Light Peeping

We went looking at Christmas light the other evening.  We had such a delightful time.  Here are a few shots of what we saw.  We made a big circle from our house, around town and then ended up at the Grandparents house.  A nice ending to a lovely evening.

Our Anniversary

We celebrated 16 years today!  I always try to have paper white narcisses at our anniversary as that was what was blooming in my garden the morning I got up to go to the chapel to get married.  I picked it and attached it to a love note for Rich that I put in his dressing room before he arrived.

Rich bought me this lovely baby yellow rose bush and these lovely gifts.

He and Mary enjoyed the card I gave him.

Mary and I hanging an anniversary angel ornament on the tree.

We went to a wonderful Mexican restaurant called the Mazatlon Grill in honor of our honeymoon cruise to the Mexican Rivera.  We did stop in Mazatlon on that trip.

Rich ordered the chicken mole and I got crab enchilatas!

Christmas Cookies

We had home school baking 101 class today!  Mary was so thrilled to put the cookie dough together this year along with decorating them.  She has done the decorating for a long time but now she can operate the mixer and be around the stove without worries.  So she had a blast making goodies for us to share with friends and family.

Happy Hanukkah

Our Christmas Wreath

Mary and I went to a local farm to make our Christmas wreath this year.  It was so much fun and the workers and coordinators were so nice.  It was so special to make our wreath ourselves with local greens and holly and pine cones.  We hope to keep this a family tradition for years to come.

Mary's Birth Day Celebration

We had a little party for Mary with some friends.  I made her a banana cake with fruit topping instead of frosting.  It turned out really yummy!

Mary had a blast making balloon animals.  She got out the balloons and instruction manual and made them all by herself.  I was impressed.  Her kitty is watching her make a mouse.  She is mezmorized.

We did pin the tail on the llamma for the little ones.

Everybody was having fun!

12 candles...can it be possible?

Lots of party fun!

Celebrating her birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's

My dear Mary girl, I am so blessed when I reflect on your birth. What a special gift you are to us. We were past the age of what most people, including the medical field, thought that we would be able to have a child naturally, but with God all things are possible. I have walked a life that is way different than the one I imagined as a young person, but I would never change it now. Your daddy and you came to me in God's perfect timing and my life has been all the sweeter for it. You have grown into a lovely young lady, full of life and love and creativity. As you grow my message would be, wait for the Lord, no matter how long or short the wait will be. If we are following Him we have no worries for the future, He will give us all we need when we need it and we don't have to compromise to get it. He is a good and loving father and gives good gifts to His children. In this life, if we follow Jesus and the things he taught us, we will have persecution and trouble from the world. We are hard pressed on every side at times but we are to throw off those things and sins that weigh us down and run for the prize which is eternal life in heaven with him. Remember if we are wise with the little things (this short life compared to eternity) God will give us so much more (eternal life with him). Happy Birthday Sweetheart! I am so proud of you and look forward to see all that unfolds in your life!

Fall is Here!!

The Fall and its harvest is upon us. We love the peppers, cabbage, blackberry jam, tomatoes and apples.  The flowers are still beautiful and have picked several big bouquets from the front garden already.

Mary picked up leaves and did crayon rubbing on them and then painted them with water colors.  

They turned out so pretty!

We went out to our favorite farm and pumpkin patch, 7 Oaks Farm

This is the farms name sake.  About a hundred years ago 7 Oaks sprouted up and formed a gigantic tree.  A few years ago it became diseased and had to be cut down.  So sad.  the stumps are still very impressive.

Twin goats feeding from Mary's hand.

A scary branch that was so beautiful against the Autumn sky.

We had a wonderful homeschool field trip to Denman Nature Reserve near Tou Vell Park.  They had an awesome nature presentation to the kids with all the furs of natural animals of Southern Oregon.

We all walked around the huge pond full of ducks, geese, and other water foul.  Rich found out that you can fish blue gill from this pond.  So we have found a fantastic fishing site not more than 10 minutes from our house!

Canadian Geese taking off from the water.

We decorated our front step with pumpkins from 7 Oaks farm and our own dried corn stalks.

Our back step

My favorite bumpy pumpkin.  I have not seen one like this before.

We hope you all have a blessed Fall Season!