Some grandchildren came to Grandma's - and we had a little fun with bread dough. 
Wally remembers when his mom let them make bread dough people.
This is Brooklyn's person.
And this is the baked version of Preston's turtle. The addition of raisins was a big hit.
The end result ... yum yum yum. 
It's hard to explain what the Wii fit is like but I think these pictures do a good job. With the Wii fit system a person stands on the "balance board" and it is very sensitive to the shifting weight of the person. Brooklyn was doing a virtual hoola hop and we had such fun watching her. She was quite good at it, too! 
Can you see the hoola-hoop in the television screen? Brooklyn's motions coorespond to the little person pictured on the screen. Keep moving to keep that hoola-hoop up or it will drop to the floor just like real life. 
Cute, huh?
Then Preston got in on the action. This was not a hoola-hoop game - in this game his motions were controlling a table top that had a ball on it - the idea was to tilt the table top using his balance motions so that the ball would roll into a hole. In fact, he did it, too! I love the concentration on his face. 
Even Grandpa got in on the action too! He was doing the same game that Preston did.
I had to snap this profile picture of Brooklyn while she was watching the television screen. 
Ah! My dear niece Robyn is celebrating a wonderful birthday today! 
Happy Birthday from the matriarch...
and from a wee one....
So, yesterday the tough decision between vacuuming and baking was made.... 
Have you ever seen a muffin top pan? It is a shallow muffin pan so that one makes mostly the TOP of a muffin. One muffin pan has 6 large shallow circles and I thought I'd give it a try. They were absolutely delicious. 
Which would I rather do? 
A Valentine shout out to the big Berge siblings - this is where we all were a year ago!
And Happy Valentine's day to all my little honeys. 
I would miss not living in a climate that has no snow. I love it. Sometimes I feel like I am living inside a snow globe and someone has shaken the globe and snow is softly falling. But today I felt like someone was shaking out a dust mop - or there was dandruff falling.... whatever, it was rather pretty. I just can't stop taking pictures of views of snow and branches. 
Just thought I'd post another nature picture.
It all started with a good friendship... and that turned into
love.... and we got our second daughter-in-law! Wonderful!
Then they started their life together ... first there was a dog...
then there was a baby boy! What fun! 
So much fun, in fact, that there was another baby boy!
Followed soon by a baby girl! Yeah, we need more girls in this family! 
And then another boy joined the family. Adorable. Lots of hugs and lots of love. 
The back of our home looks out towards the river through many trees and unadulterated landscape. No homes behind us. During the winter we appreciate it as we can see far through the barren branches. The snow enhances everything and we have more of an opportunity to spot wildlife against the white background. While looking out from our family room this morning Wally suddenly noticed some movement way out in the distance...
I grabbed the camera and zoomed in on a far-away spot to see a small herd of deer - it looked like we could count 5.
But eventually there were 8 deer.
After a while they changed their direction and came up closer to the back of our home (behind the river room for those who know our home)..
You can see the river in the background and they make their way up the path.
They followed in a line going to our left - until suddenly something spooked them and they turned around and ran off in a BIG hurry. I wished I had captured that on film as it was really great to watch the eight of them HIGH TAIL it off to a safer location.
We continued to enjoy the rest of the wildlife of our backyard this morning. Check the next post for our other visitors.
We have lots and lots of squirrels- and some we don't like because they get on and INTO the bird feeders - so we yell, knock on the windows, and other things ... to get them to leave the bird feeders alone. This guy was cooperating by eating the sunflower seeds that have fallen upon the snow below the bird feeders. Very acceptable. 
Ah, and who is this way out among the trees and underbrush? Is it a just a spot that the snow doesn't cover? The hollow of a fallen tree or something?
Nope! It's Mr. Bunny resting!
Ah, now he is one smart bunny....
and he doesn't even mind sharing. 
Sweet little redpolls also find this a good spot for a morning snack. 
And now, who is THIS guy coming? This is the first year he has ever been sighted in our neighborhood, though we have seen numerous black squirrels in the town (which is about 3 miles away.) So, have they expanded their territory? Now we have red, gray and black squirrels! I think he looks sort of creepy, actually. 
But he heard that morning snacks were being served so he thought he'd check it out.
We keep our eyes looking all morning for what else we can see.... can you see what we have found now?
Yup, our FAVORITE. A pretty cardinal. 
Something new has arrived.....
And we'll see if Wii can be fit.....
I don't know about you, but my life is surrounded by beeps... lots and lots of beep, beep, beep - all high pitched little beeps that sound so similar... it's sometimes hard to know what is beeping and why... so I thought I'd try to see how many things in my life beep to tell me something. 
Then there is the welcome beep, beep, beep, beep, beep to tell me the bread in the bread machine is done. (of course, it is preceeded by the lovely smell of baking bread..) - not to mention there is also the beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep when I am to add raisins or nuts, if they are to be added to the dough...
The microwave beeps when the stuff I put in it is ready...BEEEP...
The oven beeps when the temperature hits the desired setting ... and then it beep, beep, beeps when the timer is finished....
A NEW beep is the washing machine - it's a great washing machine and it beeps (BEEP - beep, beep, beep) when the items being washed are done - and if I don't go take them out, it will continue to beep at intermittent times until I do (or until I turn off the beep!)
Yup, you guessed it - the dryer beeps too! Beep. beep, beep, beep when the clothes are dry. And yes, it continues intermittently also until I get them out or turn it off....
And now the car we own beeps if we get too close to the front or rear bumper "beep, beep, beep, beep, becareful!, beep" ......... and if we forget to put on our seat belt (read: Wally) it will BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.... until the forgetful person does it!
And often the television beeps! Why? Well, to tell us there is an important weather alert that is scrolling across the screen "beep, beep, beep" --- bad weather coming!
And this little handy item - well, it doesn't beep, but it plays cute music when someone calls; and it plays other music when someone leaves a message; and it plays something else altogether when a text message arrives..... 
