tis the season

last night we had our annual holiday gathering with our good friends sarah wingert and cody peterson of washington state. they have a tendancy to spoil kylinn beyond belief, but i don't think that ky minds at all. we don't get to see them too often so anytime they do, it's so much fun. yesterday, they had brought a stack of photos of eagles and black bears from their summer in alaska. it was absolutely amazing. they are well-educated fisherpersons in both washington and alaska. cody has lots of scary stories about life on a crab boat and sarah likes to talk about fish guts. i try to pay attention, but i usually am withholding vomit and asking what possesses them to actually touch smelly fish. cody mentioned burberry yesterday, though, so perhaps he knows a little more about land-life than i give him credit for. i do honestly worry that one day i will attend their wedding on a boat, with a reception at a salmon hatchery and sarah's engagement ring will be made from a bait hook. bait hooks don't work well with burberry, though.

friday night was our low-key gathering with the neighbors. we had decided in advance that we were only getting carry-out on paper plates. it was great- good food, great wine and great temper tantrums from both kylinn and logan. we bought logan a pair of converse all-stars since his parents have been lusting after ky's since march. i threw in a few matchbox cars so logan didn't think he got a lousy gift and guess what? i could have just gotten away with the cars! kylinn was equally thrilled with the weebles as she was with the wrapping paper. ahh, to please a toddler... in an attempt to be creative and get something for aimee and jeremy that they would actually appreciate, we brought them a bottle of wine and a box of choxie. in return, out of creativity and knowing us so well, bought a bottle of wine... and a box of choxie. it's so nice to just "get" someone. no more showey, overly-polite nonsence. we can just kick back, relax, enjoy a bottle of wine (or two) and hope that the babies aren't just stuffing one of the kitties down the toilet. ahh. that's what the holidays are all about.

saturday was the vanover family christmas. we all cheerfully packed into grandma's house for lots of amazing homemade food and a pile of gifts. aside from kylinn's cold, she did well. i think we may have inadvertently infected a lot of people, though. oops.