Do I Hear $20? How about $25?!!

Bake Party!!

We had such a fun day! We made 3 cinnamon~maple punkin pies, a pecan, a lemon meringue, 2 pumpkin cheesecakes, a huckleberry, a banana cream, and something else that I can't remember!

Joni pretty much packed her entire kitchen!

Montana huckleberries in a shell ~ soon to be baked to perfection!

Anthony showed up and made his 1st pie ever! He even separated eggs! Here he demonstrates his wicked-sick banana slicing skills!

Tomorrow is the spaghetti feed and pie auction. Pray for them. :o)
My husband is preachin' in the morning and my stomach is in knots. Pray for him (& me!) .
*yawn* I'm so sleepy! Sweet dreams.

Pralinkanot Pie

First one down, only ?? to go...

Although all my pie baking for Thanksgiving is done, we are spending the day with our college girls group making pies to auction off tomorrow after church. Several of them are going to Quito, Ecuador in February and today's pies will be to help them raise the funds for this trip. More Later!

Prep - Work!

We Spent the day making pies!

Hope they taste as good as they look! We'll freeze them until Thanksgiving, but there'll be more tomorrow! We always have apple (Grama Orr's recipe), and My Mom's Pecan (but I make it with Hazelnuts because I'm alergic to Pecans), and someone usually makes a pumpkin.

What kinds of pies do you have at Thanksgiving?

I'm trying a new one this year. Pear-Praline Cranicot is the name on the recipe, but after hearing my little friend's rendition of that name, I may just keep it if we like the pie and it becomes tradition! Enoch called it "Pralinkanot"!

Go FIG-ure!

We have friends. That is such a heart-fluttery feeling! I am constantly amazed that people love us enough to drive 8 hours to see us, but these ones drove 8 hours with 6 kids under the age of 7 to come see us! We were able to spend 4.5 days with "The Figs". Our house rang with laughter, squeals, and the trip-trap of little feet! What a joy this family is. They are raising their kids to love one another, love & honor God, respect authority, and live life fully and it radiates from these little ones.
God answered our prayer for snow so the kids were able to go sledding! We went for adventures in the woods, mid afternoon tramps to the fort and beyond, a FREEZING COLD hike to the lookout - always followed up by a warm fire and hot cocoa!
We had an opportunity to go out as couples while our kids watched theirs. We don't get to do that often and it was a sweet time of fellowship.
I am just so, so thankful for Godly, dear, deep, spirit-filled relationships that endure and grow.

Picturebook - page 2

Minda, Cassia, Judah, Enoch, Eden, Parker, and Maizy Girl

Here's "The Crew" on the hike to the lookout! These kids are HIKERS! I turned around 1/2 way and came home, but they hiked all 4 miles!

Mom, Dad, Josiah and Zion bringing up the tail!

Picturebook - page 1

Enoch & Eden

Parker

Josiah

Zion

After a morning of sleeding it was time for homemade granola bars and Hot Chocolate!!

Wonderland

Walkin' in it...

Cozy Shoebox Exchange

I was one of the participants of this year's shoebox exchange through The Homespun Heart and With All That I've Been Given. The theme was "cozy" :o)
My box arrived today with:
Gingerbread Spice tea
Mints
A candle in a tin
A plaid table runner
The Christmas Carol -book on tape
Some magnetic fall frames and stickers
gift lables and gift card pouches
A set of Mini Clear lights
and some ornaments!

Thank you, Ruth! I have so enjoyed communicating these past few weeks and I hope that we will continue. New friends are a God-given gift.

49 and lovin' it!

Say, "happy birthday!" to the absolute cutest 7 year old (that's 49 in dog years) around!

Beginning Tradition in Montana

We finally made time to wander out into our back yard and take our Traditional Shot for the year. I love this. It's so different than the ones we would take in WA. Do you like in better in color or in B&W??

Getting Ready!

The downside to baking, originally uploaded by efiw.

We are Baking, cooking, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, scouring...
No! Not because Thanksgiving is coming - because the Figs are!

Our dear friends, the Figueroas, from WA. are headed over with their 6 kiddos to visit us for a few days! WE LOVE COMPANY! What's even more - We love this family! Can't wait to hug their necks!

Photos will be forthcoming, oh yes, they will!

Eulaliiiiiaaaaaaaa!

Across the seas comes Vizka Longtooth with a crew of Searaiders, and a captive badger. Bound for plunder and conquest. The aged Badger Lord of Salamandastron sends forth a haremaid, questing for his successor. A young thief exiled from Redwall. A Brownrat chieftain, with his savage horde, is ravaging Mossflower country. The fates of many creatures, both good and evil, are caught up in this saga of war and destiny. Over the cold Northern Isles, across the heaving seas, sweeping through forest and plain, from the badger mountain to the ancient stones of Redwall Abbey, the warcry thunders out... Eulaliiiiaaaaaaa!

Brian Jacques has been eliciting cheers from Redwall fans for twenty years. Brian initially wrote Redwall more than 20 years ago to entertain the children at Liverpool’s Royal Wavertree School for the Blind. Little did he realize the global success that awaited the series. Redwall was first published in the UK in 1986 and in the USA in 1987.

To celebrate these 20 wonderful Redwall years Philomel will release a special 20th Anniversary Edition of Redwall coinciding with the publication of the latest Redwall adventure Eulalia!

Where Have You Been?

Hello, my name is Deea, it's been 3 weeks since my last post. *Hi, Deea!*

I honestly feel like joining a blog slackers support group sometimes. I have a better excuse this time than most, but it doesn't make it easier to climb back in the saddle when I've been on two feet for so long. My excuse?

My computer crashed. Wouldn't even turn on, and then when we got it to do that it was so infested with adware that we had to slowly weed out the bugs. After that:

My washer an dryer both quit around the same time, & my mom popped in for a surprise visit. Then there is the normal , everyday life things - school, housework, trying to support and love well, grocery shopping, paying bills, running children hither and thither, etc...

I missed blogging most. I enjoy sharing my life in pictures with my far away friends and family. I missed checkng up on all your lives as well. I'm more thankful than ever for the tool of the internet that allows all that to be possible. I'll be round to catch up and visit soon!

Blogger, per usual, is not co-operating with me t load photos, so I'll be loading them later, hopefully. (They're below! I had to do them as individual posts. Enjoy!)

Geared up!

Geared up!, originally uploaded by efiw.

Mom gave Tofer his 13th birthday trip of significance while she was here. Yes, it is 3 years late, but he doesn't care!! He gets to shred the slopes all winter WITH HIS DAD!! They went yesterday to the local ski swap and got geared up for the first powder!

She Knows How to Charm Us!

She Knows How to Charm Us!, originally uploaded by efiw.

Maizy is our landlords' Golden Retriever who lives at our house! (at least 8/10ths of the day!)We adore her. She is gentle, loves to play, and is our loyal companion on hikes. This is her, "Can I have a cookie?", face!

Portrait of October

Portrait of October, originally uploaded by efiw.

Cassia bought a pumpkin, I wrapped the porch railing in Boston Ivy berries! First time in nearly 19 years of marriage that I can remember setting a pumpkin out on our porch!

Sir Nimble-O (the cold)

Sir Nimble-O (the cold), originally uploaded by efiw.

Our daily visitor. He chatters at us if we don't have his seeds/nuts out there when he arrives. Tofer snapped this one very chilly Montana morning.

Ham X 3

Ham X 3, originally uploaded by efiw.

Another moment from our yearly photo shoot. Stress relief.

Tof and His Mama

Tof and His Mama, originally uploaded by efiw.

5 foot 2 & 6 foot 2. We went out to take our yearly photos and Cassia stopped us on the way home to snap this.

Tetons

Tetons, originally uploaded by efiw.

Aren't they amazing? The day I took this was the clearest I have ever seen them. Normally they are shrouded in clouds. It's grainy because I blew it up and they are really far away from us.

Deficiency of Substitues

They will never be a perfect fit or as effective as the real thing.
Bronze is cheaper, expedient, & close, but it isn't gold. It can only ever be an alloy.

Shiny, and brilliant, yes, but tainted by mixture. Easier to hang onto, because it has no real value, no one will ever try to take it from you. It is safe.

Though, one morning, we will wake like Samson ~ trying to do what we have always been able to do, but now unable. The power is no longer there because we substituted the blessing; gave it away. Let it be removed while we slumbered in the lap of our 'bronze' idol. We settled for the mixture. Coating something in gold only gives the appearance power. The difference should be conspicuous. Having the purity of gold is costly and risky. Am I willing to take the risk?

Small Kindnesses

Minda not only thought the Aspens leaves looked beautiful in their Autumn butter, she went out and cut branches then put them as a sweet surprise in her big sister's room. Does a mama's heart good when her children honor & love one another so deeply.

Snow Dog, Part 1!

Look who is enjoying it!

Overnight changes!

Same view... with just a slight adjustment!!!

If You Would Pray...UPDATE!

It's over! She feels she did her best, and we won't have a score for 3 weeks or more. Thanks for all your prayers. The power went out and they almost had to reschedule the testing, but God must have heard everyone crying out for Cassia! It came on again after 15 minutes and they resumed!

Cassia is taking her SAT this morning (7AM - 12 PM MST). She has spent several months preparing, and still doesn't feel confident in herself ~ But she knows God is bigger and is leaving this in His hands. I know she would appreciate your prayers.

Doug has posted again...

For those of you that are interested, Doug has posted for the first time in 6 months.... :O)

Big Picture Friday

Its cold and crisp here now. The sunsets have begun to change also. They are intense and brilliant and magical. We are constantly left awed and breathless by God's displays.