Dry January

I know, I said I would keep up on my blog, and then I let it go.
I finally joined facebook, but since the website is blocked at work, and I don't have a computer at home (I take my work laptop home on weekends), it's hard to keep up to date with all the messages. I can (and do) blog at work, so it's easier for me.

The holidays were great. Lots of presents, lots of good food, family, everything you could want. We had my parents over for a breakfast of Swedish Pancakes (traditional in Patrick's family) and then opened presents. I've heard that Christmas is better when you have kids around, but it's hard to imagine a kid could be more excited than I am in a room full of presents.

We had Christmas dinner with my family next door, and my aunt and uncle, their daughter and son-in-law, and their two boys. The youngest one was less than a month old, and the older one, Ryan, is a little over two years old. The grown-ups were all playing 31 (as is traditional in our family) and I was knocked out of the first card game early, so I started playing with Ryan. I ended up skipping the next two games and spent a couple of hours building tunnels of couch cushions for him to knock down. That kid wore me out. Make tunnel! Make tunnel! But we had a good time.

For New Year's Eve we went to dinner in Occidental at a new pub there (Barley and Hops Tavern), and were in bed by 10:30. I had brunch with some of the neighbors the next day, while Patrick went to work for an hour or two.

The weather here has been very unusually warm and dry this month, so I've been spending a lot more time working outside than I usually would in January. The days are still quite short, and the sun is very low, so the portion of the day when it's warm in the yard is smaller than it will be in spring. I've finished at least half of the pruning I should do this winter, so I'm in good shape there. I'm motivated by wanting to impress a couple of Patrick's aunts that may come visit this year, and it's easier to do since we're living there now (last winter we spent at his place in town).