Tis the season for baking...

I love baking...which is dangerous for the waistline.  Though I've had to cut back on this fun and delicious hobby for the sake of my family's health and hips, during the holidays I'm willing to throw caution to the wind.

Making scented ornaments for Andre's class. 

At least these aren't even edible;)

Made with cinnamon, applesauce and glue, then 

decorated with white puffy paint.  

Problem is, they look edible, don't they?

Peppermint rice krispy treats.  So yummy!!

Packaged and ready to go.

Thanksgiving 2012

Our family is very small and most of our extended family spread out across the country (or the world), so unlike other families who have the joy of gathering together with their clans, our holiday affairs are generally quiet and low-key.  Though I've often longed for the sort of camaraderie I imagine larger, noisier families have, our family does its best to make the most of its small numbers.  One thing that's easier to do with a small family is...travel!  In the past, we've sometimes traveled to visit those families who live out of state.  This year, we thought it would be fun to rent a cabin in the woods.

What a pleasant surprise to find that there was snow!

Thank you!

This cabin--built in the 1930's--was so charming with its authentic period details.

This is where Andre slept--with the giant teddy bear that was bigger than him!

Long underwear;)

Beware of bears!

A stash of books and games.

Andre goes for the book, of course.

Mom in the kitchen, as usual.

My adorable nephew.  Half the photos I took were of him.

Grandma with her precious grandsons.

Cutie pie!

 Cabin across the way.

So peaceful.

How many guys does it take to light a fireplace?

S'mores time! (We had s'mores almost every night.)

The nephews dressed for their photo shoot.

Dad lending his assistance.

Sledding fun!

Tristan is ready to go.

A family that plays together...

Grandma watches from the sidelines.

 Uncle and nephew

Cousins

Brothers

The magic hour.

Taking advantage of the lovely light.  

There are some times of the day where it's almost impossible to take a bad photo.

Tahoe, blue as ever.

~ Thanksgiving Day ~

The table is set...

Tree of thanks

What are you thankful for this year? 

 Everyone took turns around the table, elaborating on their blessings.

 Big or small, there's always so much to be thankful for.

Thank you, Lord!

The Pilgrim & the Indian

As a prelude to Thanksgiving--and to keep these two active boys occupied--we crafted some thematic head gear and headed to the park.

From strife...

to peace.

Friends who are like brothers :)

I love family photos!

It's been about a year now and the camera my hubby bought me has proved to be a worthy investment. As anticipated, I've used it mainly for travel and special occasions.  But there's one other thing I enjoy doing that I don't get to use my camera for often enough, and that's taking portraits.  With the holidays just around the corner, though, I was glad to be employed by some friends to take their holiday pictures.  Here are some sneak peaks....

Last year, we had this family hiking from the riverfront to the woods, so it's no wonder the exercise-averse clan opted to have their photos taken at home this year ;) 

With a backyard like this, who needs to hike anywhere?

This creative family on the go doesn't mind the novel or unusual,

so they left the location shoot decision up to me.  When they said that 

blue-gray stripes were part of their theme, I immediately thought nautical 

and headed for the marina.

Thank you, friends, for the privilege of capturing these moments for you!