Christmas Day at the Snow Chateau

We had a great time Christmas Day!  Bill was home, and one of the guys he works with in North Dakota came down to spend the holiday with us. 

Good company, good food, good spirits, good times!

Casey got Reindeer ears....she wasn't near as impressed as I was with them.

Yes, this is me forcing her to pose for the camera.

Toy #1....a black and white football to match her!

Santa left a pretty good loot here! 

Casey is spoiled rotten!  Along with a football, a squeaky fish, a bright pink and bright green squeaky, a new rope, dogie Gatorade she got the ever prized giant bone.  All day on Christmas she just carried it around and showed it off.  She might 'priveledge' us and allow one of us to hold it for a couple minutes, but would come right back for it!  She never even started to chew on it until well after dark.  I think Santa hit the jackpot when this bone got found!

Bill has wanted to build this 3D Christmas decoration for years!  We finally the space and he had the time to get it done this year.  He finished it up Christmas Eve.  It looks really cool!  Can't wait to see what the next one will be.

Bill and Scott sitting down to dinner.

Christmas morning we woke up to really pretty frost on everything.  The frost is always really pretty with the sun hitting it!

Oaks and pines out back.

 A pine across the road.

The view from the front deck all frosty!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all

and to all.........a good night!

Looking Even MORE Like Christmas........

We added a few finishing touches to the tree.......

I found some battery operated lights to put around the train track!

I like 'em!

Triple Layer Bars, Chocolate Fudge, Peanut Butter Fudge, Bourbon Balls, Rum Balls, Kahlua Balls, Peppermint Schnapps Balls, Chocolate and White Chocolate Dipped Pretzels.........No more building treats..time to start delivering treats!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

The title says it all.  Casey's not sure if she is threatened by the train or if it's a cool thing.  Lots of new things to check out around the house, but the train seems to be the only thing that she's not 100% OK with.  Guess she'll just have to figure it out!

The lights are all aglow.....

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!!!!

Does my sister, Sarah, know Bill or what?

Sarah sent both of these signs just for the Mr.!

Two fishing Santa's and a wood crafting Santa!

The stocking are hung by the fire, hoping St. Nick will soon be here!

And the reason for the season......................

This was Bill's Mom's nativity scene.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas Treats!

Earlier this week was the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Christmas party.  I made Double Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes for my little and I to take to it for the cake walk.......Proud to say these didn't last very long!

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2010

Although I should really stop and think about the things I am thankful for everyday, I don't.  I have no excuses.....I don't.  (Hey, at least I'm honest about it!)  I do, however, slow down and think about the things I am thankful for over this holiday.  So, with that said, thank you friends and family alike for being part of our life.  Bill and I have a great life together!  If you've been following the blog, and all the things we've been able to do this year, you know this is true!  Not sure if everyone knows or not, but recently Bill resigned from Boot-n-Coots and is now back to consulting and working in North Dakota.  We both like having him closer to home!  This is just one of the more recent blessings we've had. 

Some friends of our flew in from Pinedale to spend the holiday weekend with us and we had a great time! 

To good friends, good food, and good times!  Cheers!

Connie, Bill, Casey, Curt and Renan Yanish

If you ask me, a pretty good feast!

Yes, Bill, you have to smile for the camera....even when you are carving the turkey!

Curt and Casey playing in the garage after a day of bird hunting.

No pheasants, but we found some sharp tailed grouse and some grey partridges.

Curt and Renan are both scientists.  Renan is a wild life biologist and Curt a plant biologist.  Renan had never seen a sharp tailed grouse up close and personal so her and Bill had to get into the craw to see what it had been eating......looks pretty much like a salad to me!  We never did figure out where it found such green plants to eat.  LOL

Casey was very tired after a long day of hunting.  Her bed was pretty much the only place she wanted to be!

Curt and Renan flew out on Monday after we had a great weekend together.  This is what I came home to:

Nice drift, huh?  The wind was still blowing 9000 miles an hour when I got home, so waited 'till today to plow it out.

At least the snow fence was doing what it was supposed to do

......keep the majority of the snow on THAT side of the house!

Somewhere under that drift in the kennel is Casey's dog house.  I don't think she'll be using it today.

At least she was having fun playing in it while I plowed the drift out.  Now maybe I can get some stuff done since she is very content sleeping right now!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Fall Turkeys

Bill came home from work this time with a HORRIBLE cold and basically spent the first three days home in his sweats either in bed or in his recliner.  Then the weather turned cold and windy and that never does much for any ones attitude.  Friday he was finally feeling better so we decided we ought to go into Rapid City and just look around and maybe have a little retail therapy.  Fortunately, Cabela's was open and just happened to have a couple of solid deals on two side by side shot guns.....

A couple of Aya side by side 12 gauges.

This morning 22 turkeys came in...silly turkeys!  A mixture of toms, jakes and hens.

Look close....I was standing in the window of the office taking these pictures!

And then......................... there I go thinking again!  Wouldn't it be cool to shoot a turkey with one of the new side by sides?!?!?!?!?  Cool!  I better put some shoes on!  It's cold outside! Oh, and if I get one, Bill's home and can take pictures!  That's a first! 

Turkey loads won't fit in these scatter guns....but we just happen to have some sage grouse loads left.  And yes, I was still in my sweats!

Yes, Casey had to come get in the pictures and no self timers on these!

Notice the look on her face....even SHE thinks this is gonna taste good!

Not that she GETS to taste him!

And so ends the 2010 turkey season for me...but wait!  Bill still has a tag!  Get busy Mr. Snow!!!

After I walked down and got the bird and brought him back up to the house we both decided we should get dressed.  Bill said, "I've never cleaned a turkey before"......B-O-N-U-S for me!!!!!!  I don't have to clean this one!  The Mr. wants to!  Thanks for being home Bill!

Now you can say you've cleaned a turkey!

These dude has the longest most full beard of all that I've shot so far...I forgot to bring the scale out and weigh him though.  By far the fattest bird I've shot, so guessing also the biggest!

The Morning Sunrise

Another spectacular South Dakota Sunrise!  Casey and I walked down to the flat this morning trying to get there while there was still lots of color surrounding Bear Butte, but we weren't quick enough.  Still able to get some nice shots of the sunrise though.   I hope you enjoy!

 Looking east, from the side of the house.

The morning light just starting to light up the hills to the west.

Sunrise over the trees.

There was a little color left in the sky when we made it down to the flat.

If you look just over the top of the two trees in the left foreground, you can just see Bear Butte Lake.

Sorry for the blurry-ness of these.  It's hard to hold still holding Casey on the leash.  LOL

Halloween at the Snow Chateau

Have candy...............Need Trick or Treators!



Doesn't our front door look scary?!?!?!?

 

A pumpkin for each of us!



Do you like Casey's Halloween costume?  It's complete with a bone in this picture!