two Things i Love... Around my Home

two days late, sorry.

i've had dan and the kiddos home all week and they haven't really been too keen on me being on my computer for hours at a time, so i apologize for the lack of posts!

here are the two things i'm lovin around my home right now

they just happen to be two gifts i received this Christmas...

my dad and step-mom got me this beautiful antique train case which i totally LOVE

it's in great condition and has that wonderfully "old" smell that i love so

my mom and step-dad got me a sewing machine - i'm oh so excited!!!

i still need to learn how to use it... luckily it came with a dvd - i can't wait to learn!

thanks parents for the gifts that i LOVE so much - you four are the BEST!

as you know, today is new years eve. can you believe it's the last day of 2009? i can't. time just flew by this past year.... crazy.

here is dan and i last new years eve

we usually celebrate pretty low key... last year we spent the day at the beach surfing and then came home and watched a movie.

today we are heading over to my brother and sister in law's house in rancho santa fe (san diego) with all the kids. we didn't get to see the Undies (my bro and his fam... last name is Underwood) for Christmas so we'll be exchanging gifts, eating wonderful appetizers (my sis in law, kiana, is one of the best cooks), drinking some russian vodka (my brother, nate, travels a lot and has quite the collection of vodka that he has brought home from russia) and some wine, putting the kids down around 8:30 pm and ringing in the new year laughing and having a great time with people i love tremendously! can't wait.

tomorrow we're heading to the tule lake area to spend time with dans mom and step-dad at his step-dad's parents house. it snowed there yesterday and is suppose to snow all weekend so the kids are looking forward to playing in the snow, sledding and making some jumps for ty to do on his snowboard. should be a great weekend and a fun start to the new year!

happy new years my friends!!

this year has been pretty good to me and i can't wait for a fresh year... and decade.

love to you ALL!

xo,

kass

ps. what will you be doing tonight? any grand (or not so grand) plans?

pps. check out lauren's giveaway if you haven't already!

christmas! (very image heavy)

okay, this is it... christmas day!

this is the last of all the family photos, promise!

on christmas eve night we drove from santa barbara home to huntington beach and spent the night and early morning hours finishing up our wrapping, building the girls' kitchen (which dan did) and making my fall to your knees mac and cheese (i say "my" because i've been making it for six years but it's really carnie wilson's recipe... it's death on a fork but oh so good! seven different cheeses...oh yeah!). we didn't get to bed till 2am christmas morning.

the kids actually slept in a bit which dan and i were grateful for. we got up and opened presents, made monkey bread and eggs (christmas tradition that dan's family has done his whole life which we have carried on as our own) and read the christmas story out of the Bible.

then off we went to crestline (lake arrowhead/big bear area) to my sister in laws cabin in the woods to spend christmas day with dan's side of the family.

good times had by all!

here are the last of the christmas pictures...

christmas morning

the kitchen dan spent hours building

presents presents presents

pretty ridiculous how many gifts our kids get

i guess santa thought we were all good this year!

opening up the stockings

looks like tannyn was excited about her hello kitty socks

and dan was equally excited about his new boxer briefs

aw, lorac bronzer/blush how i've missed you

yay! i got the osis dust it

 brandi, i posted this pic just for you! ;-)

tyler and his loot

my handsome... and very tired... husband

sweet baby tayli had a blast

monkey bread

christmas day in crestline

dan and our sweet nephew, max

tannyn playing in the little snow that was there

my beautiful sister in law, shawna (max's mommy)

tann did not like getting snow thrown in her face

baby talaylay

the boys gearing up to snowboard down some hills

my step-father in law, rick, my mom in law, sharon and myself

tann, tay and my gorgeous niece, eva, going sledding

dan's family

gearing up for present madness

(and it WAS madness - there were six kids opening presents all at the same time... pure chaos!)

the hostess and host

my sister in law, stephanie and her boyfriend, travis

bacquet fam in all our glory ;-)

now, that's more like it!

christmas is officially over here at the bacquet house so it's fitting that i finish tonight with all these pictures! we took down our trees today and i completely cleaned and reorganized the house... it feels sooooo good to have it done! all we have left to do is take the lights off outside.

thanks for reading and looking at all the photos and being patient with me as i posted for three days just about my christmas and my family. i have so enjoyed reading some of your posts on christmas too - it's so fun looking at and reading about other peoples traditions and christmases.

i know i didn't do two things i love...around my home today but i'll be posting about it tomorrow... a day late but that's okay, right?

we're watching a surf video right now (nothing new, that's the norm around these parts) but dan and i will be snuggling, drinking coffee, eating peanut brittle and watching inglorious basterds as soon as ty goes to bed...

hope you all have a great monday night.

xoxoxo,

kass

christmas eve

we had a wonderful christmas eve with my family.

we started out at my moms house for brunch, presents and charades - which was a blast! then off we went to santa barbara to my dads house for more presents, dinner and good times!

i miss my family so much already...

tay and tann opening their stockings

ty was stoked to get the collection - a surf video about two of his favorite surfers, clay marzo and dane reynolds

my mom opening her gift from me - pot holders

aunt tammy and i playing charades

uncle paul, tay and dan playing charades

gran wearing the pom pom necklace i had decorated her present with... she's so cute

the girls - gran, aunt tammy, my mom, tay, me and tann

(all the ladies are wearing crocheted brooches i made them)

dan and his girls

grandpa and tyler

conversations with grandma

tannyn putting on a show for us

my dad and i... yes, i still sit on his lap ;-)

tanny bear with her lip gloss

yay i got an anthro gift card (i got two actually) i just love the little monsters!

that was our christmas eve... tomorrow i'll post some christmas day fun.

hope you don't mind :-)

now it's time to watch a movie with my honey, drink some coffee and cuddle on the couch.

nitey nite my friends!

xo,

kass

christmas eve eve

merry day after christmas my friends! 

we had a great time up north with my family. i just felt like i was home and being back up north made me realize that a southern california girl i am not... and never will i be. put me in central cal or norcal and that's the place for me!! 

we enjoyed seeing old friends, drinking great champagne, eating cheese and bread, baking with my mom and visiting my granny at her house which is always decorated so beautifully for christmas.

here is a review of christmas eve eve

champagne, wine, cheese, the BEST kalamta olives soaked in merlot, warm bread and great company at the mayhew's house tuesday night/morning

joyce and myself

tannyn and tayli in me and my sisters old aprons

granny (my mom), tann, tay and papa (my step-dad)

eating the dough

cookie making

aw, how i miss having a fireplace!

tannyn and my gran

old carolers

joy to the world

the best "blanket" ever... every time i'm at my gran's i wear this - it is so warm, stays on and is much cuter than a snuggie!

oh christmas tree

my grans house - it just isn't christmas until i see my gran and her beautiful house all decorated for christmas

this is my grans dress from the 50's - i have a picture of her wearing it at a ball - it's so pretty, this picture doesn't do it justice! i was so glad i was small enough to try it on but i definitely am not as small as my gran was... it's only zipped up 3/4 up my back (i love how it makes my boobs look big!).

she gave it to me anyway though - yay!

hanging out with one of our many mann families that we love, josh and marian, at sturbucks.

dan and josh being... themselves.

sweet marian and i

okay, that's it for now. i'll be posting some more pics from christmas eve and christmas day over the next few days.

i hope you all had a wonderful christmas with your loved ones... i would love to hear what you all did.

xo,

kass