Four Guys And A Weekend

The Birthday Surprise!

The Destination!

The Fun!

The Food!

The "Work"

The Shopping!

The Recreation!

The Almost Departure!

The View!

yes, right over the Richert abode

The Friends!

Annual Boutique

Our homeschooling group does a Children's Christmas Boutique every year. For years, our kids have participated. They have made everything from dog treats to decorative soap. This year, Sarah has been sewing really cute bags. Then she and the cousins potted paperwhites, and made jam, fudge, and jello play dough to sell together. They had a very profitable day!!

A Few Fancy Evenings

First of all, Sarah and I got a chance to see Phantom the week before it closed. My was that fun! We had an amazing dinner and then enjoyed the incredible performance. We went with a dear mother-daughter combo that have been homeschooling friends for years, but we haven't ever gotten to do anything like that together before.




Then, last weekend, just the (in town) adults took my mom and dad out for a fancy dinner at the Saddle Peak Lodge in the Santa Monica Mountains. We were there to celebrate their 75th birthdays and their 55th wedding anniversary. They had steak and potatoes on the menu for Dad -- that's a must. But they also serve elk, wild boar, buffalo, antelope and more. Its been a while since we've been out without the kids. Made for a much more quiet celebrations than we are used to, but we had a great time.

Traditions

Traditions mean a lot to me. I cherish my childhood memories and the things that we did regularly when I was growing up. I want my children to have happy memories when they look back on their own childhood. Even the things that they find a bit "dorky" now, we still insist we do together.

A little puddle stomping during an unexpected rain.


Doughnut making at Grandma's with Auntie Tommie's old recipe.......made with mashed potatoes. Yummy!!




A drama, supper, front yard bonfire, costumes, and trick-or-treating make for lots on fun on All Hallow's Eve.