A Winter Walk

I went for a walk by myself yesterday afternoon. I found the geese flock and white duck in a small part of the lake that wasn't frozen over. The mallards have all left, so white duck has rejoined the geese for the winter. I bet it was sad for him when his mallard family left.

The trees behind my house were gorgeous with their burden of snow. Thankfully our power stayed on the whole time.

The dam for the lake was interesting because there were these two strips of snow flowing down the side toward the stream. I had a very lovely walk. My favorite scene was the little bridge that crosses the stream below the dam. The people who own that property had decorated the bridge with red ribbons for Christmas.

I also manage to get a picture of white duck with the geese. I was pretty far away and it was snowing, so the picture is kind of fuzzy. White duck is in the front with geese all around braving the snow storm.

Winter Lake Views

This is the view across from my house. The lake is a gray color. There is several inches of slush that has frozen on the surface of the lake. Today the lake appears white because new snow fell on top of the slush.

The clubhouse looks really beautiful in the snow. It is decorated for Christmas with lights and garland. It is amazing at night.

Bethany took this picture of me in front of our house yesterday, when we were out playing. It was still snowing.

This is a picture of Bethany in front of the lake just across our yard. She is wearing her new snow suit, that Aunt April got her for early Christmas. I am so thankful it came early!

Snow Dogs

The Blizzard of 2009 was lots of fun for our house. This was the puppies second snow. The first one was a couple of weekends ago, but a few inches is nothing compared to over a foot of snow fun. I measured fourteen inches Saturday morning, and then it continued to snow all day. I don't know how much snow we have, but it is loads of joy for three young creatures in my world.

Daisy and Tippy had to romp like deer through the deep accumulation of the white wonder. The snow balled up on their fur in clots. They didn't seem to mind the cold at all, and stayed out with Bethany for a long time.

I enjoyed watching everyone play, while I took pictures. The pups plowed through the snow, leaving tunnels across the lawn. Bethany tried to get the neighbor boy to play with her.

The pups like to wrestle with each other, and they have the mistaken notion that Bethany wants to wrestle too. She tolerates it to a point, and then she sets them straight.

Daisy lets me take her picture. She holds still and waits for me to take a picture. Tippy doesn't get that I want her to hold still. It is difficult to get a picture of her. I love this one with Daisy covered in snow.

Santa visits Maple Lake

Last Saturday night the residents of Maple Lake hosted a special dinner for the children of the neighborhood and Santa. Santa arrived with a sack full of toys for the children, and he personally gave each child their present and wished them a Merry Christmas.

Bethany loved her Barbie with puppies. Santa knew she had gotten two new puppies this year, and wanted to help her celebrate with a gift that had puppies.

We dined on spaghetti and salad. It was the best meal I have eaten in weeks. I had a wonderful happy feeling of contentment after eating some lovely carbohydrates. Christmas has come to the lake.

There were happy children. Mothers and fathers were filled with joy watching the excitement of the little ones. Every one's bellies were full of good things, and we had conversations with our neighbors. Bethany's swim instructor, Cathy, is our neighbor. She sat with us, and we had a nice time. It is good to celebrate Christmas with your neighbors. Merry Christmas!

Nana and Grandaddy celebrate Sixty Years!

Nana and Grandaddy Tom celebrated sixty years of marriage over the Thanksgiving Holiday with a party at their church. Gigi was the party planner, and everything was beautiful and yummy. Bethany got to hold Baby Andrea again. She has grown so much since she held her in July.

Grandaddy wanted a picture with all of the great grandchildren. Bethany is the oldest of the group. She likes the fact that she is the oldest cousin on both sides of the family.

Mary Douglas, Victoria, and Bethany wore matching dresses. Everyone thought they were sisters, and that I was their mama. April was serving punch, so I was playing with the kids all afternoon. Victoria is making a face in this picture. She is a hoot. She has always got something going, and is so funny. Bethany enjoyed spending time with them. They had Christmas together before we left for home.

Thanksgiving in Winfield

Thanksgiving in Winfield this year was a quiet affair. We were missing Aunt Rachel and Uncle Matt, and Uncle Brian. Alex and Grandpa socialized in the living room while the women cooked up a traditional Thanksgiving feast. The girls played throughout the house.

The girls wanted to help prepare the meal too. They worked really hard setting the table. They also put the biscuits on the tray for baking. They were so very helpful.

We had a wonderful meal, and had a good time fixin' the vittles. We really missed Rachel, Matt, and Brian. After the meal was cleaned up, we spent some time making jewelry for each other with beads Natalie had gotten for her birthday the day before. It was a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Natalie's Fourth Birthday

Natalie celebrated her fourth birthday on November 21. She had a Strawberry Shortcake party this year. She had a hard time deciding the theme of her party this year. She likes so many things, she kept changing her mind. There were several folks at the party this year. The children included Michele's Braden, my Bethany, and Christy's Aiden. Bethany and Natalie play a rousing game of Whack A Mole, which was only out enjoyed by a game played by Michele and Jeanne. Whack A Mole was a great gift!

Jeanne made some delicious treats for us to enjoy. We dined on pizza, rice crispy treats, fruits, and veggies. A sweet strawberry cake was served to the tune of Happy Birthday. Natalie blew out all of her candles. I hope her wish comes true.

Natalie was the cutest strawberry princess. The children performed a show for us sometime in the afternoon. Braden, Natalie, and Bethany had a little band with some musical instruments. Mostly, the kids played in the play room.

Everyone enjoyed the dressing up in Strawberry attire. Crowns, glasses, rings, and bracelets were worn by all the strawberry sweet kids. Happy Birthday Natalie!