{Kylie} Polka Dotted + Peace

Here are some of the newest pics of Kylie... such a beautiful little girl...

little miss likes her pinkie up when she has her afternoon "tea"... (bottle)

Peace

One of my favorites I've ever taken of her. Look at those poochy lips and long lashes.

Ski Adventure 2009

What a fun trip!

Ken, myself, Candace, Chase, Kris and Alisha all took a quick ski trip to Ski Apache in Ruidoso, New Mexico and what a blast is was. I was a little cautious about the trip it because it had been several years since I had skied but it came back!

Us. Day one.

Getting our ski gear.

We flew out there Thursday afternoon, on my birthday. We had the nicest flight attendant ever and she talked with Ken and me for a while after seeing us playing with my camera and the new big macro lenses Ken got me for my special day, (so cool, btw!). She was so excited it was my birthday and when we were preparing for landing she got on the loud speaker and announced that, "We will be landing momentarily and I wanted to wish a special wish to Mandy. It's her birthday today and her and her family are going skiing!" It was so sweet!!

We landed in Roswell and already at the airport we saw the alien paraphernalia. It was pretty incredible how an entire town feeds off the speculation of an alien incident back in 1947. We did go to the historical museum there in Roswell on our way back after the ski trip and some of it is questionable on whether or not it happened... some of the evidence makes you wonder if it might have really happened and then some of it makes you think, "maybe something strange is in these people's water!"

The car rental desks at the airport at Roswell!

I would not want to meet this muscly alien in a dark alley!

This was in the UFO museum... a touch of corny, sort of eerie...VERY creepy!

Alisha and Kris had a breakfast and dinner menu planned for the whole trip and did all the cooking for us, too! It was amazing! We did go out to eat the first night there for my birthday and found a wonderful steak house called "Texas Club"... we felt right at home! We had bread, three different appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts!! It was soooo good!

The next day we did our first day of skiing and what a blast it was. I was slightly disappointed for a couple minutes because there was not really any snow on the ground anywhere until we got near the top of the mountain, and then there it was! I love snow... well... for a couple days... and if it is just pretty... and doesn't make life hard to get around... so I guess I love snow if it fits all those stipulations!

I have to admit-- I was the first one to fall!!! Let me explain: we took the first lift up the mountain to do an easy green for starters and Ken and I were on the same chair. When it was time to get off, one ski kind of went off the side and so I lost my balance and Ken grabbed the back of my coat to kind of pull me off and it tipped me over forward. I landed flat on my belly, laughing and "army" crawled quickly froward in order to get out of the way of the next people getting off the lift. Everyone was laughing hysterically! Let me explain my thought process... at breakfast earlier that morning Candace told us a terrible story at the table about a man who was plastered on the news who was skiing and tried to get off a lift chair and his pants got caught on the chair lift! As the chair kept going it tipped him forward and pulled his pants and all down and he was suspended in the air in front of tons of people below... dangling there-skis, poles and bare-bottomed until help arrived and got him down. AND IT WAS ON THE PUBLIC NEWS CHANNELS with just his personal parts blacked out... how ultimately humiliating! So, this thought was fresh in my mind, not an encouraging story to hear when it's been several years since you've skied and nerves are present- thanks, Candace), and when I got off that lift chair I and felt something pulling the back of my ski jacket I thought I was caught!! It was then I had the terrible spilt second vision flash before me where I would be suspended in the same manor as that poor man... and then I flipped forward and fell down! Ken told me he had pulled the back of my coat to help make sure I got off the lift- but it actually just threw me off balance and encouraged my fall. I was not at all concerned about the fall afterwards... I was just thanking my lucky stars I was not caught and wouldn't have to blog about being caught and naked and suspended fifty feet in the air with people staring below...whew!

I never did fall again that day... the skiing came back naturally and was so great! By the end of the day we were doing jumps on the courses they made mainly for snow-boarders, but we did them, too! It was so fun!!

Day one, group. L-R: Chase, Candace, Alisha, Kris, Me, Ken

Our skis resting for lunch... I skied with "blades" which I highly recommend because they are really short and you have such great control!

This is Chase, showing us all up. He was our only snow-boarder and was really good!!

Candace and Chase... Chase did a lot of waiting that first day, (sorry Can-Can). Candace had to get her "groove" back. (If you click on the picture it will blow it up and you can read the text on the pic better.)

First day, Alisha practicing in the parking lot while Kris helps buckle her ski boots. She looks like a pro, doesn't she??

The second day we woke up to inches of newly fallen snow everywhere we looked and it was so beautiful! A poor sweet bird flew into the window by the breakfast table and scared everyone... he knocked himself out and lost some feathers! He landed on the snow and later woke up and flew away. I was so glad to hear he made it away safely!! :)

Day two- woke up to this out the window! Beautiful!

Bottom of the mountain.

Alisha and Kris

Us at the top!

Candace and Chase

Day two, Us! (isn't he cute?! :))

I got some fun pictures going up the mountain and just adore the way the white snow contrasts with nature. It makes everything look so surreal.

Top views... amazingly peaceful and absolutely silent!

Taking the gondola all the way up!


The second day we enjoyed the thick powder on the mountain from the new snow and it was so much colder that day! We went all the way to the top of mountain in the gondola and skied down...all the guys were skiing blacks by this point and we ladies were just comfy skiing our blues... but some were so steep they sure felt like blacks!!

It was a super birthday this year... number 27!! I think it is safe to say everyone had a wonderful time and no one even broke the "safety cap" on the Icy Hot!! We survived two full days of skiing... and everyone made it home safely in one piece!

Can't wait to see what year 27 will bring! Enjoy your week! Thank you to everyone who send birthday wishes! All of them brought smiles to my face!

Lastyl, a macro, (close-up) pic of one of our fires in the cabin!

Lots of love!

What A Concept

Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me"

My Dad sent me this... I listened/saw this and it was so great. What a concept.

Goose bump great, for me.

I hope you enjoy.

Will be posting about the WONDERFUL ski trip we just got back from, soon!

Early Light: by Bro. Terry

Happy Wednesday! Uncle Terry sent this one today... wanted to share! He is always inspiring for me! Thought this was encouraging- especially with the New Year just have happened.

“If you can't, you must. If you must, you can.”

- Anthony Robbins

THE NEW YOU
Isaiah 43:18----"Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old."

First of all let me say I'm sorry about the delay in getting an Early Light to you as of late---I've been continuously getting bumped off of my wireless Internet. Rather than letting it upset me, I just stayed away from it for a few days (and ordered DSL) which I hope to get hooked up this week.

Now if memory serves me right I used Isaiah 43:19 for my last text verse----and made reference to the new things that God will do. Today I wanted you to see that there is something vital for us to do before we can experience God's new stuff. I asked our church members Sunday morning how many wanted to see God do something new in their lives and nearly every hand in the place went up. This tells me that we all have a tendency to get in a rut sometime or that we all know that God has more in store for us than we are experiencing. I know He has more for me---and deep down I want to experience it! But to see this happen, I now realize that I have to make room for it. It's kinda like getting new furniture----for it to work right, you've got to move out some old stuff!!

From today's verse(please note that it precedes verse 19) we see that sometimes we have to let go of some things before the new things can occur. Too many times we let our thoughts be dictated by hurts, wounds, or failures from our past----as long as we continue to do this, the Lord cannot begin any new thing in our lives and we become enslaved by our past. This is a sad place to be, yet many are held captive here. I believe the Lord desires to see us set free from such bondage. Now think about it, what can any of us do about those things that are already done??? The only thing that we can successfully do about our past is to "GET OVER IT" and let the Lord do something new with us. He will do a "New Thing"; but not until He finds a place to do it!

This whole concept agrees with the thoughtline of 2 Corinthians 5:17 which states that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away; behold all things have become new." How about it? Isn't it about time we moved out the old and brought in the new----it all begins when we think about the right stuff and look for the new thing that the Lord is doing.

I'm moving on,
Bro.Terry

Captured Moments

I got some fun pics this weekend at Danny and Kim's... and also are some pics from working on the land again back on New Year's Day. We had a fine-dining experience!! :)

Captive

Poor Red can't be out when his daughter Rosie is out because they run off, sometimes for days, when they are together! So he had to go in so she could come out and play for a while.

Planning an Escape

With his excellent nose, he must smell everything!!! He is such a precious creature.

Danny's Hanger Wall Curves

"Out Of Order"

Danny's Ol' Hard Working Tractor


Natural enemies

The sun peeking through.

Hunny made us this wonderful contraption to help cook our lunch! The fire was way too hot to even get close enough to cook!

Fine Dining--- at it's finest.

My hungry man!

Meet "Yarahnah". He is our welcoming committee at our land now!

Ken and I went to Bora Bora on our honeymoon, and when we arrived at the little airport and again when we arrived at our St. Regis Resort , as well as all the other wonderful places we went we were greeted by a smiling person playing the guitar/ukulele and they would say, la Orana (pronounced ya-rah-nah). So, we decided to name our happy little sweet singing and playing frog after that so he can "welcome" us and all our guests!

Everyone have a wonderful week! On Thursday, Ken and I are off to ski for my birthday, (January 8.). We're very excited!!!! Pray for safety!

Love to all!