chocolate

chocolate. overload. 

and i couldn't ask for more. 

thanks to mel for the best salted-caramel-chocolates in the world. no exaggeration.

and thanks to cousin holly for hot chocolate from the bellagio in mint, caramel, cherry and original flavors. the last two pictures are just of my niece elise being cute. especially the last one.

winter wonderland

we're very excited to see that there is snow here in mccall. although it doesn't compare to last season at this time, it's still something. i've never seen a person more excited to watch snow fall than tanner. he's more excited than a kid in a candy shop. he is a lover of that pretty white stuff and a man of my own heart. just look at how cute he is.

i was thinking today about how much i love having seasons. i couldn't live in a place that was an average temperature year round. there's something exciting me to have the seasons change. i feel like spring is just around the corner, even though winter has just begun. 

(it could be all the rain we've been having...) 

i love the spring flowers, the warm summer nights, the fall leaves, and the snow. 

i love the smells and feelings that come along with them.

i love that seasons keep me finding new things to do and new things to bake and new things to wear.

(it could be my obsession with pinterest...)

either way, i love the seasons.

christmas day

my plate

my moms little plate

tanner was good to me this year. i've mentioned that a mac desktop would be nice to edit on, but i didn't think i'd actually get one. well, i did. and i love it. in fact, i'm using it right now. thanks bayby!
so, my families other tradition is to have prime rib on christmas day. my mom is the best cook. i tell her that every time i see her and especially when i eat her food. i think she would agree, but she's always too full to eat dinner because she constantly snacking at what she's making, while she's making it. i can be guilty of that as well.
i already miss my family but i'm going to mccall in about... an hour to be with my other family.
i can never get enough of it.

wolf head

i got a wolf for christmas to keep my head and hands warm. 

so far, it's doing a good job and i never take it off.

christmas was so great this year. i'll share more of that tomorrow... 

tanner went back to boise last night and i stayed in utah for a 

wedding i'm shooting today at the salt lake temple. 

i might add, that it's nearly 50 degrees in utah. at the end of december.

but, i can't complain because it's snowing in mccall and i'll be there

for new years. hooray!

christmas eve

our christmas eve tradition is to have pizza and chocolate milk and open up gifts from one another. this was our first time being with my family for christmas since we've been together so it was a fun change for both of us.

there is nothing better then being home.

friends

we were just talking about all the good friends we have. we got to hang out with lex and loren brinton during the first of the week in boise. we went to breakfast at 7:30 monday morning at kneaders and then to "home of the scones" that night around 11. i was informed that "home of the scones" was actually called merrits. and i wish i had gotten pictures of everyone, but they kind of make fun of me for blogging so i passed. next time i will though. anyways, i woke up the next morning to a text from lex with a picture of their family van completely consumed in flames. apparently it had blown up right after they had dropped us off that night. i'm not sure if i can share details of this story though, they're still sensitive about it :) lex is the best person in the world for food advice. so next time anyone is in boise, give her a ring and she'll tell you exactly where to go. today we saw ben and amanda castleberry and they're great for traveling advice. they got me itching to go to marraco and venice. someday.. then we saw chris and mary davis. oh man, i hope we can live by each other someday. i call us bosom buddies. we've had some good times recently seeing friends. i wish i could happen more often but it just makes the times we do, that much better. 

lights

last friday, after the mindy gledhill concert, tanner and i walked around downtown

to look at the lights. it was beautiful, and cold. and... well, that's about it.

special visit

santa stopped by a little early this year to give nixon a few gifts. 

i thought santa was really cute so i let him know what a good girl i've been. 

he seemed to believe me and even let me give him kisses. it was too hard to find his lips

under his beard so i settled for his cheek. 

i don't think mrs. claus will mind too much.

hello fake snow

tamarack opened up last thursday and you could ski for free if you brought food to donate. 

kylie, megan, and drew joined us for the best run of our lives. 

the only run open was a mellow blue with fake snow. really, it was fun though. 

we skiied back to the cottage to eat lunch and the boys warmed up in the hot tub.

the girls stayed inside by the fire watching gossip girl. 

megan and i switched our equipment at the end of the day so i skiied and she snowboarded.

 i'm just glad we only had time to be on the bunny hill for three runs.

oh christmas tree

oh christmas tree, you light up my mood.

(and i kinda wish i could sparkle like this all the time) 

maybe next year tan and i will be able to get our own tree.. 

i remember as a kid i would sit on the couch, bundled up in a blanket, with 

the fire burning, and just look at the lights.

and i was happy.   

next year i want to do the same. but with my love. in our own home. with our own tree.

mindy gledhill

mindy gledhill is performing this friday as a benefit concert for rett syndrome.

there is a 6 year old girl in our ward, brynn jones, with this disorder and one of the only things that can calm her down is mindy gledhill's music. all of the proceeds will go to research to help find a cure 

for rett syndrome. 

help support the cause this friday, the 16th, at the rose room in downtown boise at 7:00. 

mornings

i woke up this morning to tanner biting my wrist. i asked him what he was doing and he said he was turning me into a vampire. then he jumped out of bed punching his arms around like he was rocky.

wish i could get up that easily :)

weekend with my sweets

he was obviously excited for his breakfast burrito. but he ended up eating most of my pancake.

that's okay because they're huge.

tanner and i went up to my in-laws cottage in tamarack for the weekend. we were hoping to possibly hike and ski, but the snow was scarce. there isn't any internet (hallelujah!) so we watched lots of movies, sat in the hot tub and got stomach aches from shuga. it's a rare occasion to get tanner to just sit and watch a movie without a laptop or ipad on his lap, so i realllllly enjoyed this. 

we went to the pancake house for breakfast and ate the worlds best pancake. i crave these often and i'm glad i don't have to go too far to get one. it's a sourdough pineapple pancake with coconut syrup. and it's heaven.

there will be many more weekends of this to come. 

except with more skiing/snowboarding. hopefully.