we got to see the OLSONS!!!

Last month the Olsons were on there way to Disneyland...so lucky us, we got to meet up for dinner and a great visit! These guys are family to me and i love and miss them so much! It was a huge blessing to get to hang out even for just a couple hours!

....more catch up stories and pictures to come soon! :)

Christmas Fun

A few memories from Christmas...

We decorated cookies with everyone at Matt's sis and bro-in-law's...and i thought matt's decorating skills were the best. Can you guess what this first one is?? answer at end of post! :)

this was my favorite!!! makes you wanna smile, huh!?

Christmas morning was beautiful outside! We had Matt's mom, dad, and other sister and bro-in-law, who were here from England, over for brunch!

My favorite part of the morning was sitting in the sun talking to my family who were enjoying their Christmas morning at my sister's apartment in Portland!

Cookin' up some fabulous eggs beni. and french toast! YUM!!! Good memories!

Cookie Answer: The Star Trek Enterprise flying over earth! oh yes, we are officially more Trekkie than ever! :) The Next Generation to be exact! :)

Cheryl's Birthday-Day

Matt took me out for a birthday-day a few weeks ago,

and we just hung out and had fun together!

I got a bit confused about what time of year it was when i saw this scene....palm trees (which still signify summer and vacation to me), fall leaves, and Christmas decorations...AND blue sky!!! I must admit that I LOVE seeing this in the middle of winter!

Yep...it's December...we saw Santa and Mrs Claus headed inside for a burger!

I think this is a fabulous bench...

...and matt really liked this moose...a little too much! :)

At the end of the day we decided it was about time to try out a yogurt place called "Big Spoon"! Lots of fun...we not only got to choose the toppings but we even got to put them on! YUM! They charge by the ounce...so you can see that this place is quite dangerous! but very good!
And my favorite picture!!! I am SO HAPPY to be by PALM TREES by my birthday!!!

This day made up for my actual birthday when i was recovering from surgery and felt horrible! I'm glad we can celebrate anytime!!!

Happiness during Recovery

I've been recovering from surgery, and that means TONS of sitting and laying around time...so you can imagine how HAPPY I was when the cute little birds finally found my bird feeder!!!

This is the view out of the window where I'm sitting right now at the computer!

One time I saw 4 on it at once...but they are too quick to capture in pictures!

This little guy doesn't usually come to the feeder but plays happily in the tree right next to it!

I've also enjoyed the gifts of flowers from different people...aren't these FABULOUS orchids from Matt?! I just hope I can keep them alive longer than the last time I tried!

If you were at our wedding, you know I love red! Thanks to John and Tracy for these!
And WONDERFUL bright, big, happy yellow flowers from mom and dad! A day or two after matt took this picture, almost all of the other buds opened! It brightened a boring room! :)

i found the BEST t-shirt!!!

I'm becoming my mom and Grandma!

When I was young, I remember Grandma always coming back from trips with lots of flower pictures! I thought they were nice but never fully saw the beauty in them that I think she did. Now, many years later, I find myself drawn to every flower that I see, and although I don't know how to use my camera as she did, i think i'm enjoying it just as much! These are all from our trip to Mendocino.

RED and GREEN

ORANGE

YELLOW

PURPLE

WHITE and PURPLE

PINK (this one didn't focus too well, but it's a fun flower)

mom loves tiny, cute little birds! :) i love tiny, cute little birds!

ORANGE

PURPLE...and a hummingbird!!! I wasn't even close to this one, so it's not too clear, but i'd say the camera did pretty well at zooming...especially considering how quick these little guys are!

YELLOW and RED

PURPLE

RED

FALL

matt took this one for me...the ROSE

...and to think...there are hundreds more varieties out there....how GREAT is our GOD!!!

Enjoying the Drive!

Every good vacation for matt starts with a cup of coffee!

We also enjoy some good road music! Great memories together!

We decided to take the scenic route to our destination through wine country! I had never been through the area, and even though it was cloudy and rainy, it was beautiful!

So who wants to join us for a day trip on a SUNNY day?

The sun finally came out toward the end of our drive...and AGAIN, pictures don't fully capture the beauty! MMmmm, and good wine too!

Some sheep grazing as the sun went down. Quiet and peaceful.

More of God's creative artwork in nature

The last leg of the trip took us through the red woods. Not as HUGE as the ones more north, but still quite impressive. Matt is at the bottom of the trees.

We are so thankful that we live in such an amazingly beautiful and diverse place! And it's all so close! Just remember, the invitation always stands for anyone to come visit! :)