Coming Home

I'm not always excited to leave home early in the  morning - but I do enjoy this view coming home!  We have about seven more sessions left of swallow therapy.  Michael will have reached the maximum sessions approved by the VA and have a swallow test to show where he is at. Michael loves barium swallow tests - NOT. ::wink::

The rest of life consists of schooling and researching. I've read a zillion books on mini-farming, chicken raising and canning. I've decided we can't do EVERYTHING this year. We'll have to do what we can. It's a process. We'll learn about the soil and plan a few beds this year....experiment with plastic and soil.....we'll get a few chicks and pray we keep them alive and get eggs.  We'll establish a composting system. We'll plant some trees. We'll take out more dead fall and dead trees. That's enough for this year.  Well - I'd like to get some sort of paving down out the basement door and a hot tub too. LOL  Anyway - I've been trying to learn via books, and FB groups, before we branch out and start buying things.

Grands from Nearby and Gifts from Afar

Bre had some business she needed to take care of today. Michael drove her and Gideon and I kept Bella. I would have kept Gideon, but we had no idea how long the day would be.  We had great fun with Bella. 

At one point she grabbed my smoothie out of my hand and dropped the cup. Smoothie EVERYWHERE....all over her hands, clothes, hair, floor, me, cupboards. The poor thing was upset. She doesn't like to be messy. I thought the whole thing funny, but she certainly got a dose of reality discipline. She hasn't grabbed my cup again (it's now 27 Feb).  I got her cleaned up and into a new outfit....and we took a nap together....uh...watched veggie tales. ::snort:: 

She hopped out of bed and  immediately snatched my slippers. It was hilarious to watch her plod around in them. Note - I did take the pacifier after she had a bit of time to transition to awake from sleep. 

A great day was made even better when Michael got home with a package - for me. Check it out!!!! Sweet card, teas, tea bags (which I've not tried yet) and a strainer....such fine mesh. It's changed my life - or at least my tea drinking.....

Those words of affirmation and encouragement were a big hug and they certainly were appreciated.

Yuuki's the dog - and other blessings

It was a day of blessings, mixed with the routine.

The moose came around to say good morning. 

How many do you spot? 

Cory had our car and drive shoveled when we stepped out to leave in the  morning. I remembered I could take HOT TEA with me for the drive (more fitting than a smoothie).  We enjoyed our visit with Michael's therapist - at some point we will discontinue our visits and we'll  miss her.

After therapy we visited a couple from church. We are in a season when we are both missing our parents - it was good to visit with an older couple. Barney reminds us much of Dad G, he even volunteers at prisons. Michael and Barney worked in the wood shop. Michael took his $10 seed and is making some  pretty butcher block coasters.  Judy and I had a good visit before she set me in a recliner with some good books and ran to volunteer at a local pregnancy center.

We made it through grocery shopping in RECORD TIME and were home by 4:30 to watch Bella and Gideon while BreZaak went out to celebrate their 4th anniversary (Feb 14th). We left Barney at a bit after 3 p.m. and they live "way out" on the other side of the next town.

I love a man who reads. LOL 

 Stacia and I sold another dozen BIG cookies for our Seed project. 

Bella got very excited when she saw the chocolate chips

The most alarming, which is now FUNNY to look back on, thing to happen during the day involves Yuuki. Moose don't like dogs. Moose will kill dogs with a swift kick, if the dogs harass them. Yuuki hasn't taken any notice of moose all these months. CoRielle saw 4 moose up the road as they came home. He told us they were coming. I got the camera. One is a bull who has lost his antlers...didn't know that happened.  They were calm and enjoying the yard, I set up for video.  There was new snow on the deck. I was barefoot. I was perching on the doorjamb, spread legged so Bella wouldn't run out....and Yuuki noticed the moose. She howled. I turned off the camera.

Yuuki charged out the door and down the steps. I yelled for her to come back, the moose startled and began running. Yuuki continued howling, ran between my legs,  and chased them.

"She's going to get herself killed this time!"

Family gathered. Alex ran out the door - coatless and shoeless - and tracked down Yuuki. It was funny to watch our lethargic old lady find the energy for a hunt. Snow flew...then she hit a dip and was buried and stuck up to her nose - still howling.

Thank God the moose didn't turn around and charge either of them. Michael said if she does this again she's on our own....but for tonight Yuuki is safe. She seems to be strutting.

"I'm the dog! Did you SEE ME run off that 1500 lb bull?"

Alex  warmed his feet at the fire. All is well.

I will not film in the doorway again. I'll commit to be outside, with the door shut, or film through the glass.

And in that vein....Can you spot the moose below? We're learning to keep our eyes open for shadows in the woods - within minutes they are usually out in the open.

Arielle posted this photo - you can clearly see one was a bull....he's lost his antlers. I'd love to find some antlers....they would be great on the little guest house I'm dreaming of.....

Gingerbread Man is an ALASKAN now!

I am Mr. Gingerbread Man. I live with either the Gherkin Guy or the Gherkin Girls a year at a time - decided by who wins the Annual Gherkin Gingerbread Competition. The men won this year. They haven't seemed as interested in taking me place. I'm not one to complain, but last year I was in a zillion states, climbed mountains, camped on the beach, went to Mexico, moved to Alaska in a U-haul and then helped settle everyone in in the Valley.  I've pretty much hung out at the house this year.

But today - things changed. I'll explain how I found myself to be lying in the snow as the post moves along.

First, Jamin came by bright and early to help Michael  (Dad G) build bookshelves and learn how to do it.

By mid-afternoon Josiah showed up. He was followed by some strangers in a truck. They unloaded the strangest looking cars? motorcycles? I've ever seen. 

There were two big black ones and a little yellow on. It turns out Josiah had purchased snow machines for a good price and they were being delivered. The yellow one was thrown in free - it's for kids and needed a bit of work. By the end of the day it was up and running. 

As soon as Bella was put down she ran for Mom G and the little yellow snow machine. No, she hasn't ridden on one. 

I, however, was thrilled to ride around the property with Josiah. I think I'm going to like living with the men this year..... 

Mom G made a video....

Everyone took a turn. 

We aren't wearing helmets - but we will when we are going fast and out of the yard. I hadn't even thought about it until it was pointed out by a video viewer. There are no laws here about wearing helmets for bikes, motorcycles or snow machines.  

Bella decided to move over to the big machine. 

Bella and Auntie Arielle and Auntie Stacia

The rest of the day Bella and Izaak slid out back. 

Kids played games inside. 

Mom G cooked dinner. It was a great day. Family working, playing, eating and having fun together.  I think I'm going to like living with the men this year, after all. I hear rumors of great fun when the summer hits. 

Ending Another "Work" Week

How I love Fridays! We ended our school week with a trip to Jumanji! We chased the sunset on the way home.

And for some reason this one shows bright white. LOL We were standing on the bank of the Knick River, with mountains and sunset behind us. 

We pulled into our driveway in time to spy these two munching on our brush pile. 

 One can never tire of these two. Cousins! How blessed they are to grow up in the same location. I wish I had grown up near cousins. 

Benny (3 months), Gideon (9 months)

Life Groups & The Moose

The highlight of the day is the start of a Life Group here at our home.  Small Groups, Care Groups, Community Groups, Life Groups - all the same concept.  At the chapel small groups were topic driven: "marriage, parenting, Ephesians." At our home church  community groups are more activity/fellowship based: "running, games, praise dancing."  Here, Life Groups are Sermon centered.

They are "designed to take our discussion Sunday mornings a  little further...into the world in which you live...there is no way to truly have a conversation and meet people right where they are at in a large group setting. It's our desire and calling to partner with people on their journey of becoming and we feel that becoming happens better in smaller circles, rather than in larger rows. It happens best when we learn from each other; hearing the questions others have, seeing the ways Truth can be applied in other real-life situations, and having personal input in the conversation. It's just better together!"  From Church's website

Goodies we didn't touch. LOL We DID sell them later. 

I think all the small groups I've seen have worked well at building community. We are currently attending the Life Group we started attending months ago on Wed nights. We will lead one in our home on Thursdays. Obviously, it would be a bit redundant to hear the same sermon 3x a week!  These groups are not simply a "retelling" of Sunday's sermons. It's a great place to wrestle out some of the truths from the sermon,  discuss questions of application, or see how others understood a point on which one may be fuzzy. Each group has its own personality - and while the talk goes in a similar direction in each group - the applications and questions from the leader and participants lead to a varied experience.

I DO miss the other types of small groups I've been involved in  - but  we are content to follow the vision of our church leadership, and to wait until God opens opportunities for a variety of groups.  AND if we got up in time for Sunday School that would serve as a Bible Study based small group. In this season, God has been telling me to choose where I invest my time and "relationship seed" carefully. I'm out of the home a minimum of 3 days a week with Michael's treatment. It would be very easy to get busy and "see a lot of people," without getting to "know" a lot of people.

In other news - our collared moose is back. She likes it here. 

More Snow

Snow, snow snow. Not a complaint - just a fact. 

Sun is never overhead - skirts around the horizon 

I LOVE the light shining on our mountain

I've got video clips of snow falling - very peaceful. I'll eventually get it into a youtube clip and share. I think it will be my "go to" calming nature clip. LOL