One week of winter

This was taken before the winds started blowing and melted all our snow.

Before the winter season started, we eyed the snow blowers in Sears, and I told Roger, " we really ought to get one of those!"  I was remembering the number of times we shoveled our cement walkway leading to our front door, last winter.  We had a huge berm of snow piled up, and it got harder and harder to clear the path.  Well,we didn't buy one....yet.  Maybe still would if they'd go on a Jim Dandy sale.  If we had bought one, I would be quite sure that was the reason we are having such a mild winter.  As it is, we'll have to find something else to blame.

By the way, our yard doesn't look anything like this right now. It is bare and dry.  Do you suppose if I bought a wind sock or a kite that our wind would go away??

Linda

An offer I couldn't refuse

Maybe you noticed in the comments on my last post, that Betty gave me a very good reason to make the cake that I gave the recipe for.  Her birthday was coming up, and she even offered to cook supper for us.  The cake turned out fairly well and I think everyone enjoyed it and I enjoyed making it, but now I feel like "been there, done that" and I don't have to go there again.  It was VERY rich and quite a bit of work to make.  The best part of the evening was family time together along with good food, visiting, games and laughter.  The baked potato and toppings that Betty made and the sausage and burgers that Dennis grilled (yes, outdoors) were very good.  One moment I really cherished from the evening was when Sarah came to Betty and said, "Can we come here again?"  She was having a wonderful time, and much of that was due to the fact that cousin Kristi was being so sweet to them and let the girls hang out and play with her doll house as seen on Kristi's blog here  It is a grown up version of a doll house. Kristi specializes in houses.  She sells houses and she decorates her own home beautifully and she sells cools stuff for homes at Pier 1 in her spare time.  She's has lots of great inspiration on her blog.  I think she might be related to someone else whose blog you might read here.  Betty has a beautiful home too, and it has many beautiful touches too.  You know the best part about our homes though??  It's sharing it with others and the special family times that happen there.  That is priceless.

My little sister and I.

Some of  what was left of the cake.  

I hope you have many more happy birthdays, dear sister, and thank you for sharing these pictures with me so that  I could share them with everyone here :-)  I was so disappointed with myself for bringing my camera without its memory card!

Linda

Survival Kit

My dear and sweet youngest sister handed me a gift the last time I saw her.  She had filled a gift bag with many delectable treats.  Pictured above is what is left from my bag.  The Lindt chocolate truffles disappeared long ago.  In fact, I found out they were so good that I had to buy a 'few' more bags.  I shared them with others...honest!  A couple of times, coffee and Lindt chocolates is what I served guests for dessert. No one complained.  Everyone is trying to lay off the sweets since the holidays, but one little treat along with coffee seems quite satisfying after a meal.  Just enough to satisfy the sweet tooth and to sit and linger a little longer after a meal and enjoy conversation and time together. Lately, in the evenings after dinner, we often sit and enjoy a cup of hot herbal tea.  I especially like peppermint tea and enjoy sweetening mine a little with vanilla sugar free syrup.  Again, it satisfies my sweet tooth and gives that little extra time of relaxation and enjoying one another's company just a little bit longer.  I'll bet I'm not the only one who enjoys lingering over a hot cuppa java or tea.  What is your favorite?

My sister Dicie is so crafty and has made many wonderful gifts like this.  She also creates the most beautiful scrapbooks.  This little gift is very special.  She knows how much I love both coffee and chocolate, but even more, I treasure this hand crafted mini scrapbook and recipes, as it reminds me of her every time I see it sitting on my counter along with my other coffee paraphernalia.

Inside are delectable recipes like this one for Peanut Butter thumbprints.

and this one......

And this one.

I'm going to add one more recipe that I want to share with you:  I haven't made it yet.  Maybe the next time I give myself permission to indulge....perhaps on Valentine's Day?  It has two sticks of butter in the cake and FOUR in the frosting!  That along with the coca cola and chocolate...it has to be really good, right?  Let me know how it turns out if you try the recipe.  Better yet, I'll be right over to have a piece!

Linda

Do I ever get to hold the grandkids?

Or does Grandpa Rog get them all the time?  Hardly!  Neither of us can resist their upraised arms and their "up?"  So special when they want to come sit on our lap after a meal and share dessert or sit and have a book read or come for comfort after an owww-e.  I am just the one behind the camera most of the time. I enjoy taking pictures of my kids with Grandpa and love seeing how comfortable they are with him.  It was the same with Great Grandpa Clarence.  The kids always loved sitting on his lap and playing with his watch or checking out what was in his shirt pocket.  Now-a-days, one of the kids favorite things to do is to grab Grandpa's cell phone and play with it, and Grandpa's is more fun because it is a "smart" phone and has a lot more feature's.

                                                               As you see here:

.....and here.

Joellyn recently posted this picture of Sarah and I. Sarah still enjoy lots of snuggles and was needing lots of them recently. So yes, I do get plenty of snuggle time with my grand kids, in fact I'm holding one of them now.  She's playing with my iPad while I type (not a speedy process with one hand :-)

And here I got a little 'Ollie time'

Ollie's other Grand parents came for a couple days visit too. Imagine one little boy and four doting grand parents!  How fun is that!

They came in this ultra cute little bug. I wish I had taken more pictures while they were here, but it was a busy time, so the few I got were as they were leaving.

Linda

Double the fun.....

We got to have some wonderful quality and quantity of time with our grand kids over the holiday's.  Ollie was here for over a week! Brad had to go back to Bozeman to work for a few days, but Amy and Ollie stayed here.  It was so fun to watch Ollie and Eva play together.  Ollie is a little older and a bit more agile and coordinated, but Eva did her best to keep up with him.  Eva is maybe a bit more vocal.  She is such a mimic and says lots of words after you, but we heard Ollie learn several new words during his time here, too.  That's all pretty typical probably.....boys being more physical and girls being more vocal, would you say?  Or would you say I am stereotyping here?

They had fun running and chasing each other up and down halls and going in circles.

Just hanging out together....

.....reading together.....

and even sharing their Grandpa Rog's lap and icecream!

a bite for Ollie.....

Hey, it's my turn!

Yumm!

Ride 'n horsey! Go Brad, Go!

Ollie got to ride another horsey too!  Grandpa Rog went out to the shed and pulled out the wooden horse that my Dad had made for our kids when they were little.  Great Grandpa Grant made several of these....after all he had several grand kids.  Ollie knew just what to do...climbed right on and rocked away.
I need to look and see if I have any pictures tucked away of our kids riding this horse.

Till next time, 

Linda