yet I was snippy with her. I wanted to call back and apologize to her, but there is no way to get back to the same person. So, let this be an apology to all Qwest, Sprint, Dish Network, bank and other employees whose feelings I have hurt, whose esteem I have lowered, whose day I have made worse instead of better. My goal for 2011 is to make people's days BETTER by having talked to them-even when things don't go my way or as I would expect them to. I'm on hold right now with such a service provider. So far I think I'm doing well. Wish me luck!

think about it

I have never heard Jeff laugh as much as he did when we watched The Other Guys. I love hearing that laugh :) He got the movie for a Christmas gift, and of course we watched it and laughed again! We also saw again these really interesting financial stats during the ending credits. They really make you think, or at least they make me think. Check them out in the video below.

resolution

I am happy to say I completed my new year goal from 2010! I tried at least one new recipe a week! See Eating Animal Crackers for all those recipes. I've decided that I must be on a roll, while that may have been my first new year completion it won't be my last. In that light, trying to pick a goal for 2011 has not been easy. I've narrowed it down to 4 possibilities.

Stick to our budget. Budgeting is hard! I feel glad to have our finances in order and all laid out, but I could really be doing a better job, especially in the category that is mostly my responsibility-groceries. I don't know why it's difficult for me to stick to the numbers, but let's face it, when I'm in the store and see delicious donuts I sometimes veer away from the list!

I'd also like to be much better at taking care of my family and the earth in the products I buy and the things we eat and use. Speaking of budget...natural, organic, green things always cost more, which makes idea number one even harder.

Of course there is the standard dream of working out consistently (i.e more) and staying fit. I belong to a great gym that has fun classes and I know I enjoy going. So why is it so darn hard to get my car there after work? I can't tell you how many times I've said to my self over and over again "you're going to the gym tonight, you'll be glad you did, you'll feel better, you're going!" and then my car takes a left toward home instead of going straight! WHY?

My last idea is to be more assertive and involved at work. I've been there for almost 5 years now, and in my position for 3. I want to have more responsibility and I want to have a part in what goes on and how things are done in my department. My boss holds tightly to some things, simply because it's easier to do things herself rather than teach someone else; also because she's been doing things for 10 plus years. She is so busy, though, that I know it would be helpful to both of us if I could take on some more from her plate. I want to know more, go to more meetings, and be the obvious go-to person in production rather than the sometimes go-to person.

Perhaps I could do all of these things. Perhaps I could do a little in each area. I haven't decided just yet what my goal will look like, but I'll keep you posted!

Happy New Year to you!