A Few of [My Favorite Things]

 . . . WINTER . . .

. . . CHRISTMAS . . .

This really is one of my favorite times of year! I was talking to my faraway boyfriend the other day [which by the way, twenty-four days until he moves home!] -- and somehow we got talking about how much we both love this time of year! I love the snow. The Christmas cheer. And everything that comes with it. And so of course I pull out my camera, and capture the beauty of winter and the house beginning to take on the holiday spirit :-} The twins and I are having fun this year -- instead of using all store-bought Christmas decorations, we've spent hours on pinterest -- finding cool ideas to create. And some of course are just our own random ideas that we think up without the help of pinterest! But it's been fun . . .

And so, I shall leave you with pictures of life at our Longbow Lake home the past few days . . . about a week and a half ago we got our first BIG storm [which left us stranded in Minnesota the night {we didn't mind of course:)}] . . . but we came home to a winter wonderland . . . and since than we've had snow on and off. So yes, it really is winter -- finally!  

[a snowy night -- after our first big snowfall]

[. . . stalking through the dark --

looking for blood-trails of THIS]

[we pose with the brother's fourth deer of the year]

[. . . a nice one too]

[the father heads out in the winter wonderland to work:-}]

[a ladies Christmas party i helped plan]

[another big snowfall hits our Longbow Lake home!]

[but inside I make pumpkin spice biscotti]

[the dark chocolate (carob actually) is a pumpkin spice biscotti recipe i got from a friend . . . almond flour/coconut flour instead of white:-} i absolutely loved the recipe!]

[and so i take a break and enjoy biscotti with my coffee]

[and then it's to work . . . setting up the rink boards . . . packing snow . . . and the flooding process begins. I LOVE hockey season!]

[Warrior's FAVORITE perch! -- one's shoulders]

[i had to wrap him up against the cold;-} he's quite loved in our home. actually the other day i took him sledding on a spinning saucer and he LOVED it! ha.]

[fun Christmas arrangements take place]

[maybe no more basketball?!]

;-}

[and inside we drill into a log, and create this -- after I froze getting the pine branches and pine-cones with Nicole! {one of these days I'll learn to dress properly for the cold!}...]

[the coffee/tea/biscotti spirit hits our home :-)]

[hello, pinterest -- we love your wonderful ideas!]

[i love my coffee beans!]

[pumpkin spice latte]

[oops, this is turned wrong. oh well]

[one of our decks -- piled high with over a foot of snow!]

And so, just a peak into our life the past few weeks . . . it's crazy to believe it's the end of November, and December is nearly upon us! But, December is going to be a wonderful month! 

I hope you all have a wonderful, cold, sunshiney day [well, some of you may be enjoying much warmer weather than this buuuut ... ... ...].