Thanksgiving and Christmas Tree Hunting

Thanksgiving weekend was awesome! Although I didn't take any photos of our bountiful feast, the 17 Kaczmarek family members put quite the dent in the plentiful bounty on the table. I took a poll of people's top 3 favorite Thanksgiving Day food items and amoung each answer there was one common demoninator: Stuffing. My mom makes a rockin' good stuffing! No nuts, no cranberries, no rasins. Just lots of sausage, spices, cornbread and butter of course. No wonder it is the best!

Two of my wonderful cousins, LeAnne and Lauren, flew into town to join in in the festivities from Colorado. It was so much fun to catch up with them. Check out Delya's poka dots. She is so very stylin' thanks to Omi.

We spent half the long weekend in Steilacoom and the other half at my folk's cabin at Cyrstal Mt. Saturday was spent up on the slopes. The first half of the dad was filled with clear, gorgeous skies. We failed to pull out the camera, before the clouds rolled in and limited our visability. Bummer. Dad, Nick and I had a great time though. Nice and easy pace...with many bathroom and snack breaks...just how skiing should be!

Sunday was Christmas tree shopping day. We bought a forest pass ($10 - a total score) and hit the hills. After about 45 minutes of dredging through waste deep snow, we finally found the tree to adorn our living room this December! We were so excited...I shared a kiss with Charlotte! (Too bad she can't take photos...otherwise, I could have shared a kiss with Nick!) Ahh, well.
Charlotte digs the snow! She was bouncing all over the place like a bunny. See her tail???
Tying the tree on the car is my least favorite job. That's why I take pictures and explore while Nick does the dirty work.

I would LOVE to post a photo of our tree decked out with orniments and lights in our home...but our camera has officially crapped out. When I try to turn it on, it just blurts 5 furrious beeps at me then turns off again. Guess it's time to hit consumer reports for some research!

Yes...I am almost a month behind....but here it is Halloween!

Charlotte and Fairy

I am so, so behind on posting blogs. I think I have computer phobia during the evening...which is unfortunate because that is when I typically blog. So much of my work (besides the baking part) is on the computer...emailing clients, putting together quotes, doing "paperwork." So when evening comes in the Vann household and dinner has been eaten, the dog has been walked and I have free time, the last thing I feel like doing is firing up the good ol' computer once more for more screen time. Nope. Lately, I have been all about reading, playing a game of crib with Nick or movie watching. Not to mention the fact that my bedtime is around 9pm (I blame it on the time change and the dark skies arriving around 4:30pm). So I am uber behind on my posts, but whatever...it gets done when it gets done.

So...Halloween weekend we had a full house. The Mag 7 came together once again for some lounging time, participation in a ragin' BUNCO party and a home improvement project. Check it out!

We had a great turn out for our Halloween Costume BUNCO party and the Anker Cafe. The perfect venue for a large crowd! I didn't get every one's photo...but if you were there and your picture isn't below...send it to me and I will happily add it. I know I am missing some Animal Control peeps, another Polyester dude & tourist, as well as Salt & Pepper (seasonings, not the rappers)!

The Card Players:

The 1950's Housewife and her Construction Working/Beer Drinking Husband:

Poison Ivy, Pirate and Skunk

The Bump (road construction/bun in the oven) and Tourist:

Bacon & Eggs!!!

Scary hooded man with dark eyes:

The Polyester Queen and "Dave From Work"
Shrek and Fionna:

Hippie (holding our little Skunk):

Dad was the General Contractor for installing our back awning that weekend as well. Our goal was not only to protect us from the adverse weather while coming and going from the house but to also give Charlotte a dry place to perch if it happened to rain on a day she was outside.

The Before:
The After:

On Sunday, while Dad was redeeming his birthday present (a professional message) and Nick and Matt were up on Galbrieth...Mom, Ami, Delya and I went to Hovander Park for some animal viewing-park walking-pumpkin admiring time. It was great!
Thanks for a great weekend...perhaps the Costume-BUNCO party will be an annual event. You should definitely come next year!

November's Featured CREATIVE COOKIE

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble!

Available November 9th through November 24th

Minimum order of 6 cookies, $2.25 each (plus tax)...and they are shippable!

Email to place your Order: Andi@PureBlissDesserts.com

Pure Bliss Desserts and Seamless Cakes have collaborated to bring you Delicious AND Beautifully decorated cookies! Each all-natural cookie is individually wrapped, bowed and tagged to make the perfect favor for parties, client appreciation gifts, thank yous or a treat for the kiddos and YOU! Each month there will be a new themed cookie.

November's Cake of the Month

CREAMY COCONUT CAKE!

Creamy and moist white cake infused with real coconut, layered and topped with cream cheese frosting, then garnished with toasted coconut flakes for an added crunch!

Two sizes available:
The standard size; serving 20 people for $34 (plus tax)
OR
The petite version; serving 8 people for $15 (plus tax)


Pre-Order yours NOW (before November 9th)! Your cake can be available for pick-up or delivery between November 13th to the 24th. Email Andi@PureBlissDesserts.com to order.

Thinking about Christmas already??? How about giving the gift that keeps on giving? A year's subscription to Cake of the Month! A delectable CAKE (in either standard or petite size) for each month in 2010 is the perfect gift for your friends, relatives, co-workers, nanny, neighbor, employees...anyone who just really LOVES cake.
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*Photograph provided by: www.taylorswedbergphotography.com

Go Sounders!

Last weekend, we were spoiled by Ben and Jen (friends of ours....met during my Effectiveness Institute days) to a Sounders game. After a rousing dinner of the much delicious bottomless fries at Red Robin, we headed over to Seattle for the game. It being our first, we really didn't know what to expect...but I can honestly say it was riveting. The crowd totally gets into it. It's like they are a part of the team. The support, the enthusiasm, the die hard loyalty they showed the Sounders was not only impressive but influential. We stood the entire game...minus half time. Nick bought himself a scarf, because ever true Sounders fan needs to have one and waved that puppy with the best of 'um.
It was great to catch up on the last 2.5 years face-to-face with Ben and Jen and made a vow to not let that much time pass again. I mean...why is life so busy that that much time can pass and seem like a blink of an eye? Scary. Oh and just in case you were wondering...the Sounders beat Texas: 2-1.

Harvest Festival

The weekend before Halloween, the Sweds hosted their annual Harvest Party at their home in Blaine. This was the first year that Nick and I were in town to actually attend the event and we were thrilled!!!
Mindy made some delicious Chili for the crowd, then we dove into our pumpkins to carve our little hearts out. I am not a skilled pumpkin carver, but did discover that I am married to a grand artist (yeah...it's a bad photo....peter isn't even looking at the camera, but I only took two shots and here are both of them). After 45 minutes of attempting to capture the perfect photo on the Swed's porch, we did our best to clean the pumpkin off the ceilings (ok...maybe not actually on the ceilings, but it was a mess) and headed home. Eating, laughing, catching up with old friends (we miss you Peter!) and carving can really take it out of a person!

Carson Martin Weber is here!

It's been a while since I have blogged...however I did just do a gigantic photo download off our camera and am ready to get up to speed on various events and activities.

WAY back in September, my sweet friend Sarah since the 5th grade was "showered" because her bun in the oven was just about ready to come out! Look at how CUTE she is!

And just a few weeks later on October 14th, Carson Martin Weber arrived! A whopping 8 lbs, 1 oz and 21.5 inches long. He obviously got his height from his daddy, but will no doubt has his momma's amazingly kind heart. I am so very proud of my friend and her growing family. Now it's just a matter of when I get to hold the little guy!

Tiny photos...but I got them off facebook...so what's a girl to do??? More will come, I am sure!

CREATIVE COOKIES ARE HERE!!!

Pure Bliss Desserts and Seamless Cakes (www.seamlesscakes.com) have collaborated to provide CREATIVE COOKIES!!! A deliciously buttery cookie, decorated beautifully to boot! A new design will be available each month, so I will be sure to update you with the latest and the greatest design(s). But don't wait too long to order...these cookies must be pre-ordered, as their availablity is limited. Check out the details below!

HALLOWEEN'S FEATURED CREATIVE COOKIES
Bats and Pumpkins

Pre-order your spooky cookies by October 19th. Once your order is placed, the cookies will be available via Delivery or Pick-up between October 26th to October 30th.

How to order:
Write: Andi@PureBlissDesserts.com
Phone: 360-739-1612

Pricing:
$2.25 (plus tax) per cookie
Minimum order: 6 cookies (either designs)

Happy Halloween!

Panninis, Wine, Gelato, David...ahhhhhhh

On our first date, Nick told me about his time living in Italy while serving in the Navy. He spoke of it with such passion and vigor and details; almost as though he had just returned from overseas.

His adoration for the beloved Italy has only grown these last 4.5 years, as has my interest in traveling internationally (Gelato on every corner???? Yes please!!!!), so we decided to commit already and put a date on it. The flight has been booked and the planning will soon begin. We will get 3 lovely weeks in Italy during the Spring.

I better hit the books...my Italian is worse than my Spanish and that is pretty bad! Arrivaderci!

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day weekend had been on the calendar for months. The plan was to have the Mag 7 meet on Orcas Island and spend the long weekend kayaking, hiking, biking and hangin'. After the 20 phone calls and constant watch of the weather leading into the weekend, it was decided that camping in the rain is stupid and a revision would be made. The family headed up to B-Ham instead and for the first time we were all in Bellingham together.
Each day was a bit different...Saturday brought a walk to Starbucks, a bike ride to the Farmer's Market, a swim in the pool (oh if only I had a photo of my niece in her BIKINI!!!), a fantastic dinner cooked by mom, and a rousing couple's competition of the Newlywed Game.
Sunday we packed up lunch and ferried over to Lummi Island. A day never to forget:

The Ferry:

The biking train:

Charlotte and Delya sharing the ride (although Charlotte did not obey the "no escape" rule while the cart was in motion):

The blowout (note that the mustard looking material is actually poo, NOT mustard):

The hang time:

We also got to celebrate dad's 62nd birthday. Mom again made an awesome dinner and we had some delicious German Chocolate Cake for dessert.

Monday allowed us to squeeze a few more precious hours of togetherness. We did a little baby clothes consignment shopping, consumed the oh-so delicious Coconut Kenny's long board sandwiches and took a little hike near Lake Padden. Dad even busted out a few tools and helped the rot on our eaves disappear. He is amazing like that!We were thankful for our time together and even more thankful that we opted for the roof over our heads rather than the tent sitting in a soggy campsite.

Yellow Aster Butte

Nick and I were determined to get at least one back packing trip in this summer, so when we found a weekend that worked, the obvious destination was to Yellow Aster Butte. The view from the top is beyond-words remarkable. It is expansive, versitile and breath taking. But don't take my word for it...go check it out yourself!
The entire hike is 3.4 miles. The first mile and a half you are begging for the flat part. But it is shaded so at least there is some mercy. Beyond that is an exposed trial with a gradual climb. At about the 3 mile point, you turn the corner to see your destination: the actual butte to the right and vast meadows, interwined with tarns (glacial water ponds or lakes). Once at said destination the exploring is endless. Miles and miles of additional trails that wind amilessly and show you God's beauty. Seriously, there is not a bad view in the joint. Mt. Baker and Mt. Shucksan steal the show, but a 360 panaramic view of varying peaks that layer back hundreds of miles aren't too shabby themselves.
We decided to camp in the same location as we did 3 years ago when Nick surprised me with a candle lit propsal, a bohemian themed campsite and a gourmet dinner (all at 5,500 ft...not too bad). It was fun to re-live Nick's anticipation at certain points along the trailhead..was the plan going to work? Was I going to say yes? Was it going to be worth all the effort he put into this? Back then and 3 years later, he still says "Absolutley!" Lucky me.
We were blessed with amazing weather...warm enough to make the tarns feel like our own personal swimming pools. Not to mention unlimited blueberries to feast on! Charlotte of course dug the trip and did an amazing job off leash the entire time. She was born for the outdoors; the perfect dog for the Vanns!