Chinese buffet

Gram gifted us with two lunches at the Chinese buffet for Christmas.  We had a great time! and it was Maynar's most "awake and alert" buffet experience!  The first time he came to the buffet with us, he spent most of the time sleeping in his car seat on the bench next to us.  This time, he sat in his own high-chair and quickly adapted to the routine of being continuously fed a variety of foods.

Buffets are so much fun!

Spoons are really fun too.

Buffets are exhausting though.

Straws are pretty fun (and quieter than spoons).

Maynar's first very own fortune cookie!

He got the hang of that one pretty quickly.

And boy, did he love the chocolate pudding!

Sledding

 

We have all enjoyed the sled that Maynar received at Christmas from Poppy and Grammy Cressman.

We enjoy being able to go on walks together.

He loves being outside!

Smoking

The smokehouse is back in operation!

Bacon.

Delicious!

Thanksgiving

We got a beautiful wet snow just in time for Thanksgiving!

Mick, who went out hunting, said that the branches were all about two inches thicker than usual because of all the snow.

We enjoyed a family walk.

(Maynar's hood doesn't stay put particularly well.) 

And the snow outside made the inside especially cozy.

Maynar certainly seemed to enjoy the festivities!

 Supper included squash, cranberry applesauce, dressing, and a goose (due to the premature demise of our turkeys).  Mick's rub for the goose was delicious, as always.  Pumpkin pie for dessert!

The Esse performed beautifully.

We could not have asked for a better holiday!

Our most beautiful Christmas tree yet!

Halloween

My and Mick's jack-o-lanterns.  

(The pumpkin I carved was our greatest success to date of growing a pumpkin!) 

They guarded either side of the stairs up to the house.

The light in the upper right quadrant is through the window in the great room.  We had a great deal of oil lamps and candles, and they seem to have worked, as we certainly didn't see any sign of evil spirits!

Autumn from the Porch

The colours have been particularly brilliant this year!