
Hi Everyone!! Sorry about the delay in telling my story… Mommy’s been spending the week attacking our house with great gusto and is thrilled to have it completely organized and recovered from all our holiday excitement.
(Oh! And she may have spent a bit of leisure time she usually reserves for blogging to read a delightful book instead. Boy did it make her laugh! Now she’s got the entire line-up of novels from this author on hold at the library. So… please enjoy her posts until these babies start rolling in!) :)
So, let’s see… Where was I?

Oh, yes! It’s our third full day in California at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. And now that it’s just us here with Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Elise, we got the royal tour of my Grandpa’s impressive projects…

Like his new composter!

Check it out! It’s completely enclosed, so there’s no odor or mess.

And even in the dead of winter, those little microbes are working up a storm!

And here’s another project: The new green house he built!
(Note: Check out that sweet fence he built around his garden. He needed to protect his food from all the deer and bears and other wildlife that prowl the mountain forests. And now–it protects his new composter, too!)

The new green house is where he stores his finished compost in preparation for spring. It’s also where he’ll start his seeds in the spring when it’s too cold to plant in the garden, yet.

Then Mommy spotted this and cried out, “So that’s how you make such nice furrows in your garden!! Holy smokes do I wish I’d had something like that 9 months ago when I was trying to plant our vegetable garden with an enormous pregnant belly and a garden of packed mud!”
“Hm, it sounds like you’ve got clay soil,” Grandpa replied, “Let me give you a few pointers on how to make it better…”
After that, Mommy tried to remember everything Grandpa said so she could go home and implement his suggestions.

And I ran around in the picturesque snow.

And explored Grandpa’s handmade playground.

And laughed and giggled so cute.

Until Daddy caught me!!

Aaaaahhhh!!!

Then Daddy put me on a gigantic snowball he made. And while I was a captive cutie…..

Grandpa joined me!

And then Daddy!

And then Bobby!

“What did you call me?”

*Hee, hee, hee!* Bobby! I cawed you Bobby!

“Now you’re gonna get it, Bubbers!”

After that, I asked Grandma to sing my favorite church songs.

And I played along.

And then helped her play.

While Mommy’s heart melted through the carpet.

I was particularly fond of Grandma’s neck exerciser, but it didn’t know the song very well.

So I took over again.

“I love to seeeeeeeeee the temple! I’m going there some daaaaaaayyyyy!”
After that, I took a nap. And when I woke up…..

Snuggles was so cute and happy to see me!

So I tried to explain that after my naps, I often need a few minutes to find my sunshine again.

Snuggles said that was okay.

He said he’d give enough sunshine for both of us until I was ready.

So I took his hand in silent thanks.

And he covered my back until I was ready.
Then sure enough…..

I found my sunshine again and shared it with my Aunt Elise!

And then I discovered…..

… sports on TNT.
But not for long, because then it was bedtime.

And while Snuggles and I slept, all the parents went out to eat at a delicious restaurant in town.

After that, Grandpa broke out the cards.

And played his favorite game: “The No Name Game”.

I think it’s a game that Grandma’s parents used to play.

They had fun and Mommy thought about growing up in Nevada when she saw their old cards from the casinos.
(Note: They never actually gambled in the casinos. They just got playing cards from a friend who worked in a casino because they only use each deck once and then toss them).

And wouldn’t you know, Mommy won her third game in a row!! She couldn’t believe it.

The next day we packed up and headed back home.

Enjoying a McDonald’s Playhouse at lunch.

And some beautiful winter weather!

Boy–what an awesome trip. Thank you so much, Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Elise (and our other wonderful family we saw there)–we had a fantastic time!!!
We love you,
Bubbers, Snuggles, Mommy and Daddy