Christmas Tree Hunting 2010

Christmas Tree Hunting is an epic celebration among our friends.  The tradition began about four years ago, when several of us loaded up the dogs, our snowshoes, Peppermint Schnapps & hot cocoa, and headed up the mountain to find the perfect tree.  Except for one year, we've participated in Christmas Tree Hunting every year - this year was no different.

Last weekend, ten friends and four dogs (only four!) piled into three trucks & spent a good portion of the afternoon having a great time on the mountain.  Only three households were hunting trees but we have so much fun that even those not looking for trees tag along.  We couldn't have asked for better weather - we left a very cloudy & foggy Sheridan, breaking through the fog as we climbed the switchbacks & entered a world of sun, no wind, & mid-20's.  Our backpacks were filled with drink of choice - Coors heavy (pronounced "Kurrs"), Busch Light, buttershots & hot apple cider, peppermint schnapps...  Oh yeah, we also remembered to fill our Camelbaks with water.  :)  We spent the afternoon romping around the trails, laughing, enjoying the beautiful day, & overall madness & mayhem on the mountain.

We capped off the day by having everyone over at our house for elk roast & Italian cream cake...a perfect ending to a perfect day.

She loves snow

Part of the group headed up the trail

Like, really loves snow

One of our many stops

A pup & his bestest buddy

Really REALLY loves snow

WE'RE SO HAPPY!

Curtis, on the left, swears his tree didn't look that big when he cut it down.  Good thing we weren't stopped by tree police - pretty sure he broke the limit of 10 feet.  Georgia, are you pretending to pee on your tree like all our dogs did at one point?

Guinness was tired & ready to go home.

Steven!

The blanket of white fog (Sheridan lies beneath that - the fog is well over halfway up the mountain)

Close up of the fog that we left on our way up & entered on our way down.  It was neat to see it creeping into these draws.

Final product decorated!  It's not the perfect Griswald tree, but it cost us $12 and an afternoon of fun with friends...can't beat that.

Love.

Dog Behavior

Sometimes you're really cold...

Sometimes you really want what your human friend is cooking...

Sometimes you're REALLY HUNGRY...

(I'm reaching for their dog food, kept on top of the fridge)

And sometimes you're really tired after a long day of playing.

DEAD CHICKENS!

No, just kidding.  They certainly look dead.  One of our recent warm days (& probably last for the year), the chickens enjoyed the warm spot in their coop by having a group Dust Bathing Party.  Oh my, that sounds like chicken porn.  Girls!  Behave yourselves!

Dust bathing is a perfectly natural, albeit funny-looking, chicken activity.  Chickens don't have the capability to bathe but they need to occasionally "scrub" to keep mites & bugs at bay.  They're surprisingly clean birds & typically don't pick up bugs (we assist by keeping their roosting area clean & dry), but it's good for them to clean up every so often.  That's where dust bathing comes in.  They lay down in dry dirt & twitch around - it looks like a chicken seizure.  Chris & Sonja have a video of a chicken dust bathing here.

The black chicken is Fosters.  I think she might be developmentally disabled.  She doesn't quite "get it."  Poor thing.  But it's quite alright, we love her still the same.  And we think she finally started laying eggs...which helped her status immensely.

R.I.P Grandpa Lipetzky

Last week, Steve's grandpa, George Lipetzky, passed away.  He had been sick for some time & while it was incredibly sad to lose a wonderful person, it's comforting to know he's at rest & in peace.  George was 80 years old & lived a long, fulfilling life.  He was married to Mickey for 55 years & they had 7 children, 25 grandkids, & numerous great-grandchildren.  A very faith-filled man, it's certain he's entered the pearly gates to be with his Father.  But let's be honest - he's in heaven with his Father, drinking Jameson & playing pinochle (a game I do not understand nor will I ever understand).

(He was so involved with two Catholic churches in Sioux Falls, he had five priests & one deacon officiating his funeral.  I think that gave him a first-class, express trip to the puffy clouds of heaven)

Here's a picture of George & Mickey from our wedding (no, she's not an angry person, I think she was caught off guard in the picture...).  We feel so blessed that George read at our wedding.  Our wedding was the last out-of-town trip they made & the last wedding they attended.

George, I raise my glass to you.  Cheers.

All Hallow's Eve

Our costumes were epic.  I spent hours bent over a sewing machine.  Not to mention the blood, sweat, & tears coming up with our costume ideas.






...That's all a big, fat lie.  We like fun, easy, costumes in this household.  Behold our genius idea for this year:

Steve wore a brown shirt with "Jif" on the front & a "Wonder bread" on the back.  I wore a purple shirt with "Smucker's" on the front & "Wonder bread" on the back.

Peanut Butter & Jelly!

Thank goodness for felt, glue, & easy logos.

We didn't get a picture of us actually in our costumes.  But I think they're fairly easy to picture.  :)