On Christmas Eve, Jessi asked us each to say our best thing from 2021. Everyone had a pretty excellent reply, from a new home to just married, new dog, big fish catch, to new job, but my favorite came from the youngest of us all. I keep running it through my head and smiling. What wisdom and she didn't even know how wise it was. Lina said, as she pointed "THIS right here..." 

She has no idea how true that should be for all of us every day. To have THIS be the best thing, whatever it is we are doing, to make THIS the best. Great word to start out the New Year. 

THIS!

DECEMBER

Here it is the end of the month, the end of the year and I am actually posting the month before it is all over!

When I first opened my boxes to decorate the house, I felt sad as I realized that we moved and so many of those decorations were for certain places at the old place. But in the end, it was actually fun finding new places to put everything. I loved how it all looked in the new place!

We cashed in our last gift card from two years ago! When the pandemic changed everything, last year, we all decided to not buy gift cards for each other for Christmas because the way restaurants were closing down, we didn't want to end up losing our money on a place that was no longer in business. We made it to all of the restaurants, but the spa where my parents bought our card was still not able to hire enough staff to open the spa back up. Instead, we finally cashed in those cards for a fantastic dinner together. I really love giving the gift cards. We get to try new places and have a gift that gives over and over as we cash them in.

When I pulled out my decorations, I discovered that a little mouse had gotten into my ornament box. and died. yuck. first the smell, then to see that it had shredded up my fabric for covering the stand. It had made a little nest right on top and there it died. sad yes, but worse yet, was that everything in the box reeked of dead mouse. I put the ornaments...all red and purple into the sink to sanitize them and try to remove the smell. Well, I got them cleaned alright...shot that color right down the drain! I had no idea that would happen. Now all of those ornaments are silver. and clean. But there were enough of the other ornaments that cleaned up just fine, to cover the tree. Not sure what to do with this whole bin of ornaments. It is pretty doubtful that I will ever do an all silver tree.

We celebrated Lina's 7th birthday!!!

I can't believe my youngest grandchild is 7.

I was able to get all of my baking done super early and boxed up for giving. I sure missed not baking while we traveled in the trailer. 

The kids were NOT impressed with my Brownies (Brown E's)

Gabe was in some choir and string concerts. It is so nice to be able to take part from afar since we can't be there in person. He changed over to bass from his violin at the first of the year.

The Veras kids each had school programs. Singing for Lina, Arianna and Josiah, Josiah played with the high school band, recorder for Arianna and Josiah had a speaking part in the school play.

Cyndi, Mom and I had a pedicure just in time for Christmas. Not sure why, who is going to see my toes this time of year? But we had a fun time. 

Gabe and Daniel received our package just in time.

And before we knew it, it was time for Christmas Eve dinner. 

AND dessert! I found a new recipe for pie crust that is amazing! I made my first lattice top pie, which I have wanted to try forever. Something my Mom always did was bake the left over pie crust with cinnamon sugar on top. I always loved it and do it still. Nobody seems to be a fan of it except for me, but it is the perfect little treat after making pies when you are hungry for pie, but have to wait until the party.

I tried a new recipe for dinner, hasselbach butternut squash. It was a hit! and so pretty too.

And always...a birthday cake for Jesus!

When Josh called to see if it was OK to bring his pups, of course I said yes. I was amazed to see how relaxed they are. Who would have expected them to fall asleep in the middle of the room, right in the middle of unwrapping gifts??!!

Emily needed to spend half of her time here in Oregon with Matthew's family, so had to say goodbye to Josh when it came time for him to leave because she would not be seeing him again for a while. Why do they have to move away anyway?

On Christmas morning, I went and got Jimmy and brought him out here for breakfast. It was just the 3 of us, but I knew he needed to get out and have some family celebration time.

In the afternoon, we headed to Mom and Dad's for Christmas dinner. It was a smaller group than usual this year, but a great time anyway!

We have had our first snow for the year...twice now. I don't care how old I get, snow is still exciting!

This shot of the robin in the birdbath makes me smile...the way that other bird is leaning away from all the splashing. That robin almost drained the bath!

I made birdseed wreaths. A few to give away and one to keep. Trouble is, it isn't good in rain, I woke up to it laying in pieces on the ground. So now I will try a different recipe with suet instead.

So that brings us to the end of the year. We have a lot of great hopes and plans for the upcoming year. A trip to Africa next month, then off to Texas and surrounding states in the trailer in March. Hopefully, we will find a place to buy when we get back in June. 

Here's to a great year ahead and many photographic moments!

NOVEMBER

Most of the leaves have fallen, leaving a few little leaves to greet the raindrops that have finally arrived. It has been a dry summer and fall.

My friend Marvel came to town and we had a way overdue lunch together.  She is one of those friends who you can always pick up where you left off. 

I decided that it is time to stop putting things off for another time. So I called my cousins in Eastern Oregon and we set up some get togethers. I don't know why it took me so long to get it planned, it isn't so far away and it sure was good to see everyone again. 

The drive over was beautiful with new snow and fall leaves too.

White River Falls

I have had it on my list of places to visit for years. I guess I figured it was close and I could go anytime, but now I finally made it! There was even a rainbow that day!

Josiah turned 11. We took him to lunch and birthday shopping, of course to a fishing shop for ANOTHER pole. He always wants another pole. I know he loved it, but it kinda bummed me out that it was such a boring gift. That night, Jessi discovered a remote car at the store, so we went back to the store and bought it and returned the boring pole.

Arianna and Josiah have both been playing basketball. As with Volleyball, it has been fun watching them from the start of the season to the end and to see how much they learn together.

Lina makes a great cheerleader!

There is such a size difference at Josiah's age. Most teams don't have an A and B team, so it seems like every game they have to play the A team, the boys they play are twice their size, here is a shot of Josiah about to do a jump ball at the start of the game to a guy at least a head taller. 

I got an early start on my Christmas baking. Cookies and candy are done and in the freezer already.

I love it that the kids think of me when they see hearts. They sent me this one.

Lina loves sprinkles on her pancakes, but I think even she knew she overloaded on this one.

We had a couple of 'sick days' with Lina a day and Josiah a different day. I can't believe how entertaining the Viewmaster still is to this generation. They bring it to me like it is a whole new invention. 

I have a few new recipes. Pumpkin rolls, made with a yeast pumpkin combination, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped to make a pumpkin as it rose and baked. They tasted even better than they looked. Another new recipe was a spiced pumpkin pie. It has a pecan crust, spicy pumpkin filling with a bruleed sugar topping and whipped cream and salted caramel drizzle, fancied up with sugared cranberries, candy leaves that I melted and shaped and pecans. It was a hit when my parents and sister came for dinner. The other dessert was a slab pie. It is a free form pie and the crust recipe was amazing!  I will never use another crust recipe.

I didn't know that they had a service planned for veterans. I had a dentist appointment scheduled for Jimmy and he had to miss it. But when we returned, the Navy guys were still there, Jimmy was so happy that they followed us to his room and presented him with a certificate for his service in the Navy. He was so proud that he had me get a frame for it and hang it by his TV.

Mom and I joined the health club. It is has been fun working out together. I can't believe she is right there with us doing yoga like a pro!

And suddenly here we are to Thanksgiving Day! John and Rachel came up a day early and stayed the night, so we had dinner together with Jessi and Ariel and the kids. The next morning, we started the day with a little hike and all ended up over at Mom and Dad's for the traditional dinner spread out across the living room. She still refuses help with any of the cooking!

Mom's birthday was two days later. We celebrated with dinner out together with Dan and Cyndi.

I love being able to see the sunsets from this place! I didn't capture it as it was...the whole sky was full of those vivid pink clouds.