Chilly days, good days

 7 degrees, 14 degrees .....

Gosh these days are chilly but the sunshine is glorious! Each day little ice crystals for on the Russian Olives, tumbleweeds, and trees. We can spot them at first daylight.

We live in one of the most beautiful places. 

Vance went to Cabo last week. He spent the week with a great group of guys, a group that we find ourselves spending some holiday weekends with. Included in these weekends is good food, lots of laughter, funny stories and time in the sun! Vance said the fishing was not great, but he enjoyed the company and the temperatures were comfortable. 

I have been scrapbooking and making cards for 30 plus years. For many years I have saved every scrap of paper. I went through three or four bins of scrapbooking and card making supplies while Vance was away.  I always set aside stickers and papers for kinder classes. These little people just love using these supplies at their writing centers. 

I took a small stack of papers, cards, stamps and stamp pads  to our little one room cabin on the creek. I hunkered down in there on an 18 degree day with a little space heater. I enjoyed watching the birds take off and land on the creek. My friend Marilyn joined me for an hour. She appreciates the beauty of Crab Creek as much as I do. 

Monday I taught kindergarten. These precious emerging readers and writers sure make me smile.

Oren is signing up to be a peer mentor at his school. When he filled out the form about his interests and his qualifications, I was smiling from ear to ear!

It looks like our levy has passed!! I am so incredibly thankful!! Thank you to all who took the time to vote! 

Cheers to 2025!

 Life is cruising right along. 

Through 2024 I realized I was following behind in the technology world. There seemed to be no way for to adequately keep up. I got a bit discouraged and somewhat lazy and began to walk away from some things I so enjoyed because frustration won. 

Well, the great thing that the new year brings is an attitude that includes goals and new beginnings. 

I am back to blogging. I have hopes of improving my photography. Keeping up on my sports instagram is a goal. In addition to this,  I hope to finish the book I began writing in 2021. 

On September 4th I made a decision to eat cleaner and that has been a remarkable blessing. I still have an occasional gin and tonic, a bite of a cinnamon roll, or a small sweet treat. I told myself no egg nog this holiday season. Yes, it is hard. I have a couple of friends who make THE MOST FABULOUS egg nog lattes. I have not indulged. The best part of this is the movement I have added; a lot more walking. 

I eat a lot of berries, veggies, and nuts. I have lost 14 pounds. 

Merit is a breath of fresh air, light and love. 

He was a broke college kid and decided to take a gap year and is working as a server and a bartender. He is making good money and when he finishes his degree in 2025/2026. He will have some money in savings to pull from, for food, entertainment, life .... as his dad and I pay his tuition and rent.

Willem is living in Walla Walla. School comes easy to him. He is an excellent, motivated college student. He lives in a small 1940s house, a house with SO much character. He is comic relief, kindness, and a problem solver.

Hazel is loving her freshman year. Some may agree, these are four of the best years of one's life. Hazel is social, fun, smart, motivated and does not like during household chores. 😂 Her horses miss her because she just gives them a fraction of her time, understandably because she really is a busy girl. Animals adore her, nothing has changed there. I think most people do too. 

Oren is our caboose. He is the kindest person I have ever met. 

Vance does a lot of the cooking. He works from home. I think he is bored some days. He pushes me in ways I never wanted to be pushed. 26 years married and we are short on marriage advice. 😂But who knows, we could be leading marriage retreats in five years. JUST. KEEP. SWIMMING. And praying, especially praying.

I am tired -I am not going to lie. But, I think that the self respect that I am committed to showing myself along with laying all of my worries at the feet of Jesus is going to make 2025 the best it can be.

I learned in 2024 that my skin is pretty damn thick.

I don't give up easily AND I have the best friends ANY GIRL could ever ask for. 

I feel thankful and grateful and blessed. 

Raising kids now compared to ten years ago feels significantly more challenging. But I am thankful and inspired that all four of them consistently make good choices. I am very grateful for my family, immediate and extended.