CHRISTMAS ADVENTURES ON THE RANCH...

The ranch offers a lot in the way of THINGS TO DO...of course, some things were not available since it RAINED the whole time everyone was here...but as all Oregonians know...you won't MELT in rain, so most things went on as if there wasn't a pelting or raindrops going on...and the kids didn't mind at all...although some of the parents (hmmm...those sunny California ones) were a little concerned to let them get too soaked to the bone.


Sierra went for a trail hike alone in the company of our DOGS...who would protect her with their lives if necessary. She's the athletic one, remember?

The dogs (purebred Labs...all three) go swimming every day, rain or shine, ice or not...so we had to pay attention that the little one's didn't try to join them here and there...

The new swingset and fields of green were left lacking most of the time...but the back porch and three dogs were always a good feature attraction...especially for BEN (2) and SIERRA (10).

This is NICKI and she is the ALPHA...smart, sleek and fast. Her offspring, (a chocolate lab with LUCKY below as the sire) named HERSHEY, lives in Visalia with Jim and Lindsay and the BOYZ...

LUCKY (the black male Lab) pretty much goes along with whatever the GIRLS want, shown here with YAHZEE who is NICKI'S SISTER from the same litter. I told Allen that he most have prayed one time for God to send someone to LOVE HIM TO DEATH...because now he has LUCKY...always wanting love and petting, and always ready to lend a PAW if he isn't getting enough of it. YAHZEE is the best watchdog and she is first to investigate if any intruder comes around these dogs 45 acre play ground.

All these dogs have known is the freedom of this ranch, and everyone mentioned that they might be a little 'envious' of how great these dog's lives really are...at least once during their visit. We agree, and they are our greatest entertainment too.

THIS is the TOY ROOM...but most of the time TOYS were sort of scattered about the house wherever children choose to play...lot's of bending over was going on though to keep the toys out from underfooting the ANCIENT ONE FAYE, and the BELLE OF THE BALL, my mother.

There were many battles won and lost here between the two "BOSSES" Emily and Ean...and a lot of starters that sort of fizzeled out when a parent or aunt or uncle or grandparent or cousin gave the appropriate 'bark' in time.

Sierra plays with her new cartoon and voice game on the 'family' computer...as there are two computers in my loft office. The one I type on is 'off limits' to the masses as it serves the dual function of 'MAKING A LIVING' so some boundaries were not open for discussion...although the BOYZ were real curious about what SOME OF THE BUTTONS DO. Still, they saw my serious face when they came near my domain of this computer...and respected it magnificently. Whew!

Aunt Opal (Aunt Faye;s KID SISTER ONLY 82) gleaned a nice bicycle at a garage or estate sale and Faye forked over a few dollars to buy it for the kids when they are at the ranch...way too big for Emily, but fit Sierra to a T. On one of the sorta, kinda clear days...everyone was riding something.

Sierra and Emily on the bikes.

MUSIC fills our souls and if the ANCIENT ONES weren't around it would be blasting from the roof tops...but they are more INTO Fox news 24/7...so the IPODS are going strong as the kids compare their music and share songs they like with each other. Even little BEN started DANCING when he got the earpiece back from MOM, while uncle David looks on.

Now, the ruse was to make our WORKSHOP seem sort of like SANTA'S WORKSHOP so we could confuse the little ones about WHO WE REALLY ARE...sort of inferring that we are REALLY...SANTA AND MRS CLAUSE in an underground way. Papa has been working like a mad man getting this shop ready for our great ART ADVENTURES coming next on our HORIZON in 2008.

Even with a big FIRE going in the woodstove, it was freeze butt time in the shop so it's popularity waned some...especially for the adult kids...but the little ones enjoyed the adventure to Papa's shop, but we didn't pull off the Santa's shop the way we wanted to...but STILL had a few more tricks up our sleeves to come...

FORMER "Luke Skywalker" takes on the Light Saber like a pro...when we hauled them up from the lower shop to the house to show him. They make all the sounds of the Star Wars light Sabers...and the lights on them appear pretty real. Here is LUKE getting ready for a little Saber Fencing with Sierra...I loved the look on his face...which goes to show that old JEDI never grow older, nor fail in courage.

I also might add that son DAVID won the MARVEL COMIC BOOK CHARACTER naming contest hands down as he identified almost every character on the poster.

Will 'dead lifts' about 350 pounds down at the workshop. He and Papa put up Angelina Jolie who seems to beckon the hunks to 'work out' and look hunky...so I thought I would 'balance out' Angelina with MARGE AND THE KIDS saying "You paid a lot of money for that work out equipment you wanted, now get busy using it.".

Sierra was taken with the equipment (little jock in the making), but was surprised when she couldn't even move the weights an inch after "bull moose" Will set it down.

Long before DAVID THE JEDI got ahold of the Light Sabers, there was a big War going on in the workshop below. Papa Darth Vader, and EAN went saber to saber for as long as PAPA could hold out. NO ONE can hold out as long as EAN though...and besides, other grandkids wanted to get into the action as well...so they did.

Here, Princess Sierra (shhh...don't tell her I said Princess OK?), takes on Mini Vader (Ean) as the munchkin (Emily) looks on.