Looking Back on 2016

2017 is here and as usual I'm late getting a "Looking Back" post or any post for that matter up on the blog.

Better late than never!

So the little man on the left joined us in February during the Super Bowl half time show, and made us Grampy and Grammy for a second time! 

He's such a cutie! 

This guy moved back to Maine!  Woot woot!!!

On Easter this year, they announced they were expecting their first baby!

It was such a wonderful surprise!

Miss Ella Rose arrived early to celebrate Thanksgiving with all of us.  

A happy and healthy baby girl! 

They are amazing parents!

She arrived on CC's birthday! 

An awesome birthday gift of becoming an aunt to this sweet baby girl!

Their first Christmas with Ella 

CC, David, Scott and I headed out the last weekend in November to cut down our tree!

It was our first Christmas in our new home!  We absolutely love where we live and I haven't any regrets! 

Ready for Christmas!

This was Timmy's first Christmas!

He was so much fun! 

Ben turned three this year and was so fun to watch.  His squeals and excitement made everyone laugh!

This was Ella's first Christmas too.  She loves her mommy and daddy so much. 

She is just a joy to look at, hold, and talk to.

My heart is full!

Living in our new home here in town, I'm finding I actually enjoy snowstorms.

There is hardly any wind here and makes going outside so much more bearable. 

This is our biggest storm yet! 24 inches at once!

Happy New Year!

October Snow

We have a tradition in our home. The first snowfall of the year we play Christmas carols...

This year happens to be on.....

October 14th!!!!!

Fall is in the air

Fall is in the air here, and you can see it in the horses actions in the field.  They are frisky, running, jumping, kicking, rolling, and just energetic in general.

Poor Zip! He's just wanting to take his mid-day nap!  Fancy is wanting to play though.

After a couple of attempts to get Zip up and running around, she gives up, and Zip is free to take a snooze....

Honey has had enough of Fancy's antics, and decides to just get up!

Just cracks me up, these three!! Zip just ignores Fancy, Honey is disgusted with her, and as far as Fancy is concerned......

Life is good!!

Weather Junkie

 I'm not ashamed to say I'm a weather junkie.  I could sit in front of The Weather Channel all day long.

  Forget Facebook and give me the weather channel! 

These photo's were of the last storm that rolled in. 

One of my favorite things about summer is watching the storms roll in over the mountains.  

July 20th!!!!!...........

I got up this morning and built a fire.........need I say more?

Chickens, Garden's, and Rainy Days

Scott and I have been chatting about the possibility of a visit to Oregon state this fall...

I'm not really sure that we need to go now.  

I think in the past two weeks we have had about 6 inches of rain...

I know it rains A LOT in Oregon!

I feel as though I'm already visiting!!

Anyway......we had another chick that I had to hatch out.  

This one is a miracle and any others that hatch out will be as well!!

I'm not sure about the last few chicken ramblings if I mentioned that I kinda over heated my chicken eggs by like 27 degrees!!!! Then I was going to throw them out and took the light off and the temperature dropped to 78 degrees!! The next morning this little chick was hatching! 

Acelia has named her Judy after another one of her favorite actresses...

Judy Garland.  We absolutely love "Meet Me In St. Louis" . 

One of our favorites!

To the Garden for an update!

As you can see....the calendula is soaked!  I do have a couple that are almost fully blossomed!

I'm starting this process.....its long, involved, but will be worth it in the end (I hope)!

I laid some out today because the rain really help keeps the paper in place until I get the mulch.  It will also hold a lot of moisture in when this rain finally stops!

The movie is so good, with ton's of information!!

My sweet pea blossom

These pea pods are yellow! 

Going for color here!

Yes, that is my chewed to bits, drowning in mud and mulch, arugula!

We have had so much rain that it is washing plants right away along with washing the mulch away as well.  It's a never ending battle.  Rain, bugs, not enough rain.....blah blah blah! Whatever!!!!!!

Inside going crazy........

We have watched Kipper, played trucks, and our new rainy day activity is play doh!

I made the above cat, which was immediately squashed with lot's of giggles....

Acelia is working on a puppy....

Then she made this snake...

A little wind, a little rain....

With the hot humid weather here, we are in for some serious thunderstorms.  

It was a deluge for about an hour and a half here this afternoon!!

You can see the massive amounts of rain coming off the log ends of the house.

The wind was so violent that it took several large, heavy, pictures off my mantel and sent them smashing down to the tile.

The trees were completely sideways.

I'm surprised they weren't uprooted.

The ground got a good ol' soaking and the sun is out now, making it feel like a sauna.

I'm sure more is on the way.....

Cool Blue

We've been having my favorite weather lately.  You know......hot....very hot....humid...very humid... upper 80"s, low 90's....

Hot! Hot! Hot!!

I love going to bed at night with every window wide open...

I love waking up to the warmth even though the sun is not out yet....

I love to hear the splashing and playing of my niece's little boy in his swimming pool.... or sitting on the deck watching a thunderstorm roll in, and waking up at 2:30 to lighting flashing

and the cracking, booming, roll of thunder.  I love this weather!