Winter Activities and Other Stuff

Well.

It has been six long months since our feet have touched Texas soil...

In some ways it seems like a lifetime ago when we left Texas on the 16th of June heading out to a foreign land West Virginia and yet the months just seem to slip by with school activities, weekend activities and sports and the next thing you know it's December already.

Thanks goodness because it is time for a Texas fix - I type this as we are flying through the friendly skies on our way back home :-)

I wanted to offer up a brief (or not so brief) recap of our December fun and frivolities:

In early December we took the boys to see The Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It was the first time any of us had every seen them and their concert and light show/pyrotechnics did not disappoint. The only down side that it was on a week night, so William and Mason were snoozing peacefully in their seats before the end of the show. Oh, to be a child, able to sleep through loud music and fireworks…

In other news, we had a few snowy days this month, and for the first time ever this Texas girl became acquainted with both an ice scraper and a snow shovel. Damn, you would think we live up North or something ;-)

Mid-December found us heading out for a night out on the town for the company holiday party.

It has been a long standing wish of mine to have a snowy birthday, so we decided to head over to Winter Place Resort with some friends for a fun afternoon of snow tubing. We checked their website to make sure they are open…we are good to go!  We pile out of the car and excitedly make our way to the snow tube area. I scan the parking lot and notice something peculiar. There are no cars in the lot except ours. Uh oh. This does not bode well for a winter wonderland birthday frolic. We press on to the ticket booth and there a nice man informs us that the snow tube mountain hadn't been groomed yet (despite the fact that the resort is officially open for the season.)

Bitter disappointment set in.

Slackers!

Oh well. We had driven all this way and it was a pretty white winter wonderland, so we decided to make the best of it and play in the snow a bit. Plus it was an excellent opportunity for a winter photo-op.

After leaving Winter Place, we drove on to Fayetteville. There are some very cute shops in this historic, charming little town, but more importantly, it is home to The Secret Sandwich Society.  They make the best dadgum sandwiches ever. Their burgers are great too. And watch out for the Pimento Cheese Fries-very addicting.

With our bellies full, we motored on home through the dark wintry night. The day hadn't gone exactly as planned, but we still had fun.

And then the next thing you know, it was time to fly home to Texas for Christmas-whoo hoo!

Can't wait to see all y'all's purty 'lil faces soon :-)

A Bed Of Leaves

My yard is full of leaves today

Brown and Yellow and Gold

I think I'll rake them in a pile

Higher than my head

Then I'll pretend it is my bed

I'll jump in very quick

And pile the leaves up over me

For covers soft and thick

I'll just lie there so nice and warm

And look up at the sky

And watch more leaves float down

for me to rake up bye and bye

Leaves…

Leaves…

Everywhere!

The natural assumption would be that when one has mass quantities of leaves such as this in one's yard that one would rake them up and bag them.

Even with the best of intentions, raking leaves of epic proportions does get monotonous after a while.

Hmmm, I think I know what would be waaaay more fun than raking leaves up into neat little piles…

Touchdown!

That's what I'm talking' about-this is my kind of yard "work"!

Raking leaves is so over-rated…

 Isn't that why they make leaf blowers?

…and all the leaves came sailing down!

Veteran's Day

The boys had a school holiday today, so after breakfast we headed downtown for the Veteran's Day Parade.

We had front row viewing just as the parade rounded onto Quarrier Avenue.

The boys were thrilled because not only did they get a flag to wave and show their patriotism in support of our Veterans, but all the children attending the parade were showered with candy.

That little detail, in particular, put a big smile on Mason's face.

By the time the parade was over, their jacket pockets were bulging with all kinds of sugary goodness.

Who doesn't love a parade?!

Thank you to all our Veterans for their faithful service to our country!

Fall Is In The Air

Fall has definitely arrived in West Virginia. The temperatures dropped back in early October, so we have been enjoying the cool, crisp weather for at least a month now. Then at the first of November, the trees transformed from green, green everywhere to bright bursts of fall color. Bright oranges, reds and yellows abound and it is gorgeous. Especially with the backdrop of a bright blue sky. I have tried to capture the beauty of Autumn through random photos when I'm out and about. You have to seize the moment though, because one day the leaves are at their peak beauty and just a day or two or three later, you will find naked tree branches and a big 'ol pile of leaves!

View of the valley from Michael's office building

Colorful hillside

A pop of color along Carriage Trail

The Capitol surrounded by autumn colors

Kanawha State Forest

Happy Fall y'all!

Memoirs of a weekend hike

Last weekend we hit the hiking trials at Kanawha State Forest again.

Coal, (petrified) coal everywhere because, WEST VIRGINIA.

The colors of fall are emerging everywhere you look.

There is nothing quite like a hike on a brisk fall day with the crunch of fallen leaves with each footstep.

Scary "snowball face"

Playground fun

Off and running!

Some festive camper Halloween decor!

Scary "snowball face"

Brotherly love

Thank goodness for picnic tables and self timers: a family portrait

Airborne

Hey now would be a great time to drop and do 20 push ups!

Scary "snowball face"

The hiking trail goes on forever…

How do you like to go up in the swing, up in the air so blue?

Oh I do think it the pleasantest thing ever a child can do!

A tired happy camper

The WV hills beckon you...