I am smiling...how about you?

For our granddaughter a trip to see Santa has not always been a happy experience....at least for her.  This year...today...it was! I look from afar...and I'm grateful for my Blackberry because I have access to these endearing moments...and right as they happen! 

"Hi Sweet Girl!" 

Another first today was a Cinnabon!!  LA looks like she is on a mission to get that eaten! To be honest...I would have liked to have been there! 

Below...is the sweetest picture in my memory..of my own two darlings!  Laura Jane was almost five years old and Derin was 16 months old.   It was Christmas 1982 and I won't ever forget this day!

I hope that each of you have fond memories of days past and certain thrills for today! 

Merry Christmas all month long! 

Going back......

 ...many years ago, before I was a twinkle in my parent's eyes, they lived on my father's family farm in Leduc, Alberta, Canada.     I love these pictures because it shows what their transportation was during the winter months in a very cold (sometimes 40 degrees below zero) region of the prairie in Alberta.  The horses were sturdy looking..bigger than average.  I wonder if they were Percherons?  They look like it. 
The photos below were taken in 1939 and give me the impression that my parents must have been having a good time!  My mother would tell me about hitching up the horse and going to town..alone!  She was a small person but had a mighty spirit.  A "can do" kind of soul!  And, she did! 

This picture of my dad is especially memorable.  He stands so tall and proud!
Look at the windmill and there are few trees behind the house.  The trees look like they are newly planted.  On the prairie there aren't a lot of trees and that is why I mention them.    

I appreciate having a record of my parents lives.  My SIL, Chris, scanned many pictures like these, and I copied them from her computer before it crashed.  They are now saved on an external hard drive and I encourage others to do the same thing with your old photos.  It is a meaningful experience to go through them, and be transported back in time.

Come, gone and coming!

 We travelled north for Thanksgiving to the small city our daughter's family lives in.  Bellingham,Washington is one of those places that is easy to walk around and explore. Charming, too!

In the photo below you can see our gang walking towards city center, and little Maggie is the white spot in the middle of the picture.  What you can't see is our grandchildren..but they are there!! :)

On our way down to the river front, this truck and trailer came right by us.  The replica ship was something to see and a little difficult to take in all of the sudden!  The camera was on a good setting for just this kind of photo and that's all I got...one photo.  I wonder what the story is behind this small but mighty ship?  It looked sea worthy! 

Our time away was sweet!  We ate, talked, rested and had a good time!  There is so much  more I could add here..but...the fire is burning in the wood stove and I'm headed for the couch.

The weeks ahead look like busy ones...more celebrations to experience and the best of all is to come....the promise of Christmas....the birth of Jesus! 

One little girl has been busy.

Being a certain little girl has brought about many very interesting and fun experiences!  Dressing up as a ballerina...playing with the greatest pop beads ever.....

..making jewelry for the cat.....

...turning cones into a family...

..turning a box into a fairy house..

and making table top nature gardens!  All this in one week!  I wonder what this week will bring in the way of creative play? 

This grammy is proud of LA!  She is a gift of endless possibilities!

Birthday Week

Sixty years ago my life began.  I was the third child born to my parents.  I had two older brothers, Gary and Reed.  Gary was seven at the time, and here we are celebrating my birthday so many years later.  Reed is in heaven....having a good time watching! 



I loved having my family with me on this momentous day.  Not everyone could come but they were with me in their thoughts! 

 My heart is full of love for each of you!

During my "Birthday" week, I received two lovely plants from friends.  One is a large burgundy mum and the other is a mixed basket of evergreens.  I like how they look sitting on the bench my father built....sixty years ago.  The bench is reminder that if we do something..build something...do your best....because it will last! 
Thank you...dear friends and family!

Letterboxing

This young man has been in my life for eight years!  He is our Grand Nephew..which make me a Great Auntie!  I've mentioned him from time to time because he is an important part of our family! 

He and I have started a fun activity.  It's called Letterboxing.  If you have young people in your life and would like to do something fun and educational, while introducing them to new areas of the world, do take a closer look at this.  It's a kind of treasure hunt that takes you to interesting  places.  Go to http://www.atlasquest.com/ and figure out what I'm talking about.  All the hobby requires is a car, journal book, a handmade rubber stamp(or finger print), ink pad and a pencil.  Take a snack along, have fun and don't let anyone see you at work!!  It's a highly secretive adventure!

O yes, do think up an interesting nick name for yourself.  You will need it when you find the hidden letterbox and sign-in. 

On our trek through Elk Creek Gardens at Bishop's Close we saw several beautiful and unusual flowers.  Many of them only bloom in the cooler weather and are in the lily family. 

To read a previous post about Bishop's Close from October 23, 2008....go to it here.

The slugs were out on this day.  Ick...ick..ick....but kind of worth looking closer at.  This specimen was skimming over the rocks! 

We found the Koi pond and stopped to peer into the green water.  There were many  Koi fish swimming around and just the kind of thing a young man of eight would like to look at!

Another lily appeared around the bend. It had no leaves..just a tall, thick stem and these beautiful flowers.

Fall Crocus..randomly growing along the path.

The back side of the Kerr Mansion appears through the bushes and trees surrounding the estates ten acres. 

Below is a side entrance.  It shows the simplicity and the charm of the stately home. 

Wuthering Heights comes to my mind when I come here.  There are some nice details to the building but it is also stark and plain.  It is a big grey cement house with lots of rooms. 

As we leave the parking lot we notice the blue bench almost hidden beneath the very large wisteria vine. We wanted to stay but our next stop was the DQ for an Oreo Blizzard! 

Water play

LA enjoyed quiet play on the front porch this afternoon. 

She had tubs of water, rocks and some treats to eat. 

Maggie joined in as the day progressed.

 Maggie and LA are about the same age at heart.  They react to life with similar glee! Each of them likes to tell the other what to do!

LA is gone and the house is quiet.  We miss her little squeals of joy at each new experience and so does Maggie!

Both of these faces are about as cute as they get in my book. 

There is one more adorable face in our family.  It belongs to the newest member..who turns two months old this week.  He is growing like a weed and looks a lot like his mommy and daddy.  Trust me..he's cute!! 

(Spoken like a true grama!!  :)

First Pony Ride

The sweetest days come right when you need them!

Our granddaughter has been talking about "the pony ride" for weeks.  She was invited over weeks ago and it happened! 

 The pony, Oreo, had to be brushed.  Next, the saddle was put on,  helmet  placed on LA's head and up she went! 

And, off she goes!

I think LA has been bitten by the pony bug!  What do you think? She did not want to get off of Oreo and that was clearly stated! 

Love you sweet one!

The Wedding

The wedding is over.  The guest have gone home and a sweet memory is left to digest.  I'm going to leave you with a few pictures of the woodland wedding ceremony site.  You can imagine the peaceful setting and how the beautiful bride felt to be getting married in the place of her dreams. 

The happy couple leaving the ceremony.

 I looked up at the sky right after the ceremony and said a prayer of thanksgiving. 

 ( The wedding was in the woods...on our farm.  The weather was perfect..not too hot and not too cold.)

A fine day...indeed!

Real life drama unfolds.

The baby fawn appeared today with her mother but not for long.  Mama doe has had her fawn tucked away under the cover of the woods for weeks.  The pictures are not very clear but clear enough to see them.  (Hence..the reason I need a camera that zooms a bit further! Right? )

If you look closely you can see the pair gazing up the driveway at me. 

Now for the grandest drama of this year!!  Jim caught the mole that has dug his way clear across out front yard.  There must have been fifty dirt piles over the past several weeks.  We have tried everything known to the farm store and some ideas we made up ourselves.  What got the mole?  A trap!  Snap...gotcha! 

The End for Mole!

Part Two

Chicken Little needs to be moved!

We moved the baby chicks(17) last night from the nursery to the big pen with all the other hens. One of the new hens is small, and when I checked in on her this morning, it was clear that she needed to be taken out.  Her size is slightly smaller and that is all it takes.  During the early morning she was literally pecked on. 

I wasn't sure if I could do this by myself but I needed to get her.  I used my honed chicken cornering skills,  grabbed hold and didn't let go.  She is back in the nursery and can begin healing.  We will pour the greens to her, and she will add a few pounds, before going back into the large pen.  There is often a runt in the chicks but they do catch up in size.  I'm glad that I was home today and could save Chicken Little. 

 (She is to the left of the photo)

Speaking of babies....we are still waiting for our number TWO grand baby to arrive!!  It shouldn't be long...a matter of minutes...I hope!! 

Life on the farm is never dull and life in a family isn't either! 

Bellingham from waters edge to rich farmland

I've been gone for a few days.  My trip took me north to the new home of our daughter and her family.  They now live in Bellingham, Washington.  The area is breathtakingly beautiful! To start with, there are views of the Olympic mountains, San Juan Islands, and Mt. Baker.  The days I visited were clear, bright and cheerful.  We went on several outings that took us from the waters edge, to the rich farmland this area is known for. 

 

Hovander Farm is a wondrous old farm that was given to the state in 1969.  It must have been quite the place.  The stately home is one of the most stunning pieces of architecture in the county.  It was built with a Swedish flare and may be the prettiest home in the community! 

  There are plenty of animals in the farmyard, and these turkeys take the prize for attracting attention!  We also saw goats, bunnies, ducks, and geese.  As the season warms more animals are brought to the farm for all to enjoy.

We had free run of the farm for quite a while, until the buses pulled in and dropped off several loads children.  What a great experience for school kids. Many visitorscome here to picnic, pet the animals and play along the Noosack River.   Dogs welcome!

We look forward to finding out more about Bellingham.  There appears to be an endless supply of wide open spaces and natural beauty to explore.