Annual Picture

We're kinda in a rut taking family pictures around our old barns but sometimes its easiest to go with whats familiar.

Logan (7), Morgan (9), Lane (10)

Wrapping up the Year

The snow came early this year.  We actually got a chance to go up skiing before Thanksgiving break.  The snow was very good but since then we have had very little to add to it.  We're certainly looking forward to more snowy days this year though so we can enjoy the skiing again.

We made our annual trip to Grandpa Larry's farm for Thanksgiving which was a very nice time.  I believe the temps even hit 70 one day.  The geese were moving through so I got Lane a tag and managed to get him into a few geese.  He was ecstatic needless to say.

Not bad for a first goose hunt.

Then we had to try for a few pheasants as well.  This year Lane got to take part in the hunt not just walk along.  The bird numbers were low but we still managed to find a few.  Lane got one so he is really doing well with the birds this year.

Its always fun to bird hunt on the farm. Hard to believe that Lane is old enough now to go hunting.

We always enjoy being together, visiting, playing games, and eating way more than we should.

Successful deer hunter

Lane is all smiles with his first deer.  Good job Lane!

Home Improvements

This fall I decided to tackle a few home  improvement projects.  Not that I had time but sometimes you just have to make time.  I got some vynil "wood" flooring, new entry door, and rock for the front entrance. 

I usually always get into a project before remembering to take some before pictures. 

The kid's were excited to get in on it.  Mostly if it involved a hammer and crow bar. 

Some leveling was necessary but for the most part the sub floor was in good shape. 

Some rearranging and since the floor is out it's a good time to paint...

Front entrance.  I had to stop the rock work.  We started getting to cold for masonry work.  Will have to finish in the spring. 

I do like the new floor.  It makes the kitchen, dining,  and living areas tie together better. 

New Baby

Our good friends Brad and Char just had a new baby so we got to see what a newborn was like again.   Good to see them all healthy and doing well. 

Morgan was really pleased to hold baby Zane.  She keeps asking when we get to go see him again.  With a cousin on the way in a couple weeks there should be more baby opportunities for her in the near future. 

Lane thought it was really cool as well.   I think he might have been a little more excited by the gun Brad let him borrow for deer hunting thou.

Snow Dance

We went up the mountain and picked up our passes for the ski season since we saw a good bit of white stuff up there and just wanted to get a little hype going for winter.  The kids were ready to start skiing right now.  They were really concerned that no lifts were running yet....  The weatherman says colder than normal and wetter than normal so maybe we'll have a good ski year. Hopefully their smiles are still this big at the end of the year.

Birthdays

Birthday time again! #9 and #7. Grandma came to help out and made the special requested cakes.  They were both very approving of them.  Logan wanted a cake with a toy boat getting towed and Morgan wanted cupcakes with filing....they were not disappointed.

They got spoiled again....

American Girl dolls are becoming more and more interesting for this little girl.

And legos never disappoint...

The next weekend we did our annual getaway to the SilverMountain indoor water-park.  Its starting to get hard to keep up with the kids in a place like this.

Lane and I spent a bit more time this go around on the wave ride.

Youth Duck Hunt

I happened to pick up a paper while waiting to be seating at a restaurant not long ago and found an article about a youth waterfowl hunt.  It was scheduled for the time that I was going to be gone archery hunting but that wasn't going to pan out this year so I thought maybe we should give this a try.  It was put on by the Idaho Fish and Game.

First step was to do some target practicing the week before the hunt.

He got some good coaching and managed to break a lot of clay's

The morning of the main event.  Their were 10 guides and 20 kids along with parents.  They've done this before and had it all well laid out even at 5:00 in the morning.

Heading out through the darkness.  It was something to behold as 10 light up duck boats roared up the river in the pitch black night.

Here's our duck  hunter...and some dead ducks next to him.  Looks like he's having some success.  I think the blue waders helped him out

The setup.

picking up decoys

Lane and his new friend with their ducks.  Lane managed to get six, his friend got three, which was a great job for their first duck hunt.  I think they brought in the most or second to it for all the groups.  Of course now he wants to duck hunt on the weekends but it seems like we have so many things that are clawing for our time now that this might be the only duck hunt this year.

Back to School

Back to school....not much else to say other than they are growing!  The thing I notice the most is how much space they are taking up in their beds when I tell them goodnight.

This is the Buddy Bench dedicated to Jeannie that they put up on the playground.

Schweitzer Camp!

I signed the kids up for a week of day camp up at Schweitzer Mountain at the end of summer. It was a big hit!  I gave Lane a little go-pro style camera so he could show me what it was like.  It was very entertaining to review the pictures and video he took.

I wish I could eat my lunch here every day.

Each day had some amount of pool activity it sounds like.

Rock climbing was a favorite of Lanes.

He even got a picture from the top.  You can see the monkey jumpers in the background.  They were entertaining as well.  It was a bungee thing they got strapped into and then bounced on big inflated mattresses.

Selfie riding the chair....don't drop the camera!

Heading down!

And as luck would have it the eclipse was the week of their camp.  They had a big thing planned for this at the top of the mountain and the kids said they even made it on TV.  News crews I guess had set up at the top to take in the festivities.  The kids said there was thousands of people....

Morgan sporting her viewing platform.  They also said each day they had not so healthy snack that they wouldn't be allowed to have at school.  On eclipse day they all got Moon pies.  Not sure exactly what they are but they sounded sugary by their description.