Goodbye 2011... Hello 2012

Well I guess it's all over... 2011 that is *grin*.

Last night we pulled out a fancy table cloth for the coffee table, covered it with delicious finger foods for our annual new year's eve party and invited my mom and dad to join us :) We had cheese and crackers, hummus and veggie chips, fresh oysters that I breaded and fried, black Alaskan cod which is seriously to die for when you steam it in the oven....

and poached pears in a merlot and grand marnier sauce. I've been wanting to make these for a long time and thought it would make a lovely dessert to eat at the stroke of midnight :) I made a syrupy reduction out of the poaching liquid and then drizzled it over the warm pears and vanilla bean ice cream. So yummy and a lovely way to ring in the new year!

My dad just happens to be a new year's baby as well so today we got to have another party for his birthday with homemade sushi. We made California rolls and others with smoked sockeye salmon, shrimp croissants and my mom made cherry cheesecake for his birthday cake. I think I've eaten enough for an entire week in the last 24 hours LOL.

I'm not one for new year's resolutions usually as I tend to break them but last January I had vowed to live life more intentionally and 2011 lived up to what I had envisioned so I plan to do a whole lot more intentional living in 2012!

But when I read this lovely excerpt below from Ann Voskamp's blog, A Holy Experience a few days ago it just made me say 'YES'!

“I don’t really want more time;
I just want enough time.
Time to breathe deep & time to see real & time to laugh long, time to give You glory & rest deep & sing joy…
I just want time to do my one life well."
{read more here}

I can't agree more whole heartedly with what she wrote and I am looking forward to everything this brand new year brings my way :)

Happy New Year,
Rosina

New Years Baby

My dad is a new years baby so every year he gets completely spoiled with a new year's eve party and then the following day another birthday day with the kids :)

We don't actually go out or anything for new years. My sister and her husband come up every second year and we pig out on waaay to much good food, watch movies, play games and just enjoy family time all together with my parents which is exactly what we did today :)

This year for fun I got him a giant candy apple for his birthday cake :) It was so cute when the kids brought it to him with one lone candle burning in the top *grin*.

Nothing like a giant green apple coated in chocolate and caramel :) Well, at least it is partially nutritious with the apple center! LOL

For turning 68, beating cancer for the second time earlier this year and in the process of building his third house, I'd say he's doing pretty darn good for his age :)

Happy Birthday Daddy :)

Hugs,
Rosina

Happy New Year!!!

Wow, 2010!! I'm excited to see what the new year will bring for our family :)

We had a quiet little celebration at home with the kids. It's my dad's birthday as well so we had to break out the bubbly for a little toast to his being another year older *grin*.



When I look at the photos of tonight it sort of feels like I teleported myself back to 1980! With our red heart table cloth draped over the coffee table and our little picnic placed upon it. I could just see my sister and I as little girls under the Christmas tree in our new flannel nightgowns that we got as presents and my mom taking photos of us. Such fun :)

Happy new year everyone and may all your dreams and goals for the new year come true!

~ Rosina