Winter Bird Watching

Logan and I have a winter bird watching tradition.  I was delighted when he reminded me of this tradition this morning when he came downstairs.  We quickly cleaned up the truck so the windows sparkled and fitted the back with chairs, spotting scope, snacks and binoculars and headed to our favorite local lake.  It was a very chilly morning so we did all of our bird watching from inside the truck and let me tell you, this is the way to winter bird watch!

We saw lots of hooded mergansers, mallards, ring-billed gulls, and a few bufflehead ducks.  We also enjoyed watching a mockingbird chase many many birds away from "his" berry bush!  He was very busy and those hungry little birds just kept coming back over and over again.





















Our cozy setup!


I have also been doing a feeder watch here at home.  The best place to watch my feeders in from my kitchen sink.  This is how Logan found me this morning!  : )

Christmas 2015

We will have to make do with my cell phone photos as I had misplaced my camera shortly before Christmas.

 

 I got warmth for Christmas!  I've been doing a lot of camping in cold weather and our current sleeping bags are not keeping me warm enough.  Eric bought me this cute mummy bag that will allow me to wear it at the campfire as well as to bed!  Thank you honey!

 Family photo... with Casey's best side!  :)

 Funny how she still likes the bag that the gift came in!  :)

 Cold but not snow so we were able to try out the scooters!

 At grandma's we enjoyed some Christmas horse back riding!  : )

We also got all 4 generations of men together for a family photo.  Can you see the resemblance in these father and sons?  (and check out how tall Logan is!... almost as tall as Great Grandpa!)

A Little Makeup Fun

The Gremlins were experimenting with makeup...  I just had to get a photo of the finished look!  I'm not sure what they were aiming for, but the end product seems more fitting for Halloween than Christmas.  ; )




I see a resemblance between these beautiful girls and the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland!

Zipping with the Girl Scouts

Amanda and her girl scout friends had the opportunity to go zip lining.  What an adventure!  I think she is ready for the "big lines"!

A Royal Parade

We joined the 800,000 plus Royals fans for the parade... and OMG that was CRAZY!

2 Years Post Transplant

Logan had his 2 year post transplant check up today.  This was a big milestone for him and we are happy to report that Logan is doing great!  He is still 100% donor and no cancer found!

Lunar Eclipse

Thank you, Mother Nature, for cooperating and providing us with a clear night to enjoy the beauty and wonder of a total lunar eclipse!

A Girl Scout Horse Riding Camp Out

Amanda has really enjoyed her girl scout experiences and this latest camp out was better than most... because it involved HORSES!  This girl is over the top crazy about horses.  While the horse riding lessons were a little beneath her (as she has had quite a few riding lessons) she still really enjoyed the experience.  

The horse riding area was amazing!  completely covered so you can ride in any weather.

We slept in perma-tents that night...  the 5 girls had one tent all to themselves and us adult leaders slept in our own tent next door.  It was blissful for all participants!  

Then next morning we got to make our own breakfast at the camp fire.  For many of these girls this was their first campfire cooking experience.  On the menu was hashbrowns, eggs and sausage in foil packets.  Each girl got to make their own foil packet to their preference.  This is how Amanda assembled her breakfast before cooking....  Um, Amanda, perhaps  you should crack the egg first?

THAT'S BETTER!  And I bet it will taste better too!

Time to eat!  YUM!  And it tastes so much better because she made it herself!

To the Rodeo!

We had the opportunity to take the kids to the Rodeo over the weekend.  I think Amanda like the artwork more than the real deal.  I couldn't get her out of the sculpture for a family photo so I just took her photo separate and called it good.

Sometimes I wonder how this cutie got her good looks... I don't think she looks a thing like her father or myself.  Other people tell me differently, but I don't see it.

***Note to self... stop taking photos from this angle... it is not flattering***

Hard to see because of the lighting but we sat where we could watch the men lading the animal shoots.  It was a fascinating system of gates to get everyone loaded safely.  We also could see behind the scenes when the riders left the arena.  There were many injures and we saw a lot of grown men cry...  I think this was a good life lesson for both children.  Ridding bulls is not a good way to make a living.