Cabin updates

We've been so busy visiting with grandchildren that we haven't done much on the cabin. However, they came and took away the dumpster, so I guess that means we are now officially no longer under construction. I also put in a new set of temporary stairs on the side so we can start landscaping the front now that the dumpster is gone.

Inside, the stairs are closer to being grandchild safe. Note the chainsaw art pelican half way up the stairs. There will be several more bits of chainsaw art when it is done. Here's what the music room, living room, and the dining room look like now that we have more furniture.

Spelling Bee

As you know, the Savannah Thompsons (unlike their grandmother and grandfather Thompson) are great spellers and win state and regional championships in spelling bees. Grandma and Grandpa had to go check out the process ourselves. Here we are watching the 4th grade round with Blake. This was his first contest and he came in 5th out of 20 contestants for the area competing against 10 other schools. His words were: tomato, trigger, stipple, clapboard, preterite, and eponym. He missed the last of these words in the sixth round. We think he got the hardest of the words for his age group.

We celebrated his great first time performance with a special breakfast at a nearby restaurant.

Joseph won the 6th grade level in the third round. His words were: candidate, mercurial, and geisha.

We thought that two-week old Cooper's reaction was priceless.

Will it all fit?

Yesterday with Sage's help we emptied 5 storage units of our things as we moved into our cabin. We'll save $270 a month in storage fees but now we need to find a place for everything! Give us a day or two.

We still have to empty the 15 x 30 foot storage unit on our property so we can turn it into a workshop for me and a tack room and feed storage area for the animals.

Why is grandma so happy?

Why is grandma so happy? Is it because she gets to ride her wonderful new horse?

Is it because she got grandpa to ride the horse?

Is it because the grandkids came to ride the new horse?

Is it because year old Evie is learning how to drive her family around in the golf cart?

Is it because we had lots of grandkids over to roast hot dogs at our new place?

Is it because the sunsets are so spectacular at our place?

Is it because she could host her first grandkids sleep-over?

All of the above. It's so easy to make grandma happy in our new log cabin!

New Year Surprises

What are grandma and grandpa watching while drinking pink lemonade as they sit in the new porch rockers that they received from Chrissy and Randy for Christmas?

They are watching the new horse that Sage bought for the grandchildren to ride. It is the white one in the middle--white in the winter and palomino in the summer. Grandma decided to call her Amiga, recalling the favorite story of the palomino "Amigo" that she has told the children and grandchildren through the years. (You remember the refrain "Amigo, Amigo, you are my friend.")

Bye, bye Sabins!

Here we are gathered at Sage and Troy's to say goodbye to the Sabins.

It was -15º back home in Colorado the whole time they were enjoying Cinnamon Beach so Grandma knitted stocking hats for them for when they got home. Cassie objected to wearing it for the picture at the airport as it was too hot in Florida.