This one is for Mary, they visited this summer and we had a great time catching up:)

Jesus, the King of Kings & LORD of Lords, came down from His heavenly throne to take on flesh as a tiny baby–the best Christmas present imaginable.

They were out for a LONG time, it wasn’t good packing snow but it was very good cave digging snow:)

Well, I just prepped a scrapbook layout for this so decided I may as well post on the blog too . . . only 6 months later!

Some of my favorites, it was a big “climbing” week, Tobin on the flying squirrel

Mari did the high ropes course for the first time and I did it again, it’s been a few years

Ezra decided he wanted to do the Leap of Faith, stand on top of a telephone pole and jump, I’ve never done it–it’s about the only thing I haven’t done, so Ezra (and Ingrid) pressured me in to it.  I have to say, it was the most thrilling thing I’ve done in a long time-and physically tougher than I expected.  Glad you talked me in to it Ingrid & Ez

And, here is me doing the fire cracker and ruining my shoulder (still trying to rehab that!)

And, this is Ezra & Marian on Jacobs Ladder, it’s too tall to do on your own so you need a partner–they were AMAZING on it!

Camp got new paddle boards, this is Kelly trying it out . . . super fun!

And, the annual Portager Challenge, we didn’t win but it was a lot of fun

trying to get that fire started

They had a fundraiser “fair” with Lukey, the strongman.  he was doing push-ups with like 5 kids on him

And, then shoulder presses with Ezra

Ezra eating a s’more, at like 10pm, we’ve never let them stay up so late, they did great though, sleeping in “a bit”

So excited to see an eagle soaring above

July 4th festivities

Such a great week:)

I’m officially crying uncle on my blog, with seemingly no hope of going back and catching up . . .  so on Wednesday this past week we took some friends to visit my parents farm, their 3 year old Micah is quite enamored with large farming equipment and when they found out that my dad has a real working combine, they asked if they could visit.  When I was a kid, I just took this place for granted, but now I love taking people to visit.  We wanted to take one vehicle so Tobin volunteered to stay with Grandma and then visit his friend Dugan (so that’s why he isn’t in any pictures) and Kelly had to work.

It was cold, really cold, my dad had everything put away for the winter, but he got one of the tractors out for rides and the kids got to climb in the combine.

Micah sitting in the combine

sitting in the combine wheel

Dad & Adam talking shop

headed out for the tractor ride

David waiting for his turn

A photographer friend suggested a while ago that I photograph our farm, and I had kind of forgotten it until Adam started shooting everything . . . I didn’t have my preferred lens with me but shot some.   Later he went out with Ezra and explored the whole place getting pictures everywhere, some things I hadn’t seen in years.  So, in the spring, I’ll be headed back with multiple lenses and some time to explore!

Here are a few . . .

         

A couple that Adam took

Ezra in the barn (SWEET light!)

inside one of the silos, love their awed looks:)

My mom had a veggie tray and chips/salsa out for us, had hot chocolate when we came back in and made us hamburgers for lunch:)  Thanks Mom!

One of my favorite moments is when I was telling Nicole about the elevator in the shop that my Grandpa had built, like probably 60 years ago or something.  I told her it was strictly off limits to us as kids and that I think I’d only been up there once as an adult, but I was sure that Dad had taken the kids up because you know, he’s the grandpa!  Marian and Ezra get back right on cue and say, “oh, let’s have Grandpa take us up in the elevator!”  I asked them how many times they have been up there, a few times (probably a few times more than me!).  We couldn’t go up this time, too cold for it to operate well.

So, we are already planning to come back in the spring so the kids can experience the planting season:)