MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

We had a wonderful Christmas this year, surrounded by family.  We made, and received, a lot of homemade gifts, which carries a lot of meaning for us.  We celebrated Christmas Eve with the kids, although Thane was a little perplexed at all of the festivities.  His favorite part, of course, was the paper and boxes.  Annabel, however, had no problem making up for his lack of enthusiasm, although harnessing her desire to “help” everyone else open their presents was tough.

On Christmas Day, we went to the Lentz’ where we feasted on a huge brunch composed of beloved Swedish family recipes.  Later in the day, we all hauled/rolled ourselves outside to go sledding and get a little exercise.

 
 

Last, but certainly not least, we spent the 26^th at my folks’ house.  While we very much missed Jon, who was visiting his family in Maine, we enjoyed a few hours of uninterrupted family time.  The highlight of our party was the announcement that we are going to be an uncle/aunt/cousin later this summer when Kim & Jon have a baby!!!  We were absolutely THRILLED to hear the news, and we couldn’t have asked for a better present!

P.S.  We have since learned that Kim & Jon are having twins - a double blessing!!

Have a wonderful 2011!

VACATION - Part 2

Besides hanging out with Grandpa & Grandma, Jordan's favorite part of our trip to Wyoming was his hunting trip with Grandpa.  Not wanting to waste any precious male bonding time, the boys almost immediately set off for their hunting “camp” nestled high in the peaks of the Big Horn Mountains.  After unpacking and spending a few minutes scouting out potential hunting spots, Grandpa & Jordan headed back to camp for some nourishment (junk food) and refreshment (beer).  A nap or two later, the boys headed back outside.  After a rigorous 1/3 mile trek through open fields, they saw a cow elk and steadied their nerves long enough to actually shoot it!  As it was close to dusk, the boys gutted and strung up the elk, and headed back to the cabin for more food and beer.  (Hey – hunting is hard work, you know!)  One good night’s sleep and truck ride later, the boys were home with their prized possession.  They claimed they were too tired to cut and wrap the meat, but Grandma (bless her heart!) made sure that they did their part.

 

All kidding aside, the elk meat is wonderful, and it’s a great to know that we have a freezer full of food this winter – and probably next winter too!  If you’ve never had elk, you should try it.  It tastes and is used like beef – only better.

A few days later, we all packed up and headed back up to the mountains so that the boys could show us where they shot the elk.  The hunting cabin belongs to friends of Grandpa & Grandma, and it looks out at a beautiful view of the peaks of the Big Horn Mountains. 

 

The cabin is fully equipped, but the property also holds the most pristine and beautifully decorated outhouse I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen quite a few!):

 

Lastly, after letting the kids wear themselves out meandering around the mountainside, we managed to keep them sitting still just long enough to snap a photo.

VACATION - Part 1

After 2+ years of working on the house and farm (not to mention the exhausting task of raising small children), we treated ourselves to a vacation in October.  We drove to Sheridan, Wyoming, where we visited with Jordan’s longsuffering (emphasis on the suffering!) grandparents.  Sheridan is beautiful, and we loved spending time with Grandpa Frank & Grandma Bobi, who were very good sports to let the kids “play” in (i.e. do their best to destroy) their home.  Thane, especially, loved hanging out with Grandpa & Grandma, while Annabel enjoyed playing with their dog Bailey.

 

Annabel even got to ride Big Mac, Grandpa’s horse.  This was probably one of the greatest thrills of her little life, and it appears that Big Mac might be getting a new home here in Washington later this spring.  She will be delighted, and there's no word on how the horse feels yet!

The weather in Wyoming was just beautiful – perfect Indian summer weather.  We took the kids to a local park one day, where Thane had his first ride on a swing and a slide.  He was hooked!  Annabel, as always, loved the outdoor games and jungle gyms.

If you ever get a chance to get to Sheridan, it’s beautiful.  The town is full of wonderful western shops, there are historic sites and battlefields nearby, the cafés are abundant and the scenery is just gorgeous.

 

PICTURE PERFECT

We realize that we live somewhat off the beaten path, so we have to get creative when it comes to enticing you to visit.  There is so much to do and see nearby, but I think that the big drawing point is the scenery and the relaxing lifestyle.  So, I’ve decided to include a few pictures of local sites to peak your interest.

 

 

(That's the second floor of our house in the background).

Beautiful, huh?   All this can be yours for the low, low price of a cross country voyage of your choice.   If you can get here, your room and board is on us.  We’ll even throw in two little tour guides for free!

FARM LIVING

With over 85 animals, I guess you could say that we had a full-fledged farm this past summer.  Our brood consisted of chickens, rabbits, pigs, barn cats, sheep, geese & a dog.  The kids love the animals, and they are learning the value of caring for other creatures.  On the other hand, they also know that some animals aren’t pets and that they serve to keep us fed.  Thankfully, the kids are very practical about butchering, and it doesn’t seem to bother them at all.

 

An additional lesson learned through our lifestyle is the satisfaction of growing/raising/catching our own food.  No matter how you feel about the economy and future of the world, learning to be somewhat self-sufficient is a very good thing.  This lifestyle requires a set of tough skills that will ultimately reap tremendous rewards.  Here’s Jordan showing the kids how he cleans and fillets a rainbow trout he caught in the Columbia River.

 

Lastly, we spent loads of time teaching Annabel about the joys of gardening.  She loved the sewing and watering, but she especially loved the reaping!  No strawberry or bean was safe from her clutches – whether it was ripe or not.  Jordan taught her how to weed, which saved us considerable time.  For my part, I'm just looking forward to the day when she can help me can and freeze the harvest.

 

We also planted a few more fruit trees, along with two good-sized maple trees in the front yard.  As we sit in an open field, I’m longing for the day when these trees grow big enough to give us some decent shade.  One of the trees can be found on the left side of the photo below taken in front of the house.