Christmas in the Logging Camp

The longer we are up in the Northland, the more I realize this is a great place to live. Not far from our house there is place called The Forest History Center. It's an authentically re-created white pine logging camp, complete with a cook shack, bunkhouse, blacksmith shop and barn. Each December they host an event called Christmas in the Logging Camp. We decided to check it out this year. The kids had a blast!

The girls checking out the deer exhibit.

Audrey making her own wrapping paper (nope---that is not an unshaven Darin, it's a random volunteer!).

William having his turn at the wrapping paper.

Santa even made an appearance at the Log Camp!!

Audrey had a chance to saw a log the old-fashioned way. Look at her little tongue out, she was concentrating so hard!

William loved to be able to use such a big saw!

Nora had the best seat on her Papa's shoulders.

Because there was no snow---GASP---the first week of December in northern Minnesota, instead of sleigh rides, we had a wagon ride courtesy of these two beauties!

A Stay Home Day

Not every day we have to run into town to preschool, or the Y, Target, or the grocery store. We call these days "STAY HOME DAYS, " (also know as SHD). William loves SHDs, almost as much as he loves preschool. Audrey would much rather go into town and go shopping or to "friends," the affectionate name for childcare at the Y. I have a love/hate relationship with SHDs. But here is what may happen on a SHD.

Lots of kids in one chair. They love to read....this could be attributed to my mother, who instilled a love of books into me, and my kids.

Many hours are spent constructing cities with roads and railroads running through them. William is creative. He is clever and full of problem-solving skills. He is much like his father. And he can smash a mean spider. I love him.

A picture=1,000 words. Audrey is wearing a flower girl dress under a too-big floral dress. She must always be the most elegant princess, even when pushing her baby-wielding little sis in a car. Nora cannot get enough dolls and stuffed animals. This is ok, because by child #3, there are lots of stuffed animals and she is the first to embrace them.

If it has been a long morning, by the time the kids are napping (yup, all 3 still nap), I am ready for a change of pace. Sometimes I sneak down to the lake for a few minutes of quiet.

I took these pictures Tuesday afternoon. The thinnest layer of ice had formed in our bay.

Sometimes the kids eat ice cream--sitting on the counter--when the husband is at work. He doesn't think kids belong on the counter. I choose my battles carefully with the kids. Sometimes counters are ok.

William takes full credit for Nora's development. He feels he was the one who taught her to walk and talk, and he is so proud of her!!

A few people have mentioned William and his underwear. Yup, there are lots of pictures of the kid in his underwear. Another battle I choose not to fight. Rule is appropriate clothing for school and at certain times at home (depending on the company), but always, ALWAYS, he must wear at least underwear. The kid is hot and active, so he is not freezing!

Picked up William from school Monday and the teacher asks if we took the boat out this weekend. Hmmm....nope. Took me a few seconds to realize he did not make up a story, rather, he was referring to 'his' boat over the weekend. ---Look closely at this picture. The table is his 'boat', on a 'trailer' of laundry baskets, being 'hitched' by a dog leash and pulled by his car. The living room was the 'lake' and the den was the 'shed' and the pillows are 'life jackets'.

Getting everything ready for the 'lake'.

This is not a staged picture. Audrey is passionate, about everything. Her room, and more specifically, her bed, is her sanctuary. She reads and plays in bed til she conks out. I am in the process of trying to convince her to switch to a bigger bed instead of her toddler bed. Her bed is so full, and she is unwilling to part with anything, her little body must be sore from sleeping so contorted!

The First *Snow* and Thanksgiving Thaw

I am behind----Let me catch up before the task becomes too daunting!

We had our first official snow! The kids were so excited about all the options little people dream of when the ground turns white... building snowmen, snow angels, snowballs, eating snow, snow forts, skating, sledding, snow sculptures. It takes me a little while to get excited about this particular precipitation because it brings more travel time to town, plus allowing an extra 10 minutes in the morning to prepare for the elements, then wedging kids in big puffy coats into carseats and trying to buckle them up with frozen digits. Nonetheless, it was beautiful. The first snow always ignites a little excitement!

Nora, Nora, Nora. She has this thing about summersaults. She wants to do them everywhere, including the entrance to the public library and the icy sidewalk.

Snow Angel by a Snow Angel!

And another Snow Angel!

A Brother Snow Angel.

Isn't it pretty?

Just after the snow fell, the sun came out.

Snow came, stayed for a few days, then Thanksgiving came and brought with it 50 degree temperatures. The snow quickly disappeared and we enjoyed the Easter-like temperatures to celebrate Thanksgiving at our house. The husband was home for the first Thanksgiving in a few years. I took advantage and put him on turkey duty. (Somehow, NOT having to wake up early, shove my hand into a frozen cavity and try to retrieve random parts made me really happy). We celebrated with my parents, my mother-in-law, my grandma, and my sister and her fiance. The company was great, the food was wonderful. We are so thankful for health, family, and friends (old and new)!

Unfortunately, I did not take pictures on Thanksgiving Day (what a bummer, because the spread of food was BEAUTIFUL). Here are a few from Thanksgiving weekend...

Auntie and Grant were great sports and spend lots of time playing Candyland and Chutes and Ladders with William and Audrey!

Even Nora played a few games!

Family Photos

We are starting a tradition of having family pictures taken each fall. We tried a new photographer this year and LOVED her! Sarah was calm, fun, and had a way of making the kids follow her directions and look at the camera. Here is just a sample of what was taken.

I asked Sarah to take a few pictures of me with the kids...I am always on the other side of the camera---there needs to be proof that I exist!!

This was a serious hug!!

Handsome boy, very reluctant to remove his hat.

Doesn't she look angelic in this picture?

L-O-V-E this one!!!!

One of my favorites---my boys!

William looks more comfortable in a hat, don't you think?!

Audrey was so much more cooperative this year than last. She enjoyed being photographed!

Nora.

4 out of 5 of us looking in the right direction!

FAMILY!

Doesn't William look in control of THE SISTERS?!

After the Kids are in Bed!

Often, after we get the kids to bed, the night is still young and the husband and I put in another 'shift'. It's hard to be ultra-productive with 3 little kids, so you do what you have to do to get things done---and honestly, I love being up late and spending time with the husband!

We laid tile in our bedroom. Thanks, YouTube, for the great tutorials!

I made a quilt for Audrey's birthday.

I complained to the husband one day that I could not find a suitable shoe shelf anywhere. He whipped this thing up for me one night. Gotta love a handyman.

We put our raspberry harvest to good use by making raspberry jam (and a HUGE thanks to mother-in-law Alice for her contribution of berries)!

Every once in awhile, the kids are in bed early enough for us to appreciate a peaceful and breath-taking sunset.

Pumpkins--Garden to Carvin'

We planted pumpkin seeds this spring on a whim, with very low expectations. Much to our surprise, we harvested 4 pumpkins! It was fun for the kids to watch the pumpkins grow, and also fun to carve our OWN pumpkins for Halloween.

This was taken after church this morning. No one was much in the mood for pictures.

Papa working on pumpkin #3. By this time, kids found the pumpkins less exciting than dinner.

Nora and her Cat Pumpkin.

William was very specific about how he wanted his pumpkin to look: circle eyes, square nose, rectangle mouth with lots of teeth!

Isn't this winking pumpkin cute with this little princess (Audrey insisted on trying on her costume to make sure it was ready for Halloween)?!

Pumpkin #4's destiny was a PIRATE!

A little pre-Halloween treat. The neighbors are so generous!!!

2011 Pumpkins

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!