Between Thanksgiving and leaving for CA for Christmas....

After Fritz, Susanne, Dad and Jean left, we started getting ready for Christmas...

Made a batch of coffee liqueur to give as gifts

This was the second year I made lino print Christmas cards. They may look funny, but I have fun making them : ) 

Part of the batch in process

My St Nick's present to myself - the bound version of my thesis arrived December 6th. The university requires graduate students who complete a thesis to have 4 copies printed - one for the library, one for the graduate office, one for your department, and one for yourself. They are printed and bound at a monastery outside Portland and are archival, so it takes a while to actually get them.  Felt pretty good to have the finished product in my hands!

I started a batch of homemade vin d'orange

Went to the Vancouver winter brew fest with Bryce and Heather. Drank a lot of really good local beers.

Brought some Ben and Jerry's in a thermous and went for a ride on a historic locomotive they run on the tracks through town over the holidays (the Holiday Express).  

A very old Empire Builder car! 

The train was HUGE. Really cool. 

I joined the family MDX club and got a new (to us) ride mid December.... (and sold the Corolla! kind of bitter sweet ) 

And went wedding dress shopping and to lunch with Heather (Bryce's fiance) - another fun girlie day.

Steve and Merritt hosted a huge Hanukkah party

30-some people for a sit down meal! They took all the furniture out of their dining room and living room to make it work. 

And right before we left for CA, we did a holiday party at Jami and Christian's house for our "Ohio/Indiana-Portland friends" (the kickball group, for Dad and Mom who have been to some of our kickball games years ago).
Here are all the girls of the group - me (horrible picture and wearing the cowl scarf I got as a gift in the exchange), Becky and Haylie's daughter Camille, Katy and her daughter Emeryn, Haylie, Jami and Valerie. Josh and Michelle and AJ and Lindsay couldn't make it (you'd recognize J and M from our wedding) but they are a part of this group as well. A fun night, although much milder than our get togethers used to be - three of these ladies are pregnant in the photo, and two already little ones : )