An Early Christmas with Bumpa and Grammy

This year we won't be able to be at my parents' place for Christmas, so we did the next best thing and slipped over early.  Mom made our usual Christmas dinner, a lovely prime rib, and we still got to enjoy french dip sandwiches with the leftovers.  It was yummy!  

The kids were very happy to open a gift or three early!

A Minion was found in one of the packages.  It brought quite a few chuckles and might somehow run out of batteries...oh wait, I wouldn't do that!(:

 Reading a few books with Grammy before hitting the road.

And a picture with Bumpa and Grammy.  And Grammy?  If you have a better one, I'd love a copy.  This was the tamest one I had!(:

It was good to see Dad so chipper.  He's been fighting his own battle with cancer and he hasn't had the easiest time of it.  It's good to see him smiling and carrying on!

We wish each of you the very Happiest of Holidays!

A Winter Wonderland

Winter is officially here and the kids are quite pleased with the prospect!

Logan makes a very helpful shoveler.  The shovel is bigger than he is, but it doesn't stop him!  Since this picture was taken, we've gotten another 10-12 inches of snow and it's still falling.

School's out and a snow fort is under construction!  Add some snow and the possibilities are endless!

Thanksgiving 2015

Before I get started, I just want to take a moment to thank each who have commented.  I've not been very good about responding but your thoughts and care are appreciated!

Thanksgiving plans worked out this year and we were able to make the trek across the prairie to spend some time with Ryan's family.  The kids were excited to see their cousins and we were glad to spend some time just being together.  

Three goofy kids with their pals that Grandma Jean made many a year ago.  She's been gone 11 years now.  It's funny how you may not even voice it, but memories are triggered by many different things.  She is missed!

Uncle Rob likes snuggles and Logan is happy to provide them!  And poor Dad never knows when a daughter-in-law is going to come along with a camera!

I can only the imagine the stories being retold about the day's hunt! I'm sure these two boys look just like their Dads did 30 years ago or so.  They are close to the same age spread as their Dads with very similar interests.

Not bad for an afternoon's work!

These kiddos went in search of snow to shovel, icicles to bang down, whatever fun was to be had in a snowy farmyard.  Their mother/auntie didn't last too long outside with them.  That wind was chilly!

 On to warmer pursuits...

I love these twin heads bent to the task at hand.  A little Zentangling anyone?

 Playing the Family Game.  Rob is looking like his 'family' has outgrown his chair!

On the drive home we made a quick stop at Roy's place to pick up some errant belongings of some of their visitors from out our way.  Roy made it worth the boys' while by letting them drive the little cart.  It ended up in the ditch but it's a pretty shallow one!(:  You have a few more years to wait, Lane!  That's one thing your mother is thankful for!

A Couple More November Pics...

Some random pictures that I love from mid-November that I've been meaning to post...

Plotting their battleship moves in stage whispers.  Their opponent (Allyson - thank you for sharing these two pics) didn't even need to send spies over to know what they were planning!

Early morning snuggles...the best part of this picture isn't pictured!  Mommy was still sound asleep in her bed!(:

These two boys are very close in age and were two peas in a pod!

Connor and Vanessa's Daddy (Jeremy), grew up with Geoff and I.  Nicole snapped this picture of the group of them after meeting.  Jeremy was over for a deer hunt and we so enjoyed spending some time together and getting reacquainted.

A Few Family Pictures

Last week we got the bad news that my cancer is back.  Certainly not what we expected or what we wanted to hear but what we need to face once again.  I am so thankful that I can leave my worry for the future in the hands of the One who knows the future.  He will guide and keep. 

Sunday I decided that I wanted a family picture taken while I still have my own hair.  It's not my favorite length but it is mine. It's a little sooner than I usually put my family through the ordeal fun times but there is no time like the present!  Our sister worker Allyson was with us so we didn't have the kids wondering about the weird blinking button that signals the self-timer is ready to go off.  We thought that might help...

Ryan checking out the lighting for Allyson.  Not bad kids!

And then the fun began.  Here are a few of my favorites...

 Oh Logan.  You are a ham.

 Umm...Logan?  You're the only one who thinks this is two thumbs up!

Logan!  Seriously!  By this time Allyson was shaking with laughter.  I'll spare you the bazillion others.

One turned out!  We'll take it.  It's actually a pretty good representation of each of the kids personalities.

And one with just the three of them.  These are three precious reasons to dive back into the craziness of treatment!

My Favorite Kids

I'm having a tough time sleeping tonight.  Might as well post a picture of my 3 favorite kids.  They are the best kids ever (I'm only slightly biased...).  And their Daddy is pretty special too.  I'm so thankful they're mine!

A Memorial Service

My Uncle Pat (Mom's brother) passed away in September and his Memorial Service was on Sunday.  It has been a very long time since we have seen many in Mom's family so it was very nice to be together for a few hours.

The night before the service was Halloween.  We hung out with our friends Matt and Sally and had a little 'party.'  Sally is the ultimate party planner and had 'Pin the Face on the Jackolantern', Spider Tossing and Halloween themed art projects for the kids.  But I think their favorite was the 'jam session.'

Matt and Sally have all sorts of noise making instruments and it was NOISY!  I'm sure the neighbors heard too!  Hopefully they even enjoyed it?  That might be wishful thinking!(:

The one group photo that sort of turned out.  These kids had fun together and Dorian didn't seem to mind having his space overrun by three much bigger hooligans.

The next day we gathered to say good-bye to Uncle Pat.  It was a very informal gathering and was very nice to spend some time catching up with my cousins and aunties and uncles.  Growing up we always had to line up on the couch and get cousins pictures.  We had a makeshift 'couch' for old times sake and stuck our parents on it.  The uncles weren't sure why they needed to be included since it was the aunts who were responsible for the photo sessions.(:

Mom's siblings and their spouses.

Of course we still got our turn.  We were missing Adam, Chad, and Lisa who all live on the East Coast, and Molly (who passed away in 1999).

And the second cousins were not let off the hook either.  There are 3 more who are not pictured.  Everyone commented that Mom is the youngest of the 6 siblings and she is the one with 12 grandchildren!

Some Big Fish

Here are a few more fish pictures for posterity.  Ryan has spent a bit of time on the water this fall and it is starting to pay off.

Logan was pleased to have his parents to himself while his siblings were at school.  We only caught a few small ones that day but he didn't mind!  

One of the Saturday mornings Ryan and Lane went out they had a very successful day with some big fish!  (Left - 11 lb., Lane's - 7 lb. and right - 15 lb.)

It was a 2-thumbs up sort of day!  And now we have plenty of fish in the freezer.

A Laugh

The Baby Blues comic from yesterday is just a touch to close to reality around here...Ha!

Fall Fishing

It's been a while since we've posted a fishing picture.  The lake temperature is dropping and it's a good time to try for trout.  Ryan and Lane have had some success and even earned a bit of money as the fish and game pay $15 per lake trout in their attempts to eradicate them from the lake.

A successful day fishing with Brad.  They caught some nice bull trout too but that variety is catch and release so those ended up back in the lake.

Another successful Saturday morning.  Lane's was 9 lbs. and it was about all he could do to hold it up.

'Calm and Quiet' - Take 2

Our week of keeping 'calm and quiet' went surprisingly well.  Logan cracked me up at the ophthalmologist's office when he told the doctor and me how much he loved fall.  When we asked him why, he listed all the things he wanted to do in the leaves.  Hint, hint, doc!  

He was given the green light and the kiddos spent the next 3 days piling leaves and playing in them.  They got the great idea that jumping into the leaves could be elevated even higher by adding a jump from the swing.

You can clearly see why this was so exciting.  Big air!  Of course, big air also means there is a possibility of injury.  And as soon as I put away the camera, Logan landed wrong and whimpered that he broke his arm.  I assured him it was not broken.

Except that even the next morning he was still favoring it.  So into the doctor's office we went.  Then across to the hospital for x-rays.  And, sure enough, he had fractured both bones in his lower arm.  His left.  And you guessed it, he's a leftie.

Our sister workers are here with us.  Allyson decided to wrap her arm up and make a batch of 1-handed cookies with the kids in honor of National Dessert Day and in an attempt to cheer up a somewhat subdued Logan.  As you can see, it worked.  He's back to his silly smiles when Mom comes near with a camera.(:

Morgan helped but she got to use both hands.  The cookies turned out splendidly.

We're back to keeping him 'calm and quiet.'  Except for quite a bit longer this time.  I think it might be time to wrap him up in bubble wrap!