Christmas is coming, I feel it in the air. Christmas is coming and it seems to me that miracles and magic are everywhere..  At this time of year, I often ponder and wonder about life, It seems to me that if we just believe in Christ, that Christmas takes on that magic and wonder not matter where we are at, or what happens in the world around us.. 
  This is Joel and I first ever Christmas alone and I have been excited and a little bit worried. I miss the kids and the noise and the dogs. Gosh we do not even have the dogs here. I will miss the laughter on Christmas morning and sitting around in our pajamas and Joel cooking a giant breakfast. But it is time to take our wings and fly.. Time to make a differnece and learn who we are once again. 
  I am glad I am with my best friend. I still get excited when he walks into a room.  I still feel that great love for him that I felt so many years ago. Only it is better. It is more and it wonderful.  And with him beside me we can have a wonderful Christmas no matter where we go.
  As I turn my thoughts to family near and some so far away.. I love them all so much, and hope that somehow someway, they can feel this great wonder of the season that has been in my heart.
  We did not do gifts this year, except of course the grandchildren.  We just decided to concentrate on us, and the season and it has been one of the best Christmas Season I have ever had. I hav ehad time to think of Christ, to listen to Christmas music and to watch the Christmas Carol 3 times.. .. SMILE.
 Merry Christmas one and all, may we keep that love in our hearts all year long, and so come what may, and it will come, that we will have the strength and faith to see it through..

I went to cub scout day camp a couple of weeks ago, They had there own Abe Lincoln. Wonderful story teller and the boys were all in awe of him.

Camp Easten has been there since 1928. I am not sure how many acres it , but it is a lot, it is a beautiful spot.

More of camp Easten and one of the little cabins that I think are really cute, the oldest was built in 1938 or so.

Nothing more touching then the cubs raising the flag. Here the flag is not forgotten but raised and lowered each day with a touching heartfelt ceremony.

This is actually round lake and Curt is off in the distance on his boat, I love to go on the lake with my boat and my book, and just relax. He of course he fishes, it is too much trouble for me.I after all have passengers on my boat, I take the dogs. Quiggley has love going with me and now Cora is great to take. They just sit there and watch the water and keep track of me. They are my buddies. I guess they replace the kids, I need something to keep me busy.

The rocks are just awesome up the St. Joe the colors always amaze me, this if from my boat and the rocks are about ten to fifteen feet deep, the water is so clear and wonderful.

When I got up huckle berry picking I have to climb to the top of the Mountain and look down, The bittersweets go on and on and on as if there is no end. I just love to stand and take it all in. I see lots of evidence in the form of droppings from bear and moose, but so far have not run into one. I miss my faithful old Webster whom romped through the brush making sure that nothing was up ahead. He is to old to take anymore, the heart is there but the body does not work like it used to.

Another view from the top of the mountain, it was one of those wonderul North Idaho days where the clouds just rolled in and kept us cool but it no rain. Usually it waits till night to rain, and from the top of a mountain the lightening can be magnificant.

My frog child, I think he was born with gills. He had me perched upon the top of the railroad bridge. and so I did what any mother would do, I took pitcures. He was checking out to see if he could find any sucker fish. He and his buddy goal is to rid the water of these fish that take away habitat from the trout. He always scouts out good fishing holes to come back to on the pontoon boats. One of our favorite pass times.

More rocks , I keep hauling them to Oregon. I have a little bit of Idaho in my front yard. Plan to do more with them down there. Summer is such a wonderful time here in N.I. It never seems that we have enough of it, even now you can feel that fall is sneaking in, The nights are always cool here even in the heat of summer, but as fall rolls around the air begins to turn crisp. I have loved it. I will miss it t his year as I head out in September to Oregon. I will miss it when we move down for good. But new miracles and wonders await wherever one goes. Life to me is amazing and wonderul, it does not ever matter where we are, there is something there to enjoy and adventure happen in our own back yard if we just are willing to look for them.

It's a wonderful life

You just know the world is good when Riley flases you one of her famous smiles. She is such a stinker but then she just will look at you and smile and what can I say, Your heart melts.

There is nothing so wonderful in life then to be up the river hiking , it seems to me that up there that you are just one with God. It is more than wonderful. There is such peace and as you look around you ., you see all the little miracles that the Lord has put there just for you. And you know with out a doubt, that he is very near.

This is a Lady slipper, she is a rare little flower that you are very privledge to see. We say about ten of them while hiking. I was awed at the tender beauty of this small little plant, and it determination to grow.

When you cousin tell you to put on his coat and that you will be invisable you believe it. but you are just a little worried that after all someone might know you are there after all.

The girls out hiking, tis is our hiking crew. They loved it. we had such a good day that day just walking in the woods. Enjoying the earth and singing to the top of our lungs.. After all. the hills need to be filled with music, it's the rule.

With spring comes many changes, one was I got a Mail box, a real mail box for down home in Winston, I get to walk right out the door and get the box. It took three months of wondering when and I got it in the day before I left. And yes, virginia, I do by some miracle get mail.

We always seem to have more projects to do when we go to Oregon then we have time to do. We have a very special friend who comes and lends a hand and it seems that if he is promised pinocle and dinner, he comes and works hard, We never repay him for all he does and he always does a fantatic job and it is just what I wanted... This spring we decided we really needed to take out that old broken slider, it has been on the honey do list for some time. and I had a vision of what it would look like and all I can say is I was not disappointed. It makes me want to be right down there getting the rest of the vision completed.

WE also took out the hedge from the front yard, it has been on the refusing to florish list for many years. Well the poison oak and the blackberrys seemed to survive and florish and the hedge just died. We also cut back the Laural tree hoping that it will spring back. but all in all it gave ths house a new look. Still lots to do as always... the list never seems to grow shorter, but longer and longer. It will work, I am sure that it will work and end up wonderful in the end...

Ka-Rynn reaction to Oregon is what the heck, I did not come to Oregon to work my entire vacation. I came to run barefoot in the sand at the Ocean. She is after all my child and does not care what the weather, she loves the Ocean. SOmewhere in our blood there must of been many a sea faring men. I guess Starting with Thomas West who came to America in 1609...

Spring in Oregon was pretty awesome and more so when Jon and his family came. Maggie like those before her. loved the Ocean, Windy weather and all she was out there enjoying the sand.. Barefoot of course.

The rain and the sun came and went. and Umberella I found works for both, and the old boat cleaned up made a very wonderful place for girls to hang out... and I found out that rubber fit many feet.

Spring came and went too fast. Then it was time to load up and go home to Idaho. I was anxious to get home, but also sad to leave Oregon behind. This business of going back and forth it rough.. It was an adventure, There are so many things I love at both ends of the road. but all in all I like Joel at the same end of the road as I am.

Work is still going slow up here, but he is working and so retirement is still on hold, we are hoping for a while yet. Who know what tomorrow will bring, but this we know, sunshine or rain, we will love it. For each day is a great day. Each day has so much to give and so much to offer. I stand all amazed always at how God hand is always in our lifes. Just when I think things are not going to work, they do. Just when I think I have taken off more than a can chew, a miracles walks through the door. Life like Joel says, Is fantastic, so have a fantasic day.

A hunderd year or so ago, according to my children, Joe and I walked down the isle, ready for our life together to begin. Excited and full of hope and dreams. Well everything did not go as we planned, it went better. I still love to walk anywhere with him that he wants to go.. Gosh were we really ever that young.
And talking about young. Look at the kids. Where did the years go so fast.

We had this old tub, you know one of those ones that people used to use to bath in, In Fact I did as a young girl. Well we kept one on the back porch for years.

They were cute and sweet and buddies from the time Ka-Rynn came into the world. It seems to me that they still are most of the time.

Memories , Those days of laughter and giggles were fun wonderful days, But who could not love today. For it brings new adventures ... All we have to do, it keep following the yellow brick road and see where it takes us next. With me, it is going to take me to Oregon. I leave on the 20th. and may be there for a few months. My life from now on will be runs from Oregon to Idaho. Until Joe retires, then Oregon is the plan. I will miss the beauty of the snow, but look forward to the cascades on the east of me and the Ocean to the west of me. It will be a good balance.

As life always seems to be as long as Joe and I are in it together....

Let it snow.... The snow just kept coming down this taken from my front porch. The snow has been beautiful. When the sun hits it is like diamonds glistening.

This is our mail box. They stand at least three feet high, So you can see just how much snow there was ... They were walled in on everyside, but as long as you keep the path clear in front, the mail man comes.

The burm of snow in frong the house, has grown to about eight feet.

We had snow deep enough that we had a hill of it in the front yard and so one cold winter night, the girls took Derrick out and they went sleding right in the front yard..

Ju
And so the year begins with lots of snow, lots of changes and memories of days long ago. This by the way is Jon with Rynn. The winter snow is melting, with promises of new storms coming. We can actually see pavement, we are so excited. There really was a road under all the white after all.