"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

This was our 3rd Annual Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Party. I can't believe when we first started doing this Denton was 4, Makenzie, Landon and Abi were 2. Can you imagine decorating cookies with 3 two year olds?! This year we added the one year olds, Grant and Caden. They did really great! It was fun to see how much better the other kid's cookie decorating skill has become. We even managed to sing 2 Christmas songs before the sprinkles started to fly. I love having these little people over and spending time with them. This year we decided to shorten the activity time and reduce the amount of cookies to decorate. That was the ticket!! I think they all had a great time...they mostly just like being with each other. I am so grateful they all enjoy each other's company! These type of activities make my Christmas!!! Happy Holidays!

Happy Harvest!

Fall is my very favorite time of year. I love the colors, the smells, the crisp coolness, not so much the increased rain, though. This year the months flew by because we were so busy around this place. I felt like all the plans for the fall I had in mind never materialized. I feel somewhat cheated. Here it is the first part of December and I am trying to recapture Autumn. Let me mention what was on my wish list of things to experience during the fall that when unexperienced.

• A canoe ride around the lake
• A drive over to Leavenworth to see the many colors of leaves
• Rototilling the leaves in after they have fallen
• A fire out at the firepit and roasting something
• Cooking recipes with squash in them
• Making applebutter

Not all of Autumn was wasted on the mundane. I made banana bread with chocolate chips. We went to the Puyallup Fair. we decorated with pumpkins on the porch. I bought a new Autumn sented candle. I may have not been able to do everything that I would've liked, but I still hold this time of the year as my favorite. How ironic...I love the slower pace Autumn has to offer, I was just too busy to notice.

Remember This?

I heard a portion of this song on a commercial the other day. Chuck and I Googled it of course. I was shocked that I still knew all the words. I know for a fact I have NOT sung that song for many, many years! These were the type of songs that I associate with my youth. They were happy, upbeat and yes, very hippyish. I was only 10 years old when this song was a hit. I really was born a little too late for my liking! I would've been into SOME of that hippy scene, I hate to admit. Enjoy!