One Serious Snowstorm.

It's a good thing I love snow! We had more than 45 inches of before Christmas here. Much of it has melted by now, but the day after one of the bigger snowfalls I took some pictures.



The kids' playhouse door is almost half covered.

This is looking straight out our front door. Where's the sidewalk? And our mailbox is almost buried.

The grill on the back porch.

Snow up the seat of the chair, and still falling.

Poor Laura can barely walk.

My favorite little place to eat cheese related foods.

In an effort to document everything (lol) I brought the camera into my favorite restaurant in New Glarus, WI. We went to eat one cool afternoon in mid-November for lunch. When I get a hankering for their grilled swiss sandwich, or fondue, or curds, or just their peppercorn ranch dressing, which isn't even made there, I have Theo take us there. Yum, yum, yum...

Ben has a friend there, the waitress. Last time he was there he told her, "Don't forget my name!" This time, once she noticed him, she was so excited. She told me that just earlier this week she was thinking about Ben, and telling herself, "I better not forget that cute little guy." The host/barkeep, possibly the owner guy likes the kids, too. He remembers them also. He lets them listen to the animated deer head on the wall.

And later, on the way home, dad gives Hunter cheetoes... why, I'll never know.

I wish Theo was off today so we could go there again...

November Gingerbread Houses

Ben's class made Gingerbread houses just before Thanksgiving. The kids were sent home with the freshy made houses, to eat. I actually had the chance to watch Ben putting his together, as the classroom door was cracked open, and he ate a lot more than what made it onto the houses. Ha!

Here's Ben in his Gingerbread chef hat, made in class, with his creation:

Hunter's excited Ben's going to share.

Here it is before they ate too much:

You can see Hunter's little hand in this shot taking more pieces off...

And here is the little ham himself.

I love how they just frosting-glued the graham crackers onto the empty milk cartons. Cute idea.

Hunter was not going to miss a chance to wear the hat for a second.

Of course, we let Laura lick a bit of frosting off the milk cart.

I'm excited to make some gingerbread houses of our own this holiday season.

Caramel Apples

Before we went on our walk through the woods I made some "homemade" caramel apples. I didn't make the caramel, but I bought it and melted it myself. :) I love caramel apples. Like, they rank somewhere around chocolate, and I get frazzled enough when I think about them to start a sentence with "like," so that's huge. We went to a local apple farm to get the apples; I selected Cortland, my favorite for caramel apples b/c they're just the right combo or tart and sweet, and very crisp. I also bought a bag of Jonagold, and made a few of those, too.

I topped them with a few leftover fall leaf sprinkles.

And after a walk in the wood while the caramel hardened, we chowed:

Ben does not like to get messy when he eats, so he ate his with no hands, after I cut it up for him.

You can see where Ben gets it, I carefully take a bite of my cut-up apple, too.

On the other hand, little man likes to dig in, licking all the caramel off as though he were eating a lolipop.

Yum, yum, get ya some.

Walk in the Woods...

The same week still... early November, we took a walk in the woods by our house. We brought Laura Jane, our dog. It was snowing as we walked, but very lightly. It's funny how our bodies adapt over time, adjusting to the temperatures. This cool day was comfortable for us.

Oak leaves.

One of the lakes in the woods.

Moss is my very favorite color.

Scarf and boots weather.

I see the river through the trees.

Staking an ambush on mom.

Ben jumps out to get me early.

I am here to live outloud.

H-man loved the woods, and walked all along, by himself, without a single gripe for the hour or more we were out here. He's definately going to make a good hunter someday.

Ben loved it out in the woods at first, but then quickly began to complain about having to keep walking. He's never had endurance. He's athletic, just not for great length of time. Perhaps he'll be a sprinter like his dad was?

Could our baby girl be any happier? She loves this place!

Hunter marching along next to dad, while I follow practically dragging Ben. Hunter even kept pace on foot beside Dad. Adorable.

Pine on the forest floor, my favorite.

You can see snow on my lens here.

Hope you enjoyed our walk. I'm almst caught up here.... lol!