Nevi LIVE! Winkle Winkle A-B-C

trick or treating cont'd

Trick or Treating!!!!!

We stayed right in our neighborhood for trick or treating this year. Probably went to a dozen homes or so of friends and neighbors who we adore and who adore Nevi. I had so much more fun than I thought I would. She got pretty good at saying Trick or Treat but even better at saying Happy Halloween! And she thanked everyone in sign language after they treated us. It was probably all very strange and new for her but she really did seem to like Halloween- the dressing up in costume, the social component, and she really loved seeing everyone else's costume's, too. The only part that she didn't get into was the candy. She tried chocolate again tonight but sure enough, she spit it right out and did her shiver thing she does when she doesn't like the taste of something. After a long night out on the town, we ended up using all of her candy on the trick or treaters who came to our door once we returned. We had left a caldron of candy ourselves on our front steps while we were away with a sign Robb made saying 'Help yourself to five pieces each!'. We just added our newly inherited candy to the mix and 'poof' it was all gone. I think Robb actually gave away some snacks from his personal stash this Halloween once we ran out...

More YMCA pix and Pumpkin Carving!

We carved pumpkins in the front yard for the very first time this year, because weather permitted. I could really get used to this kind of weather.

Halloween at the Y

We are regular YMCA goers. They had an AWESOME Halloween party the Monday before Halloween, where Nevi was able to sport her RED Crayon costume for the first time. We had an absolute blast. She jumped in the bouncing castle, won some prizes for throwing balls into the caldrons, picked her own very special cookie off a Christmas tree in the Enchanted Cookie Forest (the ONLY quiet room in the Y meant for little ones just like Nevi - it was magical), and she ate her cookie along with a slice of BlackJack pizza. Just one of the kiddos. We met some great folks there and played really nicely with all of the others. She loved it so much that she wore her Crayon costume almost day this last week and, then again, of course, tonight for the big Trick or Treat adventure. More pictures will follow......

Fall leaves

The fallen leaves have been a great source of entertainment for us this fall! We spent lots of time everyday raking leaves, jumping into the piles, laying on our backs and watching leaves fall from the trees, filling recycle bins of leaves and hauling them to the compost out back (she rides IN the bin with the leaves and we call it a 'boat' ride). I can't wait to go sledding with Nevi this winter...she's going to LOVE it!!!!!! Hands down, this has been THE most beautiful autumn we've had in Colorado in the 8 years I've lived here. Usually by this time, end of October, we've had a snowfall already and winter has crashed into our lives, ready or not. Not this year,though. It's been warm, colorful, some days of wind and rain and very fragrant, like leaves/earth/smoke. Amazing.

Too fun.....

Yes, folks. Robb is eating a deep-fat-fried-TWINKIE at AppleFest. It came smothered in whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate and, of course, came on a stick! I admittingly had one bite, just for the experience and, well, it was pretty darn good. I decided, this trip, to really embrace the mid-west experience and bask in my roots, my heritage. When in Rome...... So, I ate ANYTHING that was offered to me, things that I otherwise would have poo poo'd, things like Biscuits and Gravy, Corned Beef Casserole, Deep Fried Twinkie....the list goes on. And I loved every minute of it. I've gotta hand it to midwesterners.... Ya'all can really cook! For those that know me well, you know that I LOVE whole foods and organic nutrition. It is a bit of a passion for me and something that I can be a bit obsessive about if I'm not careful. This trip really allowed me to open up my world and join in the fun with the locals. Thanks to everyone for your hospitality, awesome food, great conversation and memories.

THE LAND

Many people have heard of my sister's way of life...living off the grid.... here are some pictures to add to the mix. Kristin's gardening boxes in front of their future home site, Gavin and Ella's treehouse (VERY cool, just needs the yellow slide installed), their workshop in which they currently reside, the infamous yurt, their orchard (apple trees, blueberry and plum bushes) and trails that they developed which explore all 80 acres of this gorgeous terrain. Keith has been learning about cedar timber framing and is making them a timber garage for storage this month. The garage will be located in between their workshop and the site where their dream home will eventually be built (see first picture). The trees have all been cleared and the plans for their home will be a reality, hopefully in the coming years. In the meantime, their 16x24 workshop is home - it is very organized and very home-y. My sister said something to me this trip that I think will stay with me always...she said that her way of life is often referred to as the 'simple life' but that there is nothing simple about their life. They haul in their fresh water in buckets from a local artesian well. Then, they haul OUT their waste water. This ensures that they control exactly how much water they use. They have a compost-able toilet inside the workshop that requires daily maintenance but is very user friendly. Eventually, an outhouse will be built near their home site. They have chickens, which lay enough eggs for them to live on. And gardens which produce fruits and veggies galore. They also have a couple solar panels as well, which provide a few hours of lighting inside the workshop at night. They mostly use oil lamps and their wood burning stove for light and heat.

I knew in my head how they lived but now that I have experienced it first hand, I am in awe.

Last day in Minnesota, Arriving to Applefest in Bayfield, Wisconsin

The last two pictures are of our final days in Minnesota. Only a three hour drive from Grand Rapids to Drummond, Wisconsin, which is where the cabin we rented was located. It was a REALLY nice cabin, remodeled and fully equipped. Kristin's land was only 20 miles away, which for up there isn't too far. Robb and I both commented on how everything seems REALLY far away from everything else when you get that far north but it is all separated by beautiful wilderness. The first picture here shows how much Nevi enjoys rolling down hills. More pictures of this nature will be posted.... Gavin, Ella, Nevi and Robb all spent a good deal of time at AppleFest rolling down the hills and enjoying the moist grass. We had awesome weather on this trip, only one day of rain the entire time!

Bonfire & Smores...

There were a lot of 'firsts' for Nevi on this trip... Her first bonfire and first smores are depicted in this particular blog. She didn't particularly like the marshmallows or chocolate but loved the graham crackers, not a surprise to me at all. She doesn't really like 'sweets', definitely not chocolate,but does like graham crackers, something she eats on occasion even at home. She had a lot of fun collecting sticks for the fire and really liked just being outside with all of us while we enjoyed the warmth and solitude of a homemade fire.

Coon Rapids AND Grand Rapids w/ Ahma and Ahpa

After a few days in Coon Rapids, Ahma, Ahpa, and our Colorado gang all headed north to spend a few more days at the lake house. Here, we were able to spend some quiet time in the woods. It was beautiful. We boated, road on an ATV, hiked, made a bonfire and played hard with the many toys that Ahma accumulated for Nevi. The talking Elmo doll was probably the biggest hit, but new toys in general are always a fun adventure for Nevi.

Nevi was struggling with her first chest cold during this vacation. Lots of napping and liquids. She seemed to be affected by this cold for most of the trip unfortunately but hung in there well. I was very impressed by how well Nevi handled all of the driving, and there was LOTS! She is quite a trooper.

Midwest Autumn Road Trip!

We left home at 4:30am on Saturday Sept 25th to begin our journey east. We landed in Truro, IO just in time for a home cooked dinner by our favorite great aunt and great uncle, Bill and Helen. These folks are some of the best stock I've ever met . They are generous, loving and are amazing chefs! We slept very peacefully that night in Truro. I woke up the next morning and went for a most enjoyable jog, didn't see 1 person or moving vehicle for the entire 40 minutes. Greg Brown sings songs about this exact thing, the peace that small rural midwest towns offer. What a treat! They took us to the Truro library the next morning, where Helen volunteers and where the 'heart' of Truro seems to reside.

From there, we headed north to Coon Rapids, MN. Ahma and Ahpa brought us to the Mall of America in Minneapolis! Nevi LOVED watching the roller coasters and especially loved watching the 'water log ride' with Omma. 'Come on, boat!', they would shout as they waited for more logs to descend the vertical drop and splash at the bottom. We all ate at the Rainforest Cafe (Uncle Mark, Cousin Jack and Maggie, too!) and everyone was so impressed with how well Nevi ate. I just chuckled with pride. It IS really fun to eat with a kid who doesn't battle at mealtime and who enjoys food. She says, 'Yum Yum' over and over when she's REALLY liking the taste of something. During dinner at the Rainforest Cafe, the lights would go out on occasion and the surroundings would simulate a thunderstorm, the monkeys would go nutz, etc... Nevi smiled, laughed and clapped with excitement! Very cool time....