Shout Out!

This will just be quick.

I need to give a shout out to some things I really like......




Look at these beauties! My talented husband hand carved them.

  (I am trying not to be jealous.) ....you should too.

Dang! Those are super impressive. I like to hold them and stare at them. I just don't think I could eat with them, they are just too pretty.

This! I put egg white and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on my crust before I baked it, and I actually really like it. Blueberry peach pie, a new Pate family favorite!

 ABE Books! I love you ABE books. Sometimes, during my lonely days in Rupert, I would get online and order books that I had previously read and loved. Any book I could think of, they seemed to have.  They have come a long way in 7 years. It use to take a month, to 6 weeks, for my books to come. (Sometimes they would come from European thrift stores :) )
By the time they came, I would have completely forgot I even ordered them. Then one day a lovely present would appear in my mailbox.
But, I haven't even told you the best part yet! They are used books and super cheap! Like 2.00$ (including shipping!) for a 300 page hardbound library book. There are not many things that make me happier then getting a new book. :). 

Recently, I have been collecting some text books for the kids for homeschooling. I love that I can get them for a fraction of the price through ABE books and they are hardly the worse for wear.
Yes, Yes, I know about Amazon.
They frequently NOW have similar prices on used books (if I can wade through the muck of advertisements to find them)  .....but I am a loyal soul, and I will support ABE Books, like they support me in lonely windy Rupert. ;)

 My favorite Christmas goodie gift we've received this year. Isn't it sweet? Our friends have hundred of beehives.  

 

 I  pieced two quilts last week for a dear friend who is having twin boys. It was a harsh reminder that I'm am terrible at sewing. It's really the thought that counts with quilts? Right?????
(I'll put up a picture when they're finished  .....maybe ;)  )

 My good friend, gave our family the 12 days of Christmas this year.

Each day there is a different Christmas story with a message to read, and a correlated gift. The kids have had so much fun each day listening to the different stories and opening the gifts. Some people are soo nice. :)

Snow Day!

 

Sorry, these are of Thanksgiving weekend, and are in no particular order.

 

 
 
Lauren learned to ski. She loves it! She even asked for her own pair for Christmas! (She's wearing James')

Little Bear (aka James) is quite good. They skied up and down the hill on our land. It was wayyy too cold for me. I sat in the vehicle most of the time with blankets and Miss Emma, ....as she adjusted all the setting and controls in the car.

Barry says Ellie skies like a professional. She is quite fearless.

The kids braved the hill a few times with Em on the sled. She loved it, and said "Whheeeeeeee!" the whole way down.

The only way to travel with a chubby baby, made even more heavy by her snow stuff. She weighed a TON. :)
 
 


I love this pic. Em's first ride on a sled down the hill was with Daddy!

 

 

The little waterfall on our land. We could actually get to it, because the snow smashed all the plants. :)

There was a little bear in our campsite.

 

The day after Thanksgiving, we enjoyed leftovers. Mmm my favorite part, and set up the Christmas Tree. On Saturday we ventured out into the cold.

IT was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo cold!

Goodbye Winter Wonderland!

Emmaline turns 2!!!

Miss Emmaline Turns 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Born 11-18-2013

Emma had a wonderful birthday. We just had a quiet day at home.  I tried to make her favorite food for dinner, but she pretty much likes everything. She is such a good natured little girl.

We had sugar cookie cupcakes for dessert. She loved those!

Things I love about Emma.

*Emma is tender-hearted. If she sees someone hurt, or with a sad face, she will undoubtedly come over  and pat you on the shoulder and ask "You otay? You otay? or Ug? Ug? Which is her cute word for hug.
*Emma is stubborn beyond belief. If there is a war of wills, she will win hands down every time. She is very good at letting us know what she wants or need.
*Emma loves to sing, and sing she does. Her first song was Let it go, which were conviently some of her first words. Riding in the car, she would belt out. "Let it goooo, let it goo, bable bable bable, Let it go! She also loves Popcorn Popping, and Do As I'm Doing. A few months back I caught her in front of the full length mirror, using one end of a jump rope as a microphone and singing Let it Go. :)
*Emma loves to be outside. Outside was also one of her first words. She is constantly begging to go out, and is never happier than when she is. Emma loves our Kitty. She constantly is asking us to draw her pictures of kitties. She frequently turns into a kitty in the middle of church and has to be taken out for loud pawing or meowing. She also loves to be a horse, and crawl around the house whinnying and neighing in an ear-splitting high pitch.
*Emma is very vocal, for many month she could say just about anything she wants, and she speaks in sentences.
* Emma is very clever and quite the tease. She loves to run from me when I want to change her diapers and say "no bum, no bum"
*Emma loves to help, and do whatever her older siblings are doing. She loves to be called a "Big Girl." and visibly grows an inch if you call her one. ;)
*My favorite thing about Emma, is how she says Thank you. She thanks everyone for everything. I can be sucking out her nose with the nose sucker and she can be screaming and thrashing about, but as soon as I'm done. She immediately says, "Oh, Thank you Mom." She thanks me when I change her diaper, she thanks me when I put her to bed, she thanks me for washing her hands or face, even though she hates it. She thanked everyone at every house we went trick or treating to.(multiple times) It is the best reminder in the world to be grateful, when a sweet little 1 year old Thanks you for a simple mundane tasks.
* Emma is beautiful. She looks like a doll. I call her my little cherubim. I love to kiss her chubby cheeks and hear her giggle when I give her butterfly kisses with my eyelashes.

 

(Sorry I know these pictures are horrible quality. I have broken down and ordered a new charger for my camera. Hopefully, it will get here soon.)



Emma got a big pack of Twix's from Daddy for her birthday. She calls them, and all candybars, or sweets things, cookies. Twix's(cookies) are her favorite!.

    Grandma Stuart gave Emmie a doll and stroller for her birthday. She's spent many happy hours playing with them since. I can tell she will be an attentive mother. :)

A new night-shirt from our neighbor.

Emmie with her best friend Socks.

her first meal at a restaurant. She was perfect!

Excited to go and visit Grandma and Grandpa!

My Doll

We love you Em. You are the definition of Joy. We couldn't love you more!

Ellie says that Em is so chubby, because she is made up of every sweet thing.

Eleanor wrote her a song, that our family has sung to her since she was a few months old.

"There are blue summer daisies, and very cute babies, but Emma's the best of them all! She's cute and she's cuddly, and ever so snuggly. Oh Emma I love you!"