Here is Jacob...


snickering


the


doodles.

We were doing our prep work before we started mixing the dough, and while he was washing a pyrex measuring cup, Jacob reflected his skepticism that something grainy like sand could turn into a liquid and be made into glass.  I said, "Oh really?  Would you like to see it for yourself?"  And I got out a little sauce pan, poured in some sugar, put it on the burner and he watched while something grainy turned in to liquid... and then I added a little butter and poured it on a plate, and voila --



Toffee!  It was a fun spur-of-the-moment experiment, although if I had had a recipe I would have put in salt, which would have made it better.  Next time. 


These are way too good.
Jacob had fun on his first baking project too!




Here's big daddy Doug with teeny-tiny Margaret!


Sarah during a brief interlude in which her arms were free.


End of game one.
Although I squeaked this one out for a win, I (and the other adults) were thoroughly trounced by Alicia in game two.


Meet Jack.
I should have shot a video, he is a non-stop ball of motion!


See my muscles?  I'm STRONNNNG!


Tim kickin' it on the couch, probably on Facebook...


This is so precious...


I think this was another night, Meg was getting some applesauce...




Mmmm!
Love the foot.
Love the baby.
Love my brother.

Pray for me, please, as I journey today.  Flying by myself is new for me. 

 

THANKS!

Saturday morning, here is Paul kicking back and relaxing while breakfast is being made.


Usually we have oatmeal and maple syrup for breakfast at the ranch.
BUT... Grandma brought donuts!
That being the case, there was not the usual market for healthy rolled oats...
Thus, Paul ordered up a grilled cheese sandwich, and his short-order cooks were happy to oblige.


Enjoying the morning coffee...


After breakfast we headed out for a field trip.
You might wonder why anyone would need a field trip, what with being at the ranch...
however, there is more to see than ranch.
We headed over to Springerville, where you may remember we found a most delightfully green wetland on a previous trip.
We thought it would be fun to stop there and show the Grands...

... only the green seems to have gone into hiding!

We discovered something on this trip, though, that we had been unable to explore on the previous visit (due to the downpour), and that was the extensive trails around the wetland and lake, which run about 10 miles in all.
We got to see quite a bit more than last time, including this very cool beaver dam:



And this bridge across the creek:










Paul took got some cute shots of Megan and Laurent:




And Geneva and Grandma, resting on a bench at the end of the hike:


From there we went to visit the Western Drug and General Store,
or
Western Drudge Store
as Jacob calls it.
He had a good time in the end though, and came away with a toy car.
I found myself some yarn, of course, and a few other trifles, and it was there that I spied the
Lodge Logic Enamel Cast Iron cookware.
I don't know if I can get it anywhere in town here... I wonder what would be more expensive, a trip to Springerville to buy cookware, or ordering it and paying the shipping for cast iron?   Tough call...

Anyway, back at the ranch, there was time for some shooting:






Jacob fussed about going up to the range, since he was obsessing over his legos, but ended up marching proudly back down to the cabin to show me the can he had obliterated:




And of course Grandma had to get in on the action too:


~*~*~*~*~

While I was in the Coleman lantern aisle, musing over whether I could afford to pick up another lamp for the cabin, I happened to turn around, and what do you think I found?
The best invention ever!

A head lamp to wear while crocheting after dark!
I am the biggest geek.
But seriously, it was only $5.99, I thought it couldn't hurt to try,
and sure enough, it worked like a dream.
No more holding the mag flashlight in the crook between my shoulder and neck, and eliciting nagging about the 'wasting' of batteries from my husband!

~*~*~*~*~

Grandpa Fred, being a true native Minnesotan, is a fisherman.  He brings home many, many fish throughout the summer.  The very best eating in the world is fresh fish from the lake, fried up in a pan, with sliced garden tomatoes and cucumbers on the side.   Mmmmmm-mmmm-mmmm!
This year must have been a particularly good year for fishing, because they had enough to spare to bring a case of frozen fillets down to AZ with them.
Saturday night, Grandma and Geneva set up a workstation by the stove and (while I was busily crocheting in my corner with my headlamp on) fried up some dandy fish and potatoes:




Jacob was playing with Lego's by the light of the lantern:




Tasty!  Crispy!  Yummy!


The men are hovering around the good smells:


And finally after everyone was fed up, we went out for some fireside fun:


Another day's worth of memories, stored away in the memory bank.
~*~*~*~*~

When we drove into St. John's on Wednesday evening around 8pm, we passed a sign that read 26°.
I was very glad I had brought a bag full of hats!

Thursday morning dawned, frigid and overcast, with a temperature of 19°.



For some reason I got away from home without my coat, so I spent the day shivering in my sweatshirt.

(...and work-gloves and hat!  Cute, huh!)


My honey, next to a snowy tree.


Kids by a snowy tree on a snowy hillside!
It's Arizona, ok?  We have to commemorate these unique meteorological events!
Who knows when this hill will be as white again?


I gave Paul this hat for Christmas the first year we were married.
He has used it maybe twice since we moved to AZ!
It's very warm.


Snow on a bush.


Snow at the shooting range.


Here is Paul, loading my gun for me so I could keep my gloves on.
We went shooting during the warmest part of the day.
That would have been at about 30°, with a biting wind.
All of us had fingers like ice blocks, were miserably cold all over, and shot atrociously.
It was still amazingly fun.


When we weren't outside freezing, various people napped.


Late afternoon, Jacob and his dad hiked down to the mud canyon, one of his favorite destinations.


Ahhh, the majesty of Sissy Jupe!

Back at the cabin, some horseplay ensued...












My two Minnesota babies... they dearly love their snow, and wish they lived where it was less of a novelty.

~*~*~*~*~