Christmas Day ...

December 25, 2016

After all the gifts were opened ... it was time to start making breakfast ...

the kids were busy building with their mini lego sets ... 

Then Craig sat with grandpa for a bit ... checking out the R/C car ...

Ella helped prepare the fruit plate and set the table ...

I was busy cooking bacon and making waffles for our Christmas breakfast ...

Breakfast dishes were cleared ... Nathan and James were taking turns ... 

in mastering flying the drone ... and taking videos with its camera ...

Rob and Cindy decided to check out their scratch lottery tickets ...

all the kids large and small were busy helping with the scratching ... and every once in a while you heard woo hoo .... !!!

Mike was still not doing well ... so Rob was going to take Mike to the hospital ... 

so that I could get our Christmas dinner prepared ...

Nathan stayed home so that he could take the kids out sledding ...

and then take some time to relax in the hot tub to ease their aches and pains ...

We spent the day playing and getting our dinner together ...

Craig ... James and Ella helped with putting up the extra table ...

 and then setting the tables for our Christmas festivities ...

Rob had called from town saying that they were going to pick up Oma and Joe ...

then were on their way home ...

I then informed our neighbours Don and Bonnie ... 

to make their way down to the house ... as they wanted to make sure that Mike was ok ...

before they came down to join us for dinner ...

Nathan had taken over carving the turkey duties ... all the other dishes were set up on the island ...

once again it would be buffet style in this household ...

We had a lovely time ... visiting with our family and friends ... 

It was a very Merry Christmas ... !!!

 

 

Let's Have Fun ...

December 10, 2016

Ella wanted to make a Christmas card for Daigen and Nixon ...

and send it in the package with their gifts ...

Ella then snuggled up to Craig ... shhhhh ... she was on a mission ...

she was sweet talking him to go outside and play ... and it worked ...

The two of them went out with grandpa ... and he towed them around with the quad ...

those GT racers were flying ...

James was feeling under the weather and did not go out ...

he was relaxing on the couch ... hoping to get better ...

Ella came back in from sledding ... and Craig went to the shop to work with Grandpa ...

James was feeling a little better ... so we decided to make a batch of sugar cookies ...

Ella loved all the cookie cutters ... and did a great job placing them on the baking sheets ...

 

James had his turn with rolling out the cookie dough ...

placing the cookie cutters ... and putting them on the trays to be baked ...

Once all the cookies were baked ... they were left to cool ...

to be decorated tomorrow ...

James went to lay down and have a rest ... poor little guy ... hoping his fever would break ...

Ella came outside with me to check the boiler ... and add some wood ...

She then thought she would make a snow angel ...

as there were no tracks of any kind on the deck ...

It was perfect ... so beautiful this little angel ...

After an evening of working on remote control cars ... and whatever else needed fixing ...

the three crazies decided to slip into the hot tub ... which was set at 39 C ...

brrrrrrrrr ... it was -18 C this evening

They sure ran in quick to the house once they got out of the hot tub ...

 

Snow Removal Day ...

December 5, 2016

So much snow had fallen ... it was going to be a busy day ...

clearing a path to walk around and plowing the snow in the driveway ...

Mike was busy clearing the snow ... on the roads ... with the tractor ...

while I was clearing the snow off the decks ...

I was happy to find the hot tub ...

as I was sure we were going to need it after we were done today ...

The decks and stairs were all shovelled ...

Mike was still out plowing ... even as darkness came upon us ...

Love the soft lighting on the house ...

Mike had finished up with the tractor ...

and before we went in for dinner ... we both slipped into the hot tub ...

oh my goodness ... did we need this treatment ...

It felt good ... easing the aches in our muscles ...

After our soaking in the hot water ... we made our way into the house ...

to enjoy sitting down ... having dinner ... then relaxing ...

We were happy to have all the snow cleared for now ...

the weather forecast is calling for more snow ...

 

 

Meeting Friends ...

October 4, 2016

There are still plums left ... 

it seemed like a good morning to make "Zwetschen Knödel" ... plum dumplings ...

There were enough cooked potatoes to make the dough ...

so I proceeded to get busy and make them ...

A few were cooked ... for me to taste ...  they were covered in a toasted breadcrumb sugar mix ...

the rest of them were frozen in sealer bags ...

to be placed in the freezer to enjoy during the winter months ...

 

Mike and I were going to meet ... Mark & Sandy later this afternoon ... arriving from Castlegar ...

We had arranged to get together early this summer ... to meet at Fairmont Hot Springs ... 

to spend a few days relaxing ...

and for Mike & Mark to go golfing ... 

Mark had wanted to do this for along time ... and finally taking the steps to make it work ...

It has been many years since we have gotten together ...

Mark & Sandy lived in Sarnia and moved out west in 1976 ... Mike went to school with Mark ... 

and I went to school with Sandy ...

We moved out west in 1977 and lived with them ... in Cranbrook until we moved to Castlegar ...

where Mike went to college ...

We had a lovely afternoon catching up on old times ... and our lives today ...

We then went to the Hoodoos restaurant for dinner ...

 

After we went back to Fairmont ...

we all ended up going into the hot pools ...

and continued talking and reminiscing ...

 

It was so relaxing ... 

Getting Chores Done ...

September 27, 2016

This morning was spent with ... "apples" ...

thought it would be the perfect day to make applesauce ...

I like to pre-freeze the sauce in individual containers ...

then pop them out and pack them into vacuum sealer bags ... there is always room in the freezer ...

for these small packages ...

When needed ... the discs serving is enough for our meals ...

 

 

September 28, 2016

Once again ... looking out the kitchen window ...

a flock of wild turkeys were out on the grass ...

My first thought was ... "where were you turkeys?" ...

when Nathan and his buddies were here hunting for these birds ...

I did send Nathan a picture ... and he had said the same thing ...

in wondering where they were ...

They are smart these birds ... thinking they must read the hunting regulations ... !!!

It was such a beautiful day ... to head down to the garden ...

and get some fresh potatoes ... for our dinner ...

These were the red skinned potatoes ... an early variety ...

I was also pleased to see a few worms ... working the soil ...

 

September 29, 2016

There was still a tray full of plums ... to be dealt with ...

Today two batches of plum jam were made ...

one batch of sugar-free jam for Mike ...

and a traditional one for others ...

These plums were so sweet and delicious ...

a few were consumed while preparing the jam ...

The weather was supposed to be nice in the afternoon ...

so it was decided to close up the swimming pool ...

It was also time for the hot tub to be emptied and fresh water put in ...

Once the hot tub was emptied and scrubbed clean ... and the pool vacuumed ...

we proceeded to empty the pool water into the hot tub ...

That's our way of recycling the water ...

When the hut tub was full ... we drained the pool ... to the level needed for winterization ...

All the pool accessories ... ladder ... solar panels etc. were cleaned and put away ...

The winter cover was placed ... the filter cleaned and all the lines blown out ...

Ready for the next season ...

 

 

September 30, 2016

The sun was shining ...

and it was time to get a few more loads of firewood ...

into the wood shed ...

We were excited to see how our new log splitter would perform ...

It was amazing ... while Mike was cutting the logs ...

I was splitting and loading it into the truck ...

When Mike was finished cutting ...

we worked together splitting and loading ...

 

 

It didn't take us long to get a couple loads of wood ...

The nights were getting cooler ... we needed to spend some time filling up the wood shed now ...

We both had mentioned that we miss our cousins Klaus and Resi ...

who were here visiting from Austria last year ...

and helped with getting firewood and filling the woodshed early ...

We're just a little behind ... because we're out enjoying life ... travelling and fishing ...

 

 

 

Waiting For Oma ...

September 4, 2016

Mike ... Nathan and the kids were needing a break ...

It was time to jump in the pool and play ...

Ella wanted to show everyone how she could swim with her Mermaid Tail ...

After a while of swimming ...

they all jump into the hut tub to relax ...

and waiting for Oma & Joe to arrive for dinner ... 

Finally Oma and Joe made it ... Oma's request for dinner was BBQ'd steak ...

and all the fixings ...

I can tell you that no one else minded either ...

 

Another surprise for Ella ... 

Oma & Joe brought a DQ ice cream cake for her Birthday ...

Ella was also thrilled to receive some cash in her card ...

She's one lucky little girl ...

 

After spending time with Oma & Joe ... before they left for home ...

The kids wanted to have a fire in the fire pit ...

and roast some marshmallows ...

I couldn't believe that they still had any room in their tummies for more food ...!!!

  September 5, 2016

Craig had found Nathan's old battery operated toy truck with many wheels...

this crawler truck would go up and down stairs ...

and as you can see ...

it even drove over Ella ...

Nathan was enjoying having a turn playing with it ...

While Nathan and the kids were getting ready to head back home ... after a busy fun weekend ...

I was out on the back deck ...

gathering all the swimming gear ... when I approached the Mermaid Tail ...

a beautiful dragonfly was resting on it ...

Of course ... it was a perfect photo opportunity for me ... 

the kids eventually came to see the dragonfly ...

We had a great ... busy weekend ... !!!

Mike and I were so ready to sit back and relax now ...

 

 

 

Our Little Mermaid ...

September 3, 2016

It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day ... perfect for our little Mermaid to go for a swim ...

Ella couldn't wait to try out her Mermaid Tail ... in the pool ...

James and Grandpa went into the pool as well ...

and then the race was on ...

between the two ...

who could swim across the pool the fastest ...

I can tell you that the Mermaid Tail really did make a difference ...

on getting to the other side quickly ...

It wasn't long before all the boys were out in the shop ...

working on the VW restoration ...

Mason was thrilled to be in the shop working with the guys ...

They also spent time playing outside and riding the little quads ...

After working in the shop ... and playing ...

James and daddy needed a soak in the hot tub ...

before dinner ...

Nathan stretched out on the floor ...

one by one ... the kids started falling in line ...

It was quite comical ... James figured that daddy was a little softer to stretch out on ...

I can tell you ... this peacefulness didn't last long ...

it was still too early in the evening to crash ...

just too much to do outside ...

Action Packed Days ...

August 17, 2016

Maren decided to go into town to visit with her family ...

so Mike and I decided to go fishing for the day ...

It was another successful fishing day ...

and made a delicious dinner for all of us ...

The girls had a busy day in town ...

After dinner they had some quiet playtime with puzzles ...

They love the big floor puzzles ...

and brought them upstairs for all of us to work on ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were happy when they finished the barn puzzle ...

 

August 18, 2016

I ventured down to the garden early this morning ...

to pick strawberries ... raspberries and apples for breakfast ...

Ellie loved to visit with Juno ... she would make her way to the see him ...

any chance she had ...

Once breakfast was over ... we got our day organized ...

everyone ready to head outside ...

Mike made sure that the quads were filled with fuel ...

for our adventure with the girls ...

We decided to travel down to the lake and then make our way thru Oma's place ...

travelling on the bush roads ...

Stopping on the hillside ... then hiking up to the top of the rock ...

to Oma & Opa's favourite spot ...

The girls know Opa from pictures and our stories ...

Maren was pointing ... showing the girls where our house was ...

far across the lake ...

We hiked back down the hill ... hopped on the quads ...

and travelled to the end of the road ...

giving them a tour of the area ...

Maren had invited her cousin to come out here for a visit ...

so the little ones could enjoy the afternoon playing ...

but first it was lunch time ...

Mike fired up the fire pit ... no open fires were allowed at the time ...

the girls didn't mind at all ...

they loved grilling up their hot dogs ...

using our crooked sticks ...

Finally the cousins arrived ...

they had so much fun in the pool and the hot tub ...

It was crazy busy ... trying to keep an eye on everyone ...

Arden ... Brynn and Carys were thrilled to meet their new cousin ...

and be able to hold her ...

This was Maren's last night with us ...

she would be heading for home the next day ...

It was an early night for the girls to go to bed ... as it was going to be a long trip ...

Mike and I helped Maren pack up the Van ...

and once that was completed ...

we were able to sit back and relax ...

and enjoy our evening ...

We had a wonderful time with the Roberts' family ...

hoping that they will make their way back here next summer ...

but this time ... maybe Jake will be able to stay a little longer ...

It would be great if Nathan ... Ian and their families ...

could be here as well ...

 

Robert's Family Arrived ...

August 15, 2016

Jake and his family finally arrived ...

after a long day travelling from the west coast ...

The girls couldn't wait to get out of the van ... and go for a swim ...

and warm up in the hot tub ...

This was the perfect activity for the girls to get their wiggles out ...

before we went in for a spaghetti dinner ...

The girls then had some quiet playtime ... with the old toys from Nathan and Ian ...

before heading to bed for the night ...

Jake, Maren, Mike and I enjoyed a relaxing evening ...

catching up on what has been happening ...

in our lives ...

August 16, 2016

Morning came early for the girls ...

they were raring to go ... they really wanted to go for a swim in the pool ...

Maren felt it was better for them to wait until the day warmed up ...

So after breakfast ... a feast of waffles and fruit ...

the girls went out to play down at the play area ...

They soon ventured up to the shop ... to see Uncle Mike ...

He decided to give them a treat while watching their show on the TV ...

while Maren, Jake were unpacking the Van.

Jake eventually joined the party in the shop ...

The clock was ticking ... the girls were getting antsy ...

guess it was time to open up the pool ...

Going for a swim ... meant that mom & dad would have to jump in as well ...

they were having so much fun ...

going back and forth between the pool and hot tub ...

Ellie loved being in the hot tub ...

Arden ... Brynn ... and Carys loved playing in the pool ...

Jake was enjoying his time ... relaxing ...

He would be heading out later in the afternoon ...

to make his way home ... as he was scheduled to start his new position ...

Vive President at the school ...

Maren chose to stay a few more days with us ... instead of driving home right away ...

The girls were excited about the plan as well ...

We were saddened (well kind of) that Jake had to leave ...

sorry Jake ... !!!

We had a lovely lunch out on the deck ...

the girls taking time out from the pool ... to visit with Oma ...

After lunch the girls wanted to check out the little quads ...

Uncle Mike dragged them out ... so the girls could try riding them ...

They did their best ... but would rather go for a ride on our quads ...

and mini rides with me on the little quad ...

When Mike took Jake to the airport ...

Maren and I took all the girls for a ride ... down to the lake ...

It was a busy day ...

we then headed down to the garden ... to pick a few raspberries and vegetables ...

The girls were also excited to feed some produce to the horses ...

that had just arrived to graze the field for a few months ...

On our way back up to the house ...

Maren wanted to take a picture of the girls ... with the mountains in the background ...

It took a few shots ... the girls were being silly ... not sure if she even got a picture ...

without one of them acting up ...

It had been a busy day ...

after dinner ... the girls went for a swim again ...

then later came for quiet time ...

reading books ... before going to bed ... for a goodnight's rest ...