Boxing Day

These beautiful photos are from Boxing Day. The frost was covering everything, making it all breath-takingly gorgeous. I had to get out and try to capture it on film! Adrian knew how I felt and even pulled over on the way to Geoff & Katie's house so that I could snap a few more! I love how the frost on the trees makes a lacy outline against the sky. How wonderful to view God's creation in this setting. Amazing.

"Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:9

All Tired Out

This morning Panda was so full of energy she was wearing on my patience. She kept taking things in an effort to get attention. She even stole a die from the backgammon game Andrew and I were playing and swallowed it! (Not to worry, the little beast threw it up again this afternoon along with a lovely, smooth, polished stone. Yuck.)

Since the day was beautiful I decided to take the boys to the track for a bike ride this afternoon. Panda and I jogged for the most part. I actually made it 3/4 of the way around before I had to walk for a bit. Then I jogged for probably half of the next round. Yay! We haven't been over there in weeks and I was thinking on the way there that I probably wouldn't make it a quarter of the way around before having to slow down and walk. I don't do a very fast jog as it is, but it still felt good to get that far around today! Panda walked beside me all the way home with hardly a correction needed. She is very tired now and lying in the sunshine at the front door.

I badly needed to rest when we got home so I had a little doze on the couch while Matthew watched a movie and Andrew and Nicholas played at the computer. I was exhausted! I'll definitely be ready for my bed tonight. I'd post a picture of Panda flaked out by the door, except I was too lazy to get up to get the camera. She looked very cute, though!

First Snow

Yep, this is it, the first snow of the season. While it is very pretty, it's also reminding me that I have yet to get out the winter gear. I'm really not ready for winter. I'm not a winter person. I like to be warm. I love how pretty the snow makes everything and I like to watch it from inside the house, preferably curled up near the fire with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. The huge, fluffy flakes are my favourite ones to watch. We have a great yard for making snow forts and snowmen and checking the tracks of the little animals who wander through. Well, really I guess I don't mind going outside in the winter to play as long as it's not bitterly cold and windy. Brrrr. I get the shivers just thinking about it. Adrian calls me thermally-challenged which would be why I am quite cosy under all the covers and he's complaining of the heat and wanting to open the windows. We go well together.

Thankfully, this snow didn't last very long. A bit did settle on the cars and the deck, but the sun is shining now and it's all gone in spite of the best efforts of the kids to do little snow dances in the family room. They were truly the only ones excited by the snow this morning!

Knitting

I learned to knit many years ago, but wasn't very good at it. My grandmother taught me and I had a little scarf I kept plodding away at. It had so many holes in it in between visits with Grandma that I was very discouraged and gave up eventually.

I recently asked Carole if she would mind re-teaching me so that I could make a couple of scarves as gifts and she graciously said she didn't mind. Nicholas asked me if he could learn, too, and then Matthew piped up that he would learn as well. Carole definitely had her work cut out for her with the three of us wanting to learn! She and the girls stayed over Friday night and Saturday morning the lesson began.

Matthew thoroughly enjoyed learning how to do this! He's only 6.5 years old and he is doing great! Nicholas learned as well and they are both keen on doing this. The only problem we've run into is that I'm only one person and when they are both knitting I am going back and forth between the two sorting out troubles. When I get one settled, the other one needs help again! It's making for some frustrating moments all around, but we're getting better at it. The boys have such determination, it's inspiring! I had to leave my own knitting until after they were in bed last night and then I was able to get several rows done. I'm not at all quick at it so it's a good thing I'm starting so many weeks before Christmas. I might be able to finish the two I want to do!

Busy, busy!

These last two weeks have been so busy, I'm not sure where the time went! Between Bible studies for Adrian and for me, THE Book Club preparation, visiting with friends, clubs to take the kids to, painting the hallway trim (which, by the way, I have now finished in only three weeks - LOL!), upkeep around the house, visiting twice with my Mom who was staying at Geoff & Katie's townhouse for a few days each week, keeping on top of schoolwork with the boys, making Christmas presents, and life in general I have felt like I haven't had time to breathe!!! That's not even the full list, but it was getting longer than I thought I'd write down.

I kept meaning to get out to camp and take some pictures of the trees all in colour, but it didn't happen this year. Maybe next fall I'll be able to schedule in some photo time there. I have gorgeous spring photos from a couple of years ago, loads of summer pics and many beautiful winter ones. I wanted some fall photos to complete the seasons at camp.

This tree is an oak in our backyard, actually it's the one the kids like to swing on, and it hadn't quite dropped all its leaves. The day was sunny and this was just too nice not to take a photo of. It's amazing how small things can bring such joy and happiness to my day! I can look at these beautiful colours and breathe deeply.

Fall Fun

It's a beautiful day, just made for doing some fall yard work. We've spent a bit of time raking leaves in the front yard and tidying up the backyard. We don't really bother to rake the leaves in the back, we just mulch them into the grass. Saves our backs and does the lawn some good! The front yard is another story, though. There are two large maple trees and one has not completely dropped all the leaves, but the ones that are there on the ground already are way too many to mow over. That's okay because Matthew loves raking them into nice big piles for them all to jump in. This tree at the back of the yard is a favourite for swinging on. It's near the little campsite the kids made which is really no more than a bare spot at the side they like to dig in. Matthew and Nicholas were taking turns swinging each other before we had to leave this afternoon.

Building Buddies

Adrian loves building things with the boys, especially Lego. This is a Meccano set which Adrian and Andrew put together the other night. Adrian took it apart again so that Nicholas could have a try with it. I think the boys have found a new building set to enjoy! They've already figured if they put a bottom on this little boat their Lego figures will be able to ride around in style!