First day of school -- 2008

Today is the first day of Kelsey and Heather's sophomore year at Chico High. They were so excited to start school today! They went to bed fairly early (9ish) last night and were up before 6 this morning ~ I, on the other hand, was also up but not so energetic... I did have enough energy however to remember the camera and take some photos to put in the memory book! We are very excited for them ~ Steven was up and left the house at 6. He also starts school today and is in charge of 33 students... He has a busy day ahead!

July 13, 2008

Johnny is up for a visit currently. Steven and I took the kids to Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding for the day last week. We were able to check out the Bodies Revealed exhibit that is currently being displayed there. We also went to the water park to cool off afterwards! It was a fun-filled day!

Steven and I also took a quick trip to San Diego in late June to visit Johnny and help him move into his apartment and furnish it for the Fall semester. He is really excited about his new place and of course, we had to visit San Diego Zoo while there! We had a great time ~

Land mover...

We have been doing a lot of projects around the house these past two weeks. Our neighbor, Will, has been over to help with grading the back patio. He tore out a couple of huge stumps for us and has moved a massive amount of soil to create a garden space down by the barn as well as a level area behind the kitchen. We are planning to design a patio back there.

We would be working for years if it hadn't been for his generosity! We are very grateful for his friendship ~

Garden Joy 2008

Here are just a few photos of the flowers in my garden this year! I have been a very busy girl these past few months. I have planted 13 roses; 3 double delight in memory of our dear friend Aileen Lightbody who passed away in March. I was also given 7 roses that were removed from a garden on the coast. They are doing great! I enjoy the roses but have to spray "Liquid Fence" to keep the deer at bay... Needless to say, it is worth the effort! They are fragrant and beautiful ~

Slideshow of family picts

Beautiful postcard like picture...

Here are a couple more... one of the house from the front walkway. Another of me standing above the Zen garden looking down at the house. The third one is a picture taken of the snow on the bark of a tree... I thought it looked interesting ~ Enjoy!

Snow fell last night...

We woke up to snow this morning. Everything was sugar-coated! It’s beautiful… I love the crunching sound of fresh-fallen snow under my feet…. We have plenty of pine split for next winter, as you can see in the third photo. Steven and I worked together to get the wood split this past Fall, as you will see in prior posts.

Another Fall weekend day!

Today is a lovely overcast 60ish degree day. We started a fire in the hot tub this morning ~ It is currently 100-degrees and will be ready for a soak later today after we are done working in the yard. Steven and I relish the times we soak together and have commented on many an occasion that the hot tub was the best purchase we ever made! We especially enjoy it after a long work day during the week ~

Fall 2007

Well, it's that time of year again! With Fall, come leaves dropping everywhere. I raked the back part of the property yesterday. It feels good to accomplish that! We dropped a large pine tree a month ago. We needed to split the wood! We also had another bunch of wood from last Fall that had aged through the year. We split the rental cost of a wood splitter with our neighbor a few weekends ago; Steven split the majority of the wood and I received a lesson on how to work the splitter! Steven split while I wheelbarrowed the cut wood to our wood pile across the driveway. Steven's stamina is amazing! He just works and works! I actually stepped in and told him to take a break ~ He looked exhausted that day... We enjoy the process of preparing for winter ~ ...and the cozy warm fires are the greatest reward of all!

Lake Engelbreit weekend in September, 2007

We spent a rainy weekend at the houseboat with a fire roaring most of Saturday. The rain was pouring off and on Saturday so we stayed on the houseboat and relaxed. We were able to catch up on some much-needed rest that day...
Steven was able to surf on Friday evening and again on Sunday morning. I prefer single skiing and was able to play a little on Sunday. The water was clear and glassy -- So much fun.

Lake 11 ~ Summer 2007

Steven and I were able to escape to one of our favorite spots in the world this summer! We took a whole week and split it between Lake 11 and Ashland Oregon. We rested and relaxed at our camping spot for part of Saturday then took a day hike to the other lakes with the dogs! They swam and enjoyed every minute of it!!

Summer 2007 -- more photos of Lake 11

Steven and I absolutely love this place. It is near Soda Springs and Lake Sterling in Northern California (near Truckee). It is majestic country where the air is pristine and the water crystal clear. On this particular day, we took a day hike and then I napped and read my book. The day lazily crept by from sun up to sun down. The relaxation from that day sank deep ~

puppy fun in the garden in late March 2007

The puppy phase was so much fun! Once they were vaccinated, we were able to bring them outdoors and that was an adventure...as you can see! Sadie (and Woofer) were really instrumental in keeping all 9 in tow. It was such a cute sight!! Happy memories... and such a fun chapter in our life here!