Reflecting on Christmas

This year is almost over. I'm ready to say "Hello" to 2011. 

Don't get me wrong, 2010 has been great, busy, but great.

I'm ready to slow down...
(Those will probably be famous last words)

I didn't expect we'd have another Christmas
in this house but I'm glad we did.

It has been home to our family for almost nine years.

I love it! I know I will miss it... it is where we were all together.

One thing about this life is it is always changing.

I'm excited for all the new adventures our changing family will experience in 2011.

...Now for the big decision, when should I take down the tree?

The Quiet Breakfast Fairy

Someone, very stealthy, left these rolls

on my kitchen counter this morning.

What a wonderful way to start my week.
 I even got to sleep in.

Thank-You Amy, they were delicious!

You can sneak into my kitchen anytime.

Goodness Gracious Great Bulbs of Spring!

When Spring unlocks the flowers to paint the laughing soil...

                                                                       - Reginald Heber

My beautiful Valentine flowers will soon be followed by these little "sprouts"

Every where I look I see green. Tulips, Daffodils, Iris, Hyacinth, Lily, and of course small but not last, Crocus! It makes me dizzy with anticipation. Not to mention a little overwhelmed with all the garden preparation I have this year. The ground out at the Villa can be worked now and I have so much to do it's hard to know where to begin. My first priority is to re-locate a few of my trees from Nampa, they already have signs of green and are about to burst. I'm just not sure where I want them yet. The same goes for dividing many of my flowers. I also have a garden spot that needs attention. (at least I know where my garden is going to be located) To keep myself from going totally crazy, I am completely covering my garden here in Nampa with weed paper.

One garden, at one house, is enough!

So This Is Christmas

We have had a great Christmas season!  This will most likely be our last one here in our Nampa home.  After eight years I will miss decorating and baking here, but we've already made new Christmas memories at Pura Vida and I look forward to many more.

Here are a few Christmas Day highlights.

Lad got his dad an RC plane...

...and one for himself (don't let the surprised look fool you)

Skye really was surprised with a .22 rifle.

We spent the rest of the day playing with our new toys!

 We had to go to Pura Vida, so the boys could shoot tin cans and milk cartons...

...and so we could have a soak in our new Hot Tub! It's gonna feel even better after a long day of working on the house.

The best part about Christmas this year was spending time with our family. Amy and Caleb had us all over for a delicious Christmas Eve dinner.  We always have fun when we get together with them. We should do it more often.

I wanted to include this picture of my nativity before it gets boxed up until next year. I inherited it from Arron's grandmother, Margaret Francis. I remember the first Christmas Arron and I had together in Alaska, Margaret and I assembled a Santa puzzle together. She was always so sweet to me, and I think of her often. This nativity is pretty special to me because it was hers.

Under A Blanket Of Snow

 Why is there something so magical about waking up to a snow covered world?
 It's a special time for baking your favorite cookies,
 reading a heavy classic,
 playing a long drawn out game of monopoly,
 and re-watching old movies.

Everything is frozen in time... just waiting for spring.

Windy Stormy

We get some great storms here in the valley. They come on ya fast, then they leave ya fast. Skye was quick thinking and got out an old tarp to play with. Too bad the kids gave up skateboarding years ago, that would have been a riot!

One Last Mow

Arron mowed the lawn yesterday, we hope for the last time. I mean not just the last time for the season but the last time at this house. It would be great if by next spring this 3/4 of an acre lawn was someone else's responsibility. Our riding mower got sick last week so we borrowed this mower from some good friends.

After Arron's victory lap, he rewarded himself with a cookie and a glass of milk. He enjoyed this treat on his leisurely return trip down the street to the Adams house. Olive thought it was pretty fun too.

 Thank you Adams for letting us borrow your mower, you guys are great!

Have A Little Faith

So did I mention a little something about an adventure? Are you a bit curious? I hope I haven't built it up too much.... Ok I'll tell, we are buying a farm house next Friday! It is in need of serious renovation/demolition. (sounds fun huh) There have been some skeptics out there who feel we are biting off more than we can chew. I say "oh you unbelievers, what kind of an adventure is it, if you aren't in a little over your head?" So naturally in my defense I began to reflect on past experiences, and here is just a little taste of our adventurous spirit.

This a before picture of the back yard in Nampa.

This is the after pictures of the front and back of our house in Nampa 7 years later

Our latest adventure in Motor X, and no we don't all share this bike, we all have our own, but this one is mine! (notice my wicked helmet)

Me crossing the finish line at Robie Creek again "the toughest 1/2 marathon in the northwest"

Family snorkeling in Costa Rica! Pura Vida Baby!

Sailing on a Catamaran in Costa Rica, hard to beat a day like that!

Laiken is taking her turn during our all day zip line adventure in La Fortuna Cloud Forest

Arron and Lad staying connected at Smith Rocks

Maccu Piccu, Peru, undoubtedly the most amazing place I have ever been and as a bonus I got to go with two of my favorite guys, Coby and Arron, for three weeks no less!

Laiken is my hero, when no one else would, she took off her pants and jumped into the questionable waters down below at 32 feet.

This is Arron being re-born at the Kuna caves.

Arron and Lad, fast and loose at Bora peak

Here it is "Villa Pura Vida"

- our new adventure!

We know our "Villa" doesn't look like much now, but we got vision up the butt, so just go with it!