Our small town Fourth

This weekend, we packed up the kids, 4-wheelers, bikes and enough food to feed an army, and headed to the fresh-country-air of Happy Jack, AZ.
I have decided that short vacations are the best vacations. Every time a little voice whined, "I'm tired" or "I'm bored" we would say "Go outside and play some more. We only have two days!" They played pretend in the trees, whizzed around the neighborhood on the little quad, and swung as high as Casey could push them on the rope swing. And when it was time to go, they begged to stay.
Perfect.
Here are the highlights...

QUAD RIDING

COOKIE DECORATING

BLUE RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT CRAFT FAIR

BECOMING AT-ONE WITH NATURE

4th OF JULY TAILGATING

Baby it's cold outside

The only thing missing, this time of year, is my mom. She was such a huge presence always, but especially at Christmas. I have been telling my kids how much their Grandma Peterson loved buying them Christmas toys.

I miss her, now.

But, we feel her with us at the cabin. That's why we go.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a trip there.

Now, it feels like Christmas. All I needed was a little snow and my favorite peeps.

Cabin Fever

This week, we got cabin fever, that is, the hankering to get up to the cabin and have some good ole' family, snow time. One word-beautiful. I'm so relieved to have grown up in a warm climate, free of snow days and driveway shoveling, but, snow-covered trees and kids sledding in the backyard are sights that the cabin, so generously, offers us. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for that gift.

Lazy days at the cabin