Thanksgiving weekend...

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with my husband's wonderful family! We really had a great time.

We made Oreo Turkeys!

Had Thanksgiving dinner! YUM!!

Cooked hotdogs around the fire!

The kids played on the rocks and rope swing...

Just hung out being lazy...

My little niece giving her daddy some lovin!
How sweet!

Grandma had some fun games for us to play! We all played bingo and won a prize and some candy!
We played some other fun games as well!!

We had a cold fun time looking for a Christmas Tree in the snow. The boys started a snowball fight!

We are so thankful for all that we have! For family, friends, food, and all that God has given to us! We are most grateful for Jesus and his sacrifice!

Baby boy, it's cold outside!

Good thing my oldest has this old Suburu! In the snow it really shines! It is the best car in the snow I have ever been in!!

Winter at my house...

Think about it...

Winter is here...

The smell of fresh rain...

I love the smell of the rain! It makes everything so clean and fresh! I did not wish this rain away today!

The Last Leaf...

Sometimes all you have is a cell phone...well, most of the time.

We had a wet season on the mountain this year. We live in the high desert so this is rare! It was a terrific change from the scary fires we had burning on the mountain last summer. Amazingly the fire fighters saved all but one cabin that was unfinished and in a very remote area. The fire burned almost all summer long and smoldered for months! It was very scary for cabin owners and animals! My brother's cabin could have been taken by it. He, along with many others, were very blessed that the Lord sent miracles like the winds changing direction and other things that the fire fighters cannot explain other than by Divine intervention!  Anyhow, lots of fun fungi and mushrooms formed this year! My husband,  children, and I have put in MANY hours of work and yard clean up to get our fixer upper cabin more fire proof, lived in and less abandoned looking! When we bought the place it looked like clean up had not happened in 20 years. Around thirty five trailer loads later, it looks much better and would help the fire fighters out if there were ever another fire!
One of the days we went up to do yard clean up I noticed all the fun mushrooms and fungi that had grown because of the moisture. On this day, like most days, all  I had was my cell phone. I took some picture of the fungi and mushrooms that I saw when I was taking a break from clean up. I think the cell photos turned out quite awesome! I have a iphone CS4. To take the photos I just got in very close to the subject and locked the screen by holding my finger on the screen until it said lock. It is a good thing I took the photos this day because the next week when we went to the cabin the mushrooms were all dried up and mostly gone. 

I also had to post this tree picture from my cell phone....How awesome is this old Ponderosa Pine.
 I love these trees, not only are they tall and beautiful, they smell like butterscotch!  

I can't believe all the different types of mushrooms I saw around our cabin. I am sure there were many more kinds....I just scratched the surface!

Pears

I am a little fruity for pears! I have a lot in my kitchen. I just like 'em.

My baby is growing up!

With a few minutes left of sunlight, we took some photos. I wanted to get some back light shots but we were too late! Oh well, we will try again soon.  The sun goes down so early this time of year. I used the reflection off the water to get a bit of light. My daughter is soooo excited for her birthday coming up! I love this little beauty!!

My Daughter the reader!

Unlike my sons, my daughter LOVES to read! She is a terrific little reader! She even reads with feeling and expression! It is fun to listen to her. Each month her school awards those who read long enough with gift certificate to  a different restaurant...this month "J" earned a personal pan pizza! She was so happy! Yum!

So greatful for these books!!!

My son had a hard time liking reading for many years! He has been a great student but has really struggled with his reading!  Diary of a Wimpy Kid started the ball rolling and the love of books. He LOVE Harry Potter and Series of Unfortunate Events.  He asked for books for his birthday and Christmas the last couple of years! Yeah!! He is now reading Guardians of Ga'Hoole.  I am soooo grateful for talented Authors that can write so well as to pull the kids into their words! 

I'm Coo Coo for my Husband!

I have the best husband I could ever imagine! On my trip to Europe last month (a trip of a life time, I know) to visit my sister and her family, I bought a gift for all of my family. I wanted to get my husband something as well. This is what I brought him back. It has a double meaning: he took German in high school and college and I am also COO COO for him. I still go week in the knees around him after 23 years!

Snow at the cabin...

I love to see the men in my life working hard! K has is easy today, not enough tools to go around. He just had to pull the logs down off the pile for chopping.

In my recent experience, candles are the best fire starters. I always stock up on candles at thrift stores to use in the fire.

My sweetie staying as warm as possible!

My beautiful babies! They are my heart!!

Winter is upon us!

My oldest looking like a lumber jack!

Our little cabin in the woods.