MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Getting Ready for The Holidays

Getting ready for the holidays, had Roger and I out getting the garland on the fence, hanging the Christmas lights on the house. With the whole family getting together right after Thanksgiving, the lights and some decorations had to be up. Heather and Jason and the babies would be traveling over the three mountain passes to get to us for a week long visit. Heather's sisters would be getting their homes ready for Christmas as well, our sort of pre- Christmas with Heather. Our week was full of activities, of which I plan to share on my blog, but in my mind I have to do this is some order, so you are getting a little smitten of some of what has been going on around here.
Here I am getting the lighted garland on the picket fence, I love it when the snow falls on the day I am to hang the garland, it just sets the mood for the holidays, don't you think? This was the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I remember all those years in Hood River, Oregon, when we would always have some sort of snow on Thanksgiving day, setting the mood for Christmas to come.
Our holiday season started off with a great experience, my first 5K walk, and what better way to start your holiday, there were about 1200 people for this event, I just can't imagine one with many thousands of people, yikes!
Kristina here with me, is one of my co-workers, she has been a real source of inspiration to get me moving, she has some high expectations for me, I just keep saying, I will only be walking, she runs marathons, walking is my choice of exercise, I keep telling her.
This was our first 5K walk together, Yahoo!! Baby it was cold, thanks to walking and Roger's very warm down vest I kept very warm

After the Turkey Trot, Roger and I raced home, cleaned up, then went to the Senior Baker's for dinner. This was the year our girls do this holiday with their in-laws, we were invited to Jennifer's in-laws. Thank you Tim and Janet.
All of us women working in the kitchen getting the Thanks Giving dinner prepared. Janet, Apolina, Jennifer, Michelle and myself. This week went so fast, getting ready for Heather's family to come, it felt like a whirl wind of activities.
Heather's family getting to come right after Thanksgiving and just before Christmas, created a lot of family bonding time. There is more to post on our activities, I will just start here to begin with. What a great photo of ALL my Grandchildren. I was so pleased to get this photo.
Our sweet Talea, she was determined she was going to go for a ride on Papa's four wheeler, so the rule is any of the kids have to wear helmets, so if you look closer she has a helmet over her hat. Cute!
Jennifer having some girlie time with Talea, Jennifer has three boys and wants a girl really bad, so when she gets around her two nieces she spoils them to pieces.
These Trojan soldiers were a hit with my grandsons, you would of thought I found a gold mine. Honestly I did not really know what I had found at a garage sale this last summer. anyway this grandma made some brownie points with these boys.
My bribe to get the family photo and all the grandchildren together for a photo was fresh baked cookies. I think it worked.
The extended Muma family. This was a milestone to get everyone in one photo. Yahoo.

Adventures to Bob's Red Mill for The Farm Girls

The Farm Girls were off to adventure to Bob's Red Mill in Portland, Oregon to explore and discover what they all had for us to take home and create with. We chose to have lunch there, which proved to be very filling, sticking to your ribs kind of filling, that is. Then we were off to The Pendleton Woolen Mill store to see what cool treasures we might find.
Katy, Erin, and Robin taking in all the products, what a great Candy store for healthy eating.
These Millstones were amazing, all I could think of was the history and all the grain it has ground.
It was fun to read the history of French Millstones. I think if you click on the photo you might be able to read it for yourself.
This view of the store is from the up stairs area, as I look this over, the feel of the store just reminds me of the OLD Nature's store that was off of the Macadam area in Portland, when I was going to college in 1969. I loved going to Natures back in the day. I guess you would call me a nature girl at heart.
Love this banner, "Flax" just a healthy grain for you.
Steel cut oats, boy am I hooked on this morning ritual. Yummy!!! We had a mid morning lunch at Bob's. We shared our journal pages and our treasures we had made. Then we were off to the Pendleton Woolen Mill.
Katy, myself, Robin, and Erin in front of the Pendleton Woolen Mill sign, a sweet worker there suggested that we do that, so here we are.
Katy has a plan here, she is getting scraps of wool strips for her mom-in-law, herself and niece so that they can each make their own rag rug. How fun is that?
Love these spools of colored thread, I find myself picking these up at garage sales and flea markets. I would guess I have weakness for textiles.

Montana in The Fall

Our fall adventure to Montana was to adventure in to the wilderness, to hike in the Glacier Park area with Heather and her family. The weather was perfect for hiking, the scene was beautiful as you can see.
Roger and I in this beautiful country side of the Montana mountains.
I think Talea had the best seat on this hike, don't you?
As we start our hike, I am poised and ready with a walking stick with bells on it to ward off the BEARS, um would that really work? We have been told to make lots of noise when walking on the trails so you don't scare a bear. I think I would be so scared I would freeze in my steps.
Papa Roger and Titus working their way up the steep incline, you notice they both have walking sticks.
Titus learned you could holler and receive an echo from the mountain ridges, oh how much fun we all had listening to our voices echo back.
Heather and Talea, she is such a "ham"!
Great photo opportunity presented it self to us, as there was a couple picnicking down the way whom offered to get a group shot of us all.
Farmer's Markets are always a great adventure for me, perhaps it brings out the farm girl in me.
Whitefish Farmers Market is a must, the setting is a great back ground, with"Big Mountain" in the back ground along with the Burlington Northern Train station.
It has become a tradition with Heather and I to do some canning in the fall. I love how my girls love to carry on this tradition.
Roger and Jason could not wait to get their hands on these fresh sliced peaches. You can see by the look on their faces that they were pretty satiated. Huh?
Heather was pretty proud of her stocking up of home canned peaches for the winter.
A bonus surprise for me, was a call from a client wanting some Trauma Balm, that I make for sore muscles, she shared that she was headed to Whitefish, Montana to run in a half marathon, luck would have it, it was going to be the same time we were going to be in the area. So Two-Bear Marathon here we come.
I did not know that Lila was going to push her mom across the finishing line. You can see by the smile on her mom's face how proud she was. With much sadness and gratefulness, as I write this Lila's mom has since past away. Lila sharing with me that I was the only one that captured her pushing her mom across that finishing line, that she was so grateful to me for taking that photo. Lila thank you for sharing your mom with me.
Lila and I sharing the end to her half marathon race.
My son-in-law in the green is a goalie for an adult soccer team, we were fortunate enough to get to watch him play in a major tournament. Go Jason!
One of my most favorite Quilt shops is Back Door Quilt Shop in Whitefish, a must to go to when I am in the area.
Um our next little quilter, a grandma could only wish. Talea was fascinated with these spools of thread, of course touching was important.
The finishing touches to this quilt, sewing the binding down. Yahoo! As I write this post I have started a new quilt, a flannel log cabin in creams and plums.
Talea and Papa really bonded this trip, more so that grandma had to play second fiddle this visit. All I could say was " wait until I come over in the winter, by myself".
The incredible Montana sky. Enjoy!

Our Little Cabin in The Woods

Our little cabin in the woods. A wonderful weekend was had with the Cousins and sister Kathy. The cabin was on the way up to Mt Hood, just out of Zig Zag. This was a perfect get away. Thanks Tanya and Donna for making this work. I can't wait for another chance to do it again.
This wood cook stove was right up my alley, we did not fire it up, perhaps it is used when the power goes out in the winter. I have one in my own Cabin Studio, oh how I must get in there and gut that cabin out and use it this winter.
Belated birthday celebrations for Donna and Kathy were celebrated this weekend. Love this bag that Donna got from Kathy, I am on the search.
Kathy sharing her "sister" charm that I had actually bought her many years ago, just thought I had already given it to her, I think she was happy with it. Kathy and I have been sisters for 39 plus years, thanks Kathy for being the BEST sister-in-law ever.
With the coffee brewing and a fire in the fireplace we created our own natures scenery through a steamed window, how cool is that?
Donna supervising me on coffee making 101, I had forgotten how you make coffee the old fashion way. When I got to the cabin, I was unloading my groceries, I said to Donna "is there not a coffee pot?" she said yes hun it is on the stove. I look and I say" oh Donna I don't remember how this works." Of course she gave me a quick lesson. Yummy.
I am hooked, I need to drag out our old camp stove coffee pot, just for weekend coffee, this coffee was delicious. Who needs the fancy espresso machines?
A Saturday afternoon adventure took us to this camp ground, just down from our cabin. I could just spend every weekend in the woods. How about you? It does my soul good!
The trails in this park were awesome, as you can tell the sun was about to go down.
Kathy and Donna.
This park had lots of trees loaded with Usnea and moss. I learned during my days working for a Naturopathic physician that they would use usnea in a UTI tea. If you pull a piece off and pull it out it will be stretchy. Magic I think!
Usnea close up. Sometimes referred to as "old mans beard".
Cousin Rose and Donna.
I told you I am a nature girl, I am having tooooo much fun. Love the out doors.
Cousin Donna brought bubbles for us to celebrate life, thanks Donna.
These bubbles are way too much fun, not just for the little ones.
This river is just down the bank from our cabin, with a steep path down to river, off Kathy and I went. You could hear the river roaring from inside the cabin, now that is a "calgon take me away moment." Don't you think?
Myself, I am so glad I have woods in my own backyard, I just wish I had the river close by.
You can't keep Kathy and I away from this water.
Cousin Rose tending to the fire, Rose had been here many times with her sister Sharon. I asked her what she and Sharon would do and she said they would just read, and watch movies. Rose brought us "Dragon Fly" to watch, if you haven't seen it, it is definitely worth the time to watch. Thanks Rose for sharing.
It is dark outside, so whats a girl to do but have some "Bitch" Bubbly, there is story behind this, Cousin Sharon whom we lost unexpectedly two years ago in December, used this word freely, always when I was around in "FUN" this cabin we are staying in belongs to Sharon's old neighbor, so what better spirits to have to celebrate her life, than "Bitch" Bubbly? Donna, her sister had decided to bring some of Sharon's beads for us to create with. With beads to play with I taught them how to make light catchers and earrings and so Sharon's spirit lives on. Thank you Sharon for blessing us with your love.
Donna and Kathy showing off their creations of light catchers that I taught them how to make.
Donna sharing her pumpkin light catcher.
This log cabin quilt belonged to Cousin Sharon whom we lost two years ago in December, the quilt was made by her mom, Aunt Edith, whom I dearly loved. She was Roger's mom sister. I have been yearning to make another log cabin quilt, well this finally has made my decision to get with it.
Cousin Rose, Cousin Donna and myself in front of our weekend Cabin in the woods.
Cousin Rose and Cousin Donna and my sister through marriage Kathy, Roger's sister.
All in all these girls know how to have fun. We are all nature girls, love to be out in the woods or take us to the ocean and you will find a well contented group of women. Thanks everyone for the wonderful weekend.