It has been a while since I posted. My camera broke AGAIN and I just got a new one for my birthday! I like to post pics because I am not very wordy, as a rule, when I write…. only when I talk! LOL  I like pics because I, also, think that pictures are worth a thousand words. My friends and family email and talk on the phone but pics say so much more.

So much going on for the holidays! We got a big storm about 10 days ago. The boys, GH and I spent several days shoveling and then some melted. I even got my van out a few times! Last night we got hit again with another foot and we are shoveling again. Belle had Leavi’s phone for dinner last week and his new one is at Verizon and if, God forbid, we have an emergency, we need to get out of here! So, today we are taking turns with 20 min shifts to clear the driveway.

For the first time ever, I got my packages all mailed 12 days before Christmas, all of the gifts are wrapped and under the tree, got my neighbor gifts handed out last Sunday and the ham is in the sink defrosting for the big day. I am usually sooo far behind that I am up til morning wrapping and baking.

My son, Luke, and I are both a year older since the last post. He is 14! Time flies some days and others….. seems like I just brought him home from the hospital!

Well…. I think I have been wordy enough for this post… here are the pics

This is a sharp contrast to the snow… they sit in my window sill over the kitchen sink – lots of humidity (not a bad pic for my new camera – Kodak Easy Share M341 with Smart Capture, no adjusting for close-ups!)

And I am going to leave you with …. my beauties

I hope you had a great Valentine’s Day…. I did Even though GH is on the road, he did not forget me!

This is what they look like after they opened and the note that I got from the boys

My friend, N @ A Writer and A Rider went to the Arabian Show in Scottsdale, AZ on Saturday. Click the link to her post about our trip – more pics of the show and Belle AND she is a great writer, too! She will entertain you with the details of the celebrity that was with us

I took Belle with us to Scottsdale. She did so good with her new collar and leash. And she figured out how to get out to go potty while we were at the motel, too.  Pretty good for a 10 week old puppy! She was a hit and loved by any and all who saw her.

When we got home, she was very tired from all of the walking, new surroundings and all of the attention that she got.

(you may want to cover your eyes for this next shot… toooo cute!)

Today, she is alert and ready to play!

Thank you, GH, for the beautiful flowers!

Thank you, N, for being such a wonderful friend!

I had a great time this weekend and have many memories.

My oldest daughter and I were talking around Christmas time about house plants. I told her that 2 of the three orchids I have had buds on them. She was jealous. I told her that I would post pics when they opened – and they finally have… mostly. So here are the pics, Amy… don’t forget that I love you forever, no matter what!

Orchid one

Orchid two

The boys had soccer games on Saturday.  I am thankful that their games are on the same street in Flagstaff about a mile from each other.  It makes trying to get to games a lot easier.  Last year they were on the same team (age difference of 2 and half yrs puts them on diff teams this year) and the year before they were on diff teams and it was very hard to get them to the games on time and be able to stay and watch each of the games.

Luke

Leavi

And we did some weedeating.  We did the half acre that the horses don’t have of our entire acre.  We picked up tons of rocks that we will use in the duck/wash project.

This is a view taken from the horse fence

 This is a view from the street

A weed flower that was too pretty to cut down

I love getting flowers, like many females do!  My husband surprised me yesterday  a bit early for Valentine’s Day and he hasn’t done that for a long time!  Thank you very much, husband

I hope that all of your sweeties are sweet to you, too!