Winter Beauty ~

We tried to get some portraits the next day, since the weather was up to 15 degrees, but with the wind it was even worse than the day before!  I did manage to snap this awesome shot of my kiddo before we scurried inside though and I think she looks beautiful!  Love the freckles!

Tis the Season ~

 It's time for our annual winter photo shoot...only it was extremely chilly today at around 5 degrees! Brrrrr!   Jordyn was a sport though, and posed anyways....if only for a short while :)

 Happy Holidays from all of us at the Black Bear Cabin...We hope your holidays are filled with magic and wonder!

Our Last Winter Program at Red Feather

The Winter Music Program was tonight and the kids were great!  My preschoolers really rocked the house, but to be honest, the entire program was a hit!

All the kids had a solo reading parts from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and the music was wonderful.  It was sort of bittersweet knowing this would be our last RF winter program, but perhaps that's what made it so magical!

 Jordyn was the only kid to memorize her lines, and even though she got lost at one point, she still did a great job!

 I had to get a shot of the BFF's with Santa...look how cute they are...the BIG 5th graders!  Sigh!

You did a great performance Jordyn...We love you!

Cozy Cats ~

 It seems kitten has to sleep wherever Kato is now...I love the friendship these two cats have created!

Tamalada Fun ~

 I was invited to my first tamalada last night, and it was a blast!  I've always wanted to learn how to make tamales, and now I can say, I learned from one of the best!  I couldn't decide if I wanted to use beef or pork, so I brought both!

 I found both the meat recipes on allrecipes.com, and they were great!  We brought our own meat, and Jo Johnson provided the rest, and then we just paid her for supplies.  We sat around drinking wine, telling stories, laughing and enjoying delicious snacks.  It was similar to a quilting circle, only a little messier!  :)

 I kept busy and made 50 tamales...overall though, we made just over 400!  My freezer is stocked with yummy goodness and I cant wait to cook up my first batch when Justin and Jordyn get home.  They love tamales!

 We wore vintage aprons that have seen many a tamaladas, courtesy of Jo's mom...so that added to the fun of the tradition!  It was a great time, and I enjoyed hanging out with these amazing women!  Bon Appetit!

Thanksgiving Break in Arizona ~

 Jordyn and Daddy headed out to Arizona for Thanksgiving break to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bruen.  Here are some pictures Jordyn took of their adventures...

 They went to a really cool gem store, that had all kinds of fancy and pricey items for sale...

 They also enjoyed this delicious buffet complete with all kinds of yummy food choices...

 Jordyn loved all the different kinds of cactus and plants...but their favorite spot was the pecan farm they found, where they gathered up a giant box full of pecans.

Looks like they had a great time...meanwhile, I enjoyed relaxing at home with the house all to myself...a  much needed break for all of us!

Happy Thanksgiving ~

 We spent Turkey day at Aunt Gwens house.  It's been a rough year for our family, so spending time together was much needed.

 Greg said grace and mentioned our difficult losses this year, which was sad, but also a reminder of how important it is to take time with family and good friends.  We need each other a lot right now, so this dinner together was healing for all of us.

The kids had fun running all around and playing outside...the weather was unusually gorgeous, and we all took advantage of it!  After dinner I had to drive Jordyn and Justin to the airport to fly to Arizona to visit Frank and Pat.  We got stuck in nightmare traffic due to an accident, and so I was flying on Pena Blvd doing 90 trying to get them there in time.  We barely made it, but they got on their plane with about 5 minutes to spare!  whew! Safe Travels you two!