Valentines, Lovely Lassies, Stunt Masters

This year, my kids gave me a lavish Valentine's Day present.

A designer box loaded with exotic yummies from Trader Joes.

Now they're covered for at least ten years, in my humble opinion.

I don't exactly have a 'special Valentine', but I love, love, love this February holiday.  

Always have.
Maybe it's because we need those bright pink hearts to cheer us in the dead of winter.

Here are some creations from our recent family cookie decorating party:

Day by day, the snow is melting.

This shot was taken today, February 28th

However, the temperatures still dip down to the single digits at night.

Also taken today - the hill behind the garage.





MONDAYS  have become treasured days for me.  My daughter Kelty comes over with her dear little Rella.

Actually, this little gal spent two nights at Grandma Ginger's house last week while Mom was back East.

I haven't blogged about  my lovely lassies from church for months and months.

We've had some jolly times together.

Creating Bead Bracelets:

Experiencing a Dance Discovery Workshop:

Making Pioneer Honey Taffy:

(The older girl on the left was a volunteer teenager who helped cut the taffy.)

Doing Daring Stunts, Being Nutty, Admiring a Sunset:

Speaking of daring stunts, 

Two weeks ago, I watched this college student doing a amaaaazing tight-roping feat

from one side of the canyon - my canyon - to the other side.

It's technically called 'slack-lining', because he uses webbing, not a rope.

It's not just the slack-lining students who like gutsy recreation,

certain children in my family are also spirited and relatively fearless.

Brinley on the left, Avery in the middle, and Aspen on the right.

Bright Spots

This is how snow looks after a few days of being on the ground.

Beautiful, really.

I'm trying to look on the bright side.

I haven't escaped the cold as I've done in other years . . . HERE and HERE.

I've been toughing it out.

It really helps when cheerful girls in the neighborhood knock at my door and say,

"Can we dig out your truck for you?"

"Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!"

My driveway is on a hill with mostly tall bushes on either sides.

Finding a place to dump the snow is always an issue.

The girls were valiantly carrying shovels loaded with snow to the far side of the driveway

and hefting it up and over some bushes that weren't as tall as the ones by the truck.

They worked for two long hours.  Willingly.

"Can we please come back tomorrow?"

Bless their hearts!

I'm grateful for their kindness . . . and the fact that the truck started right up.

Winter begs for bright spots.

Little Rella's 3rd birthday certainly fit the bill.

Grandma Ginger gave her a celebratory hat which she thought was magnificent.

1. 

Okay.  Magnificent may not be in her vocabulary, but the expression says it all.

I also gave her three boxes of sparklers.

Another hit!

Life is sooooo amazing when you turn three.

Truly, life can be amazing, even when you're sixty.  Just gotta watch for those golden moments.

Outside the living room window @ 5:32 p.m.