Here comes the snow!

Christmas Tree

Missing Cow and Susie have been found!

One year old Benjamin Jon's favorite toy is Cow!  He packed his favorite toy around the house when he was here at Thanksgiving.  When Ben went home, Cow was missing!  Where was Cow?  Grandpa and Grandma hunted everywhere.  Under the couches, chairs, and all usual places for missing toys.

It was then feared that Cow may have been accidentally put in the trash can?  Kidnapped?  An "All Points Bulletin was broadcast!   It turns out Cow and Susie have been hiding in Ben's Huggies box for the last month.  Grandma was getting ready for Ben's Christmas visit and found Cow and Susie!  Hooray!

Christmas Lights

Christmas Tree Decoration in Progress

Yes, the tree will probably be decorated by Christmas.  I am working on it!  Jon and I cut down the tree on Tuesday and got it measured and into the stand.  I had time to add some of the lights before we went to the Hope Christmas Party at the Hope Cafe.  The Cougar Creek Band played and the place was packed!  Everyone brought cookies to share.  There were a LOT of cookies.  Yum!  It was a lot of fun.

The next day it was off to Sandpoint to find more lights for the tree and buy the turkey and fixings for Christmas dinner.  I drove around in the Yoke's parking lot for 10 minutes before I could find a parking space.  I was afraid to go in!  Too many people for me.  Maybe they could deliver my groceries next year?  My order would just about fill the back of a van or pickup truck.

Once I get the tree decorated there are still a few gifts to wrap and then it's on to the baking and cooking all the special Christmas goodies!  I am thinking of some sugar cookies, gingerbread men and Swedish bread for starters.  Oyster stew on Christmas Eve.  It all sounds good.  Tis the season!

Montana Christmas Trip

Middle Thompson Lake on the way to Kalispell

Mission Mountains between Kalispell and Missoula

Cabinet Mountains on the Flathead River 

Swans on the Flathead River

Swans on Denton Slough

Denton Slough

Grandma's Snowman gets dressed up for Christmas

Suzy's Knob

Winter Chill

Frosting on the trees

Sunrise on Green's Ridge

Sunrise on VanStone's Mountain

Grandma's Snowman

This was no time to play, this was no time for fun, this was no time for games, there was work to be done.  All that deep, deep, deep snow.  All that snow had to go.  When Jon went down to Hope for the day, he said, "Somebody has to clean all this snow away.  Somebody, somebody has to, you see.  Then he picked out somebody, ME!    (according to Dr. Seuss)

There was only one way to shovel it away.  Well, actually, role it away.  Build a snowman.  If you build it, little cats, ABCDEF and G will come..........Then you don't have to shovel it.

And, NO, I do not have snow spots!!