Merry Christmas

We had a lovely, relaxing day.  A yummy breakfast, Christmas devotions, and gifts started the day.  I got all the kids new books and the rest of the morning was spent reading. 


In the afternoon we went to Ryan and Erin Briscoe's for dinner and sledding.  We had a good time talking and getting to know each other better. 


 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:5,9
May your year be full of light, grace and truth!
Merry Christmas!

 

 

Halloween

As usual, we ran a booth at the community Harvest Carnival we do at church.  Jayce actually dressed up this year as a "Cool Dude".  His hair makes a superb Afro and Warren had some "Back to the Future" shades from high school.  Emerald tried to embody the element water with a blue flowing outfit and wild blue make-up. 

Alectra has been enjoying The Ranger Apprentice book series and dressed up like the main character, Will Treaty.

Alexis had the flu for the Harvest Carnival so she had to wait until the Hallow-whinny pony club party so show off her Will Scarlett, which is Robin Hood's buddy, costume. 

Some club members helping Alexis with one of the games.

Emerald and Lacy waiting for the games to begin.

New Animals on the Ranch

After horse shopping all summer we finally found one that we thought might be the one for Emerald.  Steaming Hot Mocha is an eleven year old, 15.3 hands high, guerrilla dun appendix mare.  She is a jumper, which is what Emerald loves, and likes to go.  It will be a steep learning curve but it will be good.

Mocha is eager to go!  She is loving the paddock, with all the yummy grass and room to move.

In October we picked up the calf we traded hay for this summer.  Pumpkin was born the end of May and is a Dexter/Scottish Highland cross. She is supposed to be my milk cow in a few years. The twins have claimed her and spend hours playing with her.  Pumpkin likes to run and drag the girls on the end of the lead rope.  They keep working with her and she is getting much better. 

The Birthday girls!

Emerald had a few friends over and had a spa day party.  She is now an official teenager!  We made a fancy candle light brunch, topped off with strawberry tarts for the "cake".
 
After filling up on yummy food, the girls got down to business with manicures, pedicures and facials.  We had to do a lot of research on how things were supposed to be done but we figured it out.

Summer getting her feet done by Emerald.  Alyssum to trying to get the rest of the cucumber peel off of her face and Alectra is making sure everyone knows she is NOT going to put that goop on her face!

Cucumber facials are Silly!

Fancy toes and fingers.

Alectra and Alexis have their birthdays two week later and they didn't get to have a friend party this year, mom just couldn't get one put together in time. 

Pumpkin pie is their favorite dessert for birthdays.

Alectra and Alexis are the birthday queens!

 

Summer Horses

Emerald had a fun year in Pony Club.  She did her certification and passed, so she is now a D-2.  She rated and rode Lacy until Lacy started having stifle problems.  Lacy is her favorite horse, lots of zip and brains.
 
The rest of the summer she borrowed any horse that was available.  She went Rally in Anchorage as a stable manager since she had never attended.  She loved helping her team do well and keeping everyone on schedule.  Another club member shared her horse, Buddy, with Emerald for the jumping portion. 

Here she is doing her turn-out inspection, talking to the Horse Management Judges and telling them about her horse management skills and schedule.

 Practicing the jump course is a good way to get rid of the nerves before you go before the judges. 

She is one happy girl when she is on a horse.

This little bull spent the weekend at Rally with us.  He especially enjoyed the dressage event and gave the horses an extra challenge to work with. 

Summer Fishing

Warren did spend more time on Kachemak Bay this summer and it was worth it.  He is getting pretty good at trolling for king salmon and he loves every second of it.   I love spending time looking at scenery most people only dream of seeing.  God's finger prints are everywhere!

The lumps at the base of this rock are seals.

Jayce with a nice little King.

Warren with another nice king.

The large halibut on the stick is 95 pounds, the biggest fish our boat has every landed.  The ones on the ground are a 40 pounder and two 10 pounders Alectra caught and couldn't let go. Alexis hooked the big one and thought it was going to pull her pole overboard.

But the most exciting catch of the summer was the 50 pound king salmon Warren and Jayce brought home.  Those don't come by very often.  It was a good day on the water!  

 

Summer Visitors

We had a wonderful time with company this summer.  Such a wonderful time that I forgot to take pictures.  Dave and Brenda, Warren's parents, drove our new suburban up in May. 

They stayed a few weeks and got to enjoy our last snow of the winter on May 19th. She made a batch of soap for us so I could learn how to do it myself. 

Eli and Irene, Ellirene's parents, came for two weeks the beginning of July.  Eli hurt his back and spent most of the time on the couch but it was so good to see them.  They finally got to see our place and see the kids in their own space.  Grandma brought crafts projects to do and Grandpa read stories aloud.

 Warren's sister LuAnn and her family came the day my parents left.  They were so much fun to have around and hang-out with for a while.  We went clamming, fishing and introduced them to Homer.  

Mary, Michael, and Eric enjoying lunch after digging razor clams.

Mary, LuAnn and Joe (barely).
Joe caught the crud and it took several days until he was up and ready to explore Alaska.

 

Good-bye lunch at Glacier Drive-In.  Thanks for coming up everyone, it made this summer such a fun one for us. 

King Warren's Birthday!

Summer gardens growing

Third year of the High Tunnel producing,  and I finally feel like I might know what I'm doing.  We planted seeds this year rather than growing starts and transplanting.  The difference was amazing.
The plants got larger and produced more, at an earlier date.  We had over 100 ears of sweet corn, bushels of green beans and plenty of other yummy things.

These pictures were taken mid-July, by the end of the summer we could not walk down the paths.

Jayce won division champion at the Kenai Peninsula Fair for his pumpkin.

Alectra won her division in Created crafts.

Alexis won with the bell she and Grandma Irene made, in the group needle craft division.

Tomatoes!

 

A sink full of puffball mushrooms that grow all over our fields.  They are so yummy.