Harvest Time

My favorite time of year! I love the colors, the cool crisp weather, the smell of people warming there homes with fire and the delicious fragrant foods that fill the air.   I absolutely love that we live in the inland northwest.  We have really great definite seasons.  Fall has really fell here and it is absolutely beautiful.  Today we took the kids to Carver Farms and had a really fun time.   Now that Jasper is almost 2 he is so fun to watch him explore and share his funny little words and expressions.  

 It so difficult to keep the crazy 23 month old still long enough for a family picture.  This is as close as we got.  So then we just rely on the older 3 to give us a great smile photo.  Poor Sophia...her big brother is squishing her legs.

 Jasper saw the older 3 getting there picture on the little wall that shows how tall you are and when they walked away, he ran right up and turned and smiled and said "cheeeeeese"  Luckily I was still in place and able to grab this cutie picture.

 Jasper was very excited when he saw the Hayride/tractor coming to drop and pick up people.  

 I love that Sophia loves just squeezing in with anyone to grab a picture.  Fun times on the hayride.

 Big sister watching over little brother while he picks out not just a little pumpkin..but rocks that he was having a great time throwing.

 He loves the water!  We left it up to Jasper to rinse the pumpkins before we set them out for decoration. As he was rinsing, Maddie caught this picture of him in perfect time waving to a car driving by and yelling "bye bye" as loud as he could.

Williams Family Retreat 2012

After a long busy summer Dan and I decided it would be good for our family to get away for a weekend with just our little family of 6!  Thanks to Living Social, we received an online coupon for 1/2 off for a weekend cabin rental in Montana.   We absolutely fell in love with this ranch and are hoping to return each year for a little family rest and retreat.  Here are just a few photos from the weekend...Enjoy!

On our way to Missoula, we stopped in St Regis for a bite to eat.  As we walked around the corner to go into the little grill we had a laugh that the name of the restaurant next door was Jasper's.   We still at Huck's though. We all agreed they had great grill food! We will surely stop again!  

(we did stop at Jasper's on the way home, good food too.)

 We stayed our first night in Montana in Missoula. The kids loved the hotel!  Jasper was having a blast pretending to call people.I love this picture in the hotel...it looks like it was the perfect restful setting....oh how it was a long night.  Jasper wouldn't stop crying, didn't fall asleep until 1am!  Sophia slept with Dan and I shared a bed with Spencer and Maddie and Spencer is a horrid bunk mate.  kicking, talking, rolling.  I am not sure I slept a solid hour at any point.

The next morning, we decided we were not going to eat from any of the normal fast food pit stops, that on this vacation we would only make our own food or eat at local places. So as we were leaving the hotel, Dan pulled over and asked this local couple with a really cute toddler girl, if there was a good breakfast place in Missoula.  He had told us that the Farmers market was down town and surely someone there would be "slinging some breakfast burritos" but he had also pointed us in the way of "The Shack".  And oh my gosh, If you are ever in Missoula for breakfast they are super great!!!  

 We arrived at the Alta Ranch in Darby, and it was beautiful!  The owners are wonderful, very friendly, very hospitable.

We stayed in the Ponderosa Cabin.  It was a really cute and comfy 2 bedroom with a loft.  It was perfect!

This is the view of our cabin from the outdoor fire pit.

 Spencer was getting warm in front of the fire in the morning and Jasper was copying his every move.
So fun to see him learn and copy what he sees from us.

                                                 Dad making his famous scrambled eggs!

Jasper found this empty cabinet in minutes of being there.  This was a fun hiding place for him all weekend.  

                                       This was the fire pit just down the hill from our cabin.

 No TV, no internet, no smart phones, or ipods! Made for a really quiet and peaceful weekend.

We explored much of the ranch.  

This is one of my favorite pictures of Sophia.  We were headed across the prairie to go see one of the other cabins at the Ranch.

This is the deck of the cottonwood cabin, which is across the prairie area and up the hill on the other side.  It looks a little bigger than the one we stayed in...but still really cute!

 Silly Sophia.  The entertainer that's for sure!

40!!!

Happy 40th Dan!!

 Had a grand surprise party for Dan's 40th.  Here, we had printed and pinned up all the letter and pictures that were sent here from family and friends far away.

 In the breezeway between our home and garage, Maddie, her Jenna  and I hung twine and lights and then had drop pictures hanging from the twine, a way that people could pictures of Dan over the years.

 Setting up the buffet. This was only part of the main table and then we had to clear this set out the table full of desserts.

                                                               Friends from his work

                                                             Friends from the stage!

 

 

                                      Our good friend Ryan...the pyro!  Started the campfire.

 

                                     My best friend Sarah....was my kitchen side kick....once again!

                                     A toast given by a new and wonderful friend!  Thanks- Rick!

           We had also set up a little table and wall area displaying some things from Dan's growing up.
              even had his tiny little baby boy saddle shoes.  So cute!

                        End of the night....the last glimpses of memories!   Here's is to the next 40!