Preparations

It has been one week since my last blog post, and the natives are getting restless and discontent, wondering where I have been and why I have not posted.  Not to worry, my friends, I've been vacating a little more, dealing with several more migraines, and PREPARING.

Preparing for the big Thanksgiving weekend gathering at the family's vacation lodge up in the mountains.  Don't try to find us.  Trust me - you won't.  We always say our prayers while here at the lodge that nobody will get hurt or snake bitten - it's WAY far to the nearest hospital, on difficult roads, over the mountains and through the woods, through deep snow, both ways.

Last weekend the husband/lover/driver brought me up to the Lodge for a pre-chaos getaway bit of pre-Thanksgiving set up and preparation.  We are expecting 14 of us under one roof, and since I am in charge of the preparations, decorations, and food for 14 for the 5 days we are all together, I wanted some peace and quiet there in the lodge by ourselves to get a head start before all the rest arrive.

Throughout our quiet weekend, we decorated various areas of the lodge in Fall decor.  First, the mantel.

We added a few items around the living room area of the lodge, and in between doing so, previewed some new games for the family and worked on a Christmas craft for the Lodge.  After Thanksgiving Day we'll be switching out the Fall decor to Christmas decor.  I suppose most of the rest of the world probably thinks we are behind schedule, though, with our Christmas decorating.

Throughout our weekend, we had a few visitors.  Those were of the feathered variety, making bold and risky appearances so close to the big turkey feasting day.

As we were leaving the lodge at the end of our quiet, pleasant weekend, we noticed the temperatures were dropping, and it was starting to feel like winter.  The proverbial "frost was on the pumpkins" we had placed at the entrance to our lodge.

We headed back home, just for a three day stint of back to work (for the hubby), and two days of picking and gathering (my job).

Meanwhile, we received some reports that the little guy out west (grandson Gabriel) had had a very busy and exciting week:

   -He came down with two ear infections, needing antibiotics, leading to...
   -He had his first case of diaper rash.  He did not like it one bit, and wanted to be left in the same diaper.
   -He went in for his six month vaccination appointment.  First he flirted shamelessly with the nurses.  He screamed  at being stuck, then immediately looked up and laughed at the nurse.
   -He thought getting his "school" pictures taken at day care was the most fun adventure of his life.

So now I am now back at the lodge with a few of the family members, and we are awaiting the arrival of all the others.  We are ready for the holiday.

I may have bought and hauled in enough food and supplies to feed and care for a small country for a year.

I am prepared for the guests to arrive.  Beds are made.  Cookies are on the counter. Candles are burning, and a fire is in the fireplace.

And, today the snow is falling.  My relatives will be traveling through 4 to 8 inches of snow to gather here together, and I will say lotsa prayers for safety while I wait for them.

My dad sits watching the first snowfall seen from within the new family lodge.

I'll also start cooking.  That won't stop for days.

And, I'll be keeping my eyes out the windows, because this family of 4 came in for a visit last night:

Mother bear and three cubs (the third cub is hiding)

What do the men do while the women are PREPARING?  They play with boys' toys, of course.  Son Caleb took our newly repaired tractor and moved some dirt from one pile to another.  Just because it's a tractor, and because he could, and because he's a little boy at heart who loves to play in the dirt.

What else do the big boys do?  They plant trees, of course!  Plant trees in a forest already full of trees!

This time Dad brought about 25 more to be planted around the lodge.  He's driven and obsessed with "greening up the work site."

Caleb and Dad unloading the trees

Setting the trees

It's actually too cold to fully plant the trees, so they're just setting them in place, and building up the dirt around the tree balls.  Hopefully they will make it to Spring when they can be properly planted.





























Finally, in perhaps the biggest news of the day - the old guy has learned to PHOTOBOMB!!

The PREPARATIONS are about done.  Let the folks arrive and the celebrating and giving thanks begin.  

Yes, we do have so much for which to be thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!