The Winter Holiday

We went to California and stayed with my sister J (and her boyfriend J and their lovely chocolate lab, M). Fiona absolutely loved the dog. Hysterical giggling, lots of attempted hugs, a few that actually landed on him... lots of licks from him, much to her delight... toward the end of our visit, she was calling to him, this deep short sound, to get his attention. He'd come over and lick her, she would squeal. Then we'd all get nervous that he was going to step on her or knock her over, so we'd tell him to back down... then she would call him over again... on and on this went, for hours.

There were also trees and trimmings, food and drink, and presents.

I love how she is sitting these days - legs wide, more balance maybe? And absolutely love the babylegs stockings....

This is when Grandpa was explaining how the Christmas elves live in the lights of the boughs...
Then, of course, she had to play a lively game of "chase Great Grandma around the coffee table"...



All in all, a good holiday.

Holiday visit with Grandpa

My dad came for a quick visit before we all headed to California for the holiday. Here are some more pictures I found on my camera....

We stopped at Tutta Bella in Columbia City for some good eats after we blew some cash at Kate Quinn...






Then my dad took down those most hideous light fixtures in the kitchen.... and replaced them...


Best holiday present ever!!

He and G also installed the light fixture in the dining room, isn't it lovely?


Two shouts for happy babies and good lighting!

December comings and goings....

Munchkin is nine months old! Her check-up yielded the following: 90th percentile for height and head circumference, 70th percentile for weight. At least she's consistent! This month, she got her first nasty cold that turned into an ear infection. I have my own theories about all that, but at the end of the day, I just wish she was better. No one is sleeping well. Get better soon peanut! The good news is that her Grandpa came for a visit, and took the following pictures....

She is not feeling well, as you can tell from the vacant stare...
But still has the energy to steal my napkin...

In the car on the way to the airport....


She is still fighting this cold, it's been a few weeks now. No fun!!

thxgvn 2009

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year in the typical Whiteside fashion. It was a 5 course meal, with periods of rest in-between (so that more food can be consumed overall). Somehow, in the midst of turkey carving and gravy making (those were G and G's jobs, respectively) not a single picture of the food was taken. Our friend D managed to snap a couple shots of post dinner reclining on the sofa....








and I managed one picture the next morning (see how lovely the flowers were?!? I think they were the only thing not local on the table...)

Overall, and awesome experience with good friends, good food and good thanks. Looking forward to next year!!

Attack of the Fierce Quadra Tiger-Cat!!

Really? Need I say more? (Note the ears and tail! Amazing!)

canada love

A trip to Canada was just what the doctor ordered. A long weekend relaxing with friends old and new. Fiona learned how to crawl up a stair or two, we ate more than we should have, and G got a couple dives in with S.

She sits at the bottom of the stairs...


Halfway up the first one...

On top of the first, making her way up the second...
Enough already!
Attack of the cutest girl ever...

Out the window, we can see G and S paddling back from a dive on Copper Bluff...


Did I mention that Quadra is one of the most magical places on earth??
In line for the ferry home, G and F are being sweet...

Then G got hungry, and needed a snack....

And her Quadra Bubba (Grandma) made her a Halloween costume!! Pics to come!

the summer of the cupcake (and a few weddings too)

So this summer we saw G's sister get married, and two sets of good friends get hitched as well. E & A traded vows in August, and K and R did so in September. For that September celebration, I volunteered to make the cake - or rather, the cupcakes. There were just shy of a hundred guests... so logically I made about 157 cupcakes. Good thing, since they all disappeared, to a crumb. Here are some photos from our Summer of the Cupcake...

E and A's wedding:





G and F passed out after a delightful dinner with some new friends...


Fi being cute.

And she started to always do a safety grab...

Cupcakes begin. Here are the fixings for the carrot cake cupcakes...

And this is not even all the sugar I used...

Chocolate, mid-making... three different kinds of chocolate in these bad boys...

And the vanilla, so innocent...


Fi on Orcas Island...


Kicking her toes in the grass...


Reaching for the camera...

Mmmmm.....


Murder of crows in the tree outside our room...


Cupcake frosting assembly line...

Couldn't have done it without these awesome assistants.



We went through 28 cups of frosting. Boy howdy! And when we were all done, cupcakes stored safely in the walk-in, we found this lone cupcake... suicide for one so young is just plain sad...


The wedding begins...


(My two loves looking lovely...)


R and K doing the deed...


Artsy shot cuz I can't help myself...


Dinner by moonlight...


Finally!! Cupcakes are served!


Yum, yum, yum....


Sweet topper!


And now I am joining the gym.....