Getting Ready for Christmas

A couple of weeks ago Nathanial brought home a friend from college for the weekend. Jason fit right in with the gang and helped decorate the tree.
Grandma Jackson and Uncle Dan came for a short visit over the same weekend. The days flew by, but we had a wonderful visit.A yearly tradition is Matthew leading the gang in making gingerbread cookies. They combined it with watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and other Christmas specials on the internet...
Our five guys...

Changing Weather

Wayne caught this view out our back window the other morning...We had snow one evening a couple of weeks ago. Jonathan was so excited that while I was occupied somewhere else in the house, he got his coat and boots on to go join Wayne and Raven for their evening walk in the field. He didn't care that he was in his pj's!Raven loves to chew on sticks, but sometimes her choice of stick is a bit large...

Thanksgiving 2011

This year's Thanksgiving day was very relaxed and quiet. Matthew went to New York City with friends and our friend Bob was sick so it was just six of the kids, Wayne, and I.

The day was beautiful so after our meal most of us went up to walk around Buck Horn Lake.

At the far end of the lake the beaver have been busy. Katelyn did her beaver impression...The four youngest...
Mom and her 2 little big guys...Whenever I walk along this section of the lake road, I think of it as a cathedral of trees...
We took Raven along. By the time we got home she was exhausted and happily stretched out by the woodstove for a snooze after a bit of cuddle with Wayne.

Wayne's 'Hand'iwork

Here's one of Wayne's latest glass creations made for an elder of our church in honor of his 80th birthday...

Captain Reviewing the Family Album

The other day Katelyn was reading an Encyclopedia of Dogs. Captain found it very interesting...
Of course, this was his favorite page...

A New Addition to the Farm

A friend talked to Wayne a few days ago about a 7 month old black lab that needed a new home where there would be plenty of activity and attention. We hesitated taking on a new dog, but thought it wouldn't hurt to meet Raven. After meeting her, how could we say "no"?! She's a sweet girl who loves to play and take long walks in the field. The kids are having so much fun with her and it's nice to have a 'big' dog part of the family again. We've really missed Brittany and Raven is settling in nicely to fill that void on the farm. I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Raven in future blogs.

Just "Kid"ding Around

No, this isn't a post about baby goats. I just thought I'd share a few pictures of our "kids" being themselves...

Dad wanted to get some pictures of "his girls" when they were dressed up for church...
Jonathan was trying to grow a beard and mustache with bubbles. He discovered that this type of "beard" tasted a bit soapy when mixed with his juice!
The two youngest boys have been having a lot of fun the past few weeks playing with their wooden train sets and re-enacting Thomas the Tank Engine stories. It seems like just a couple years ago Marc was at this age and enjoying these trains/stories. Some toys are timeless and each generation enjoys them...Katelyn is working on making a quilt from patches of old jeans...This is what Matthew calls, "Ian being a pill"...Wayne found this Thanksgiving decoration a few weeks ago when we stopped in a store after one of his doctor appointments in Albany. It's a good reminder for every day of the year.