There is snow in them thar' hills!

Puzzling

When the power was out we started building this custom puzzle, that I made from one of my photos. It was a b-day gift for V, but in light of the darkness... I gifted it a little early. It was much harder than it looks and took us days to complete. At 1,008 pieces, it was a great way to pass time and kill boredom.

Power went out for 3.5 days

When the snow quit falling, the ice came calling. It was a mess of broken trees, downed power lines and stormy weather. For 3.5 days we struggled to keep food cold, by burying it in snow, keep clean by heating water and keep ourselves entertained with building puzzles and...what else? Playing pool in the dark with headlamps. It sure passed the time! Having the power back is like seeing a long lost friend- you instantly remember where you left off. The pies we took to the power crews weren't enough for all of their round the clock restoration efforts. Hooray for warm showers!

Our adopted "niece" Jakeline

Recently, our Neighbor went on a trip with World Vision to the very depths of the Amazon River in Brazil. He came upon villages of people who live off the land (primarily eating rice, beans, fish and fruit), have no electricity or running water and struggle to survive. Every three months, a boat arrives in the villages to deliver medical help and to give them necessary treatment and supplies.

World Vision has been a literal lifesaver to so many of these villagers and our Neighbor met a lot of the village kids first hand. His stories and pictures were remarkable and made us feel so grateful for our blessings. I've always been a little skeptical about where money actually goes, but after hearing that 90% of the money goes to the kids (the rest goes to things like fuel to get the boat up the river)- we didn't hesitate to sponsor a child. As he says- it's a hand up..not a handout. Choosing which child to sponsor was the hard part!

In the end, this little girl touched our hearts. Her name is Jakeline Da Silva Samuel and she will be 9 years old on Feb. 13th (just 12 days shy of V's b-day). She lives in a tiny remote village on the muddy banks of the Amazon River in Brazil with her grandmother, 1 brother and 2 sisters. Grandma struggles to provide for the family and they are desperately poor. Her house is made of clay and stone and serves solely as a shelter- even the toilet is simply a hole in the ground. She's not in school at this time, because she's required to work/help out at home to provide for her family (can you believe that at 9?)... Our sponsorship will give her an education and provide her medical care if she gets ill.

As a sponsor we are allowed to send packages (but very small and limited), so I've been having fun picking up small gifts, toys and books to send. When the boat arrives, the crew brings the letters and gifts and translators sit down with the kids to help them read their packages. Then, the crew helps them write back. We just sent the first package a couple weeks ago and can't wait to hear from her!

We love our nephews to death and after years of buying tonka trucks and legos, it's fun to have an adopted niece to spoil with girly stuff!

Whole-wheat, honey seed bread

I've been making my own breads for a while now, but was quite pleased with this honey whole-wheat loaf. I used flax, sesame and sunflower seeds for protein plus omegas and added a little oat for density. It was still fluffy and had a touch of honey flavor. It is delicious with chili on a snowy January day! Ski on over....

Trying to get around...

Winter has come and it's beautiful. Being snowbound for a few cozy days at home, has it's benefits and we've been getting a lot done. Turns out, shoveling is my new form of cross-fit! Thank goodness for heating pads and hot water to soothe aching shoulders and backs. To see all the winter pictures, click HERE.

Exploring

Yesterday, Vil and I bushwhacked from our house up and around Rattlesnake Mountain in an attempt to figure out if it would be possible to get to Rattlesnake Ledge. We crossed fern gullies, flowing water, and boulder fields and ended up popping out onto a ledge below the others. From our own private little ledge we could see the folks on the ledges high above us and cars in the valley down below. After taking it in, we bushwhacked down and found the main trail, then walked home on the roads.

In winter, the lack of vegetation, bears and spiders makes this kind of adventure much more enjoyable...and we confirmed...we live in a true rainforest!

So beautiful...it hurts.

BFF's

The camera phone strikes again! I really have to remember to throw in my good camera when I go see friends.

Look around- it's a pretty good life! And what life would be complete without a set of girls who have words to make you laugh, hugs to make you welcome and smiles that make you happy? I'm so glad the holidays brought us together again!

WTA Magazine Jan/Feb Edition

My article (along with photos) is out on store shelves in this month's Washington Trails Magazine. No bear story would be complete without lots of human interest, so we added a great shot of my nephew Justin and his Dad Mike working with our friend (wildlife biologist Brian), during their visit to Washington in the summer of 2009. I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to share my experiences with readers!