Results of our second snowfall...

Here is Joseph's snowman. He made it all by himself while we were bringing in all the Christmas decorations. The next day, it began to rain which caused all that flooding in Chehallis. Up here, it just melted all of our snow, and left a few lakes where there weren't any before....

To the left of the Dead End sign and in between the cut corn stalks lies the road to our house. As you can see, or NOT SEE, there is no road! It was tricky driving around the little bit that we did, because it was anybody's guess where the road was!

The snow got pretty deep around here in just a few hours. This is a fire hydrant which hopefully conveys how much snow there was! It was absolutely gorgeous.

Jim's birthday was yesterday and he took the day off! We went to Red Robin in Canada for a lunch date, then after school we took the boys to see Enchanted. What a wonderful movie! I encourage everyone to see it. On Saturday night we went to Lynden Lighted Christmas Parade. Companies and individuals put light on their vehicles for the parade. There were 70 entrants, including the Well's Fargo stagecoach! Since this is farming land, there were all kinds of huge farm vehicles (that I embarrasingly don't know the names of) in the parade. The winner in the commercial division was this entry by our favorite dairy, Edaleen. They have a storefront that you can visit to buy milk, cheese, ice cream, etc. and they serve up the BEST fresh ice cream in cones at the lowest prices I've ever seen! We try to go once a week to get our milk and enjoy the new flavors.

SNOW!

Our first Washington snowfall happened last night! I had asked Joshy to go feed Zoie (the cat that came with the house) and he ran back in and said, "It's snowing! I'm not kidding!" We grabbed our coats and fought our way out the door to see big old flakes of gorgeous white purity making their way down onto the trees and yard! First of all, we Texas folk aren't used to a continual downpour, or for it to actually accumulate and provide us with enough snow to have a decent snowball fight! I have pictures, but I don't know how to download them.... I will post them when they are ready!

Unfortunately, it's in the upper 30's right now, so the snow is melting. There is more in the forecast, though, so we are totally pumped!

A couple of weekends ago Jim and I went with another couple to Leavenworth,a charming Bavarian village that is literally a Christmas wonderland. 2 million visitors come throughout the year to visit this amazing town. We ate German food, went to the little shops, and took lots of pictures that I will eventually post... Here's one from the website to wet your whistle:


On November 29th, Leavenworth will be featured on "Good Morning America Lights Up the Holidays" at 7a.m. Pacific Time. (9:00 a.m. in Texas?) It ranks as the number one Christmas Village in the United States. No wonder.

http://www.leavenworth.org/

It snowed on our way home, (which is one of the most beautiful drives up here;) there are dozens of little waterfalls literally coming out of the roadside rock walls, and there is the most gorgeous river that winds its way alonside much of the road up the mountain.

On November 16th, Jonathan and I performed at the Lynden Community Center for over 200 people. Besides his Johnny Cash numbers, I sang "Jesus Take the Wheel", "Over the Rainbow" (Martina McBride's version) and an acapella rendering of "Amazing Grace." It was SOOOO fun and the people were wonderful. The gals that had scheduled us for the Trailblazer's event were there with their husbands, and during one of our songs, came up to the stage and each threw a dollar bill on it. More people came up and threw some dollars here and there, then afterwards a few came up to us to press some bills or change into our hands. When all was said and done, we left with $70! We don't charge anything for our performances, so to be blessed with that kind of monetary gift blew us away!

Inevitably when I sing, someone always comes up and tells me they want me to sing at their funeral. I never know which way to take it. Is it a complement? I mean, they won't REALLY be in attendance, now will they. I guess there aren't enough occasions on earth to have a song sung just for you. We need to make some up so they can hear it now!

Comments and emails appreciated!!!

Smooches,
Betty

WIndy Washington

Jonathan won Second Place in the Talent Show! First place went to a Bagpipe player who really was quite good; he was dressed in a kilt and everything. Being friends with one of the judges' mom, I found out that there was quite a debate going on to make Jonathan first place. Finally, one of the judges said that the bagpipe was INCREDIBLY difficult, and he knew for a matter of fact that the fellow practiced many many hours.... They should come to our house! Jonathan was thrilled. I'll post pictures later.

On another note :).... some Southern winds blew out the power in 4 towns yesterday! (they sound like a train which is about to come through the house) We were without electricity Monday morning until some time last night. We decided to go ahead and stay in our unheated house. It wasn't too bad... I've camped in colder weather! The boys thought it was quite the adventure. They all slept in the guest room with a huge flashlight at the ready, and Jim and I got a battery-operated Coleman lantern in case we needed to see. I slept like a baby, all toasty under the covers. The broken branches all over the property are overwhelming, however. We feel very fortunate that one didn't land on our vehicles or roof, or come through the window!

Speaking of things coming through windows, though, Jonathan accidentally kicked the soccer ball through our front door side window on Sunday WHILE OUR LANDLORD was visiting. Talk about embarrassing....

Conferences for school report cards start this week on Wednesday. The boys will be released for the next 6 days at 12:50. Fun fun.

How is it in YOUR neck of the woods?

Singing in Washington

On Monday I sang with four other gals as part of the Sister Act choir. We sang "O Happy Day" and I get to take the solo on "I Will Follow Him." It's quite fun. We might be doing it in December at another fellowship I attend once a month. (Stonecroft, an international organization that hosted the retreat I went to at Cedar Springs a couple of weeks ago) Tonight, Jonathan and I are singing at a talent show. He'll be doing a Johnny Cash song, and I've been asked to sing Amazing Grace for the finale!

I have sang Amazing Grace quite a bit since I've been here. The Lord has used that song SEVERAL times to bring the listeners to tears. He is so precious. His grace has been SO amazing in my life, I think whoever hears me sing it can sense the reality of each word in my life. God is so good!

Who knew?!

Cedar Springs water wheel

One of the four or five lakes at Cedar Springs

"Sister Act"

WOW. Since I last posted, we've been one of the entertainment acts for a western night (150 in attendance!), I've helped lead worship at a retreat, have sang at a sweet women's fellowship I attend on Monday's, and am gearing up to sing at a talent show next Friday, and with a group of robed-gals to do two Sister Act songs at that same Monday group next week! When you ask the Lord to open doors for your gift, He oftentimes swings them really wide!

Jonathan gets to perform at school every week on Fridays. He dresses in black, to honor Johnny Cash, and does a few of his songs. This week he did expand and do a Weird Al song parody of Achy Breaky Heart. He was really the main performer at the western night (I sang Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn, Walkin After Midnite by Patsy Cline, God Bless the Broken Road, Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Martina McBride's version) and Jim and I did Praise in the Wilderness by Jim McNeely :) Jonathan performed the balance of the show in two 30-45 minute sets. Jim also did a hilarious lecture on how to "tawk raht." He showed them words like "bob war" for barbed wire... you know the drill.... It was really funny.


The retreat I went to was at a place called Cedar Springs. It is only 5 minutes from our house in Sumas. Gals (and a couple of gentlemen) came from all over BC, Canada and Northern Washington. We did the Sister Act songs there, and led worship three times. Very, very sweet. These pictures don't convey how absolutely gorgeous Cedar Springs is; there are swans in the lake, beautiful well-kept gardens all over the property, and it is nestled in the "foothills" of Sumas.

Leave me some love if you read my blog!

Skagit Valley Farm Tour

Saturday we went on the Skagit Valley Farm tour. We could only make it to 5 farms on the tour out of a dozen, but it was wonderful!
(We also went to a farm tour at Cloud Mountain Farms, which wasn't a part of the tour, but they do it the same day).

Cloud Mountain had fruit tasting inside a huge greenhouse. Over 200 varieties of apples, grapes, pears, jams, etc. We bought three pears for $6, but they are the size of small cantaloupes! 5 of us can feast on just one. It was one of our favorites, because the Prozac Mountain Boys bluegrass band were playing in one corner of the greenhouse, and we actually ran into a sweet couple from our church who are berry farmers.

Our next stop was 45 miles away (then we backtracked) to a Dairy Farm. It was too cold to enjoy it much, but we got to see a 5-day-old calf and got a free ice cream bar. (Joshy wanted to milk the artificial cow, but it was just too cold to wait in line) Each farm offered free samples and info; this one had coloring books, rulers, "got milk" pens and "cheese" erasers!

An oyster farm, situated on the ocean, held the most interesting farm items! We never even considered oysters farm animals! Jim liked the generous free samples of clams and oysters, but the rest of us couldn't really stomach it. (although Joseph did try them). They serve them right in the shell! There was a lighthouse made out of oyster shells. (you can see most of this in the pictures; check out the link)
http://picasaweb.google.com/jim.mcneely/20071006_farm_tour
We also got to touch some sea urchins, starfish, and other slimy sea creatures. There were costumed characters, which you can see in the photos. We missed the crab race, but got to talk to the crab lady as she was taking them back to their habitat. Apparently, they got into a wrestling match and tore off some limbs, but they GROW BACK. God is too fun.

On to a Beef Farm where they had Highland cows. The meat samples were delicious, and Jim and Jonathan each bought a shish kebob and the boys split fresh twirled fries (made on a Pampered Chef type potato peeler while we waited!) Joshy rode a pony, and I enjoyed the bagpipe players!
The one picture of me and the fellow with huge earrings was taken because he arrived in a kilt, and wasn't even a part of the farm tour! (The picture apparently doesn't show the kilt; the whole point of the picture. Oh well) I asked him if he wore it all the time, and he said his workplace frowned upon it usually...

By this time, it was way past lunch and we were really hankering for the organic beef cheeseburgers we heard were being served at the Skagit River Ranch. Just a short drive from the other one, it was probably our favorite farm. It was everything you learned about in grade school; it had free range chickens (which we just knew we were going to accidentally run over if they didn't watch out!) pigs, turkeys, 5 day old baby chicks in an incubator!, horses, goats... you know, Old McDonald's kind of farm! We went on a very cold horse-drawn wagon ride to see where the cows are allowed to eat grass which hasn't been sprayed with insecti-or pesticides. WOW. The hamburgers were THE BEST ones I've EVER put in my mouth. I didn't know grass fed beef would have such a different taste. Afterwards, we bought 6 frozen patties for $12 and can't wait to eat them on the grill at some point. If you come visit, I'll make the trip back to get some more. It's worth the drive! (the store is open on Saturday's). Every turkey was already spoken for. I wanted to place an order for Thanksgiving! I'll have to do it earlier next year!

We rounded out our day at another apple farm, and bought several pounds of the sweetest, crispest apples I've ever tasted. I didn't realize there were so many varieties... even though Washington is the apple state! I mean, have you ever heard of Sweetheart, Jonagold, Tsugaru, or Honey Crisp?!! Absolutely yummy. We also got some fresh apple cider, and could have went to a wine tasting, but we were ready to make the 45 mile trip back home, which was just spectacular. The leaves are turning shocking yellow, red, and orange, but there are all the evergreens interspersed in large quantities. We passed several Christmas Trees farms and a couple of Alpaca Farms, which were on the tour, but we didn't stop.

That was our Saturday!!!!!!!!

Vancouver

This weekend we went to Vancouver, BC in Canada. One of the wonderful places there is this Suspension Bridge. It's very touristy, but you get what you pay for! There are people in period dress wandering around, live music, and "first nation" folks giving tours and describing what life was like in the late 1800's.

When you get across the bridge (which makes you feel like you are Indiana Jones, and you pray it doesn't break... which it wouldn't, (I saw all the cables underneath on the other side!) The steps going up and down feel so rickety, though, and the river below is so rocky....Anyway, there are smaller suspension bridges from tree to tree.

You walk from tree to tree which doesn't disturb the ground below. It's really quite fun. You feel like you are in an Ewok Village! It's really beautiful, and there are signs everywhere explaining different aspects about the habitat. There are ponds below, and huge trees everywhere.

Canada and the "first nation" people have this thing about Totem Poles. They even carved one to look like me while I was there. I felt very honored, considering I don't have one drop of any first nation blood in me :) (we call them native americans...)
It was an expensive day, (usually our weekends are free) but really, it was worth every penny. If you come up here, you will have to budget your shekels to visit this place with us. (Of course, if you come visit, you'll have to allow about 17 days to go everywhere we would want to take you, and then you would need a vacation!) That settles it; some of you are just going to have to move up here with us!