Happy New Year! It's Wintertime!

I love winter. It isn't exactly my favorite season, however, I love seasons period so I DO enjoy winter while it lasts. I try not to be one of those types of people who is always yearning for what they don't have-such as a particular type of weather. I dislike reading updates about how "stinkin'" cold it is, or how HOT it is or, bemoaning the fact that spring has not yet sprung. Enjoy the moment people! This is the day that the LORD hath made, rejoice and be GLAD in it! Yes, it IS cold, and yes, I do love spring and fall better than the other seasons. However, I am thankful to have life and breath in my body to be able to experience what I have today.
So with that being said, I LOVE WINTER! I love fires in the fireplace, I love playing games indoors when it's too cold to go outside. I love having hot chocolate and coffee, I love cooking comforting meals for my sweet family, I love reading to my kids for school, I love knowing that spring IS coming, but you see that also means summer is approaching and that idea I am not quite as fond of. BUT I STILL LOVE SEASONS!
Okay I am off my little bandwagon for the moment, here are a few photos of a fun-filled winter morning.

Yosemite 2010

Campsite #76!!!

We had an AMAZING time in Yosemite this year! It started off with a bang, pouring down rain, 50 degree weather when we'd had 90's all week at home...setting up the tent in the dark and rain (thank you Chandler my little man!) So here are some photos of the hundreds I took!!!

A little hiker and some lens flare...

Morning campfire

We are not ALL always happy campers!

Mmmmmmmm love hot cocoa!

John Muir Jr

Wet boots anyone?

A special find

More collections!

A fairy and a gnome?

Roasting acorns

Schoolwork by lamplight!

Ava's rendition of "Elyse".

"Mary Stewart" and her beautiful table!

We were not in want of a lovely table to eat at!

Breakfast coming right up!

Mmmmmm, pumpkin-buckwheat mini pancakes, strawberries 'n cream, and of course BACON.

Elyse did a lot of reading....totally out of character for her...not.

Chandler did some chopping and sawing...

Poppy telling the story about his hatchet accident as a boy...

A scar to prove it!

(with this VERY SAME hatchet)

River fun...

Hike to Yosemite Falls...

Yes, we were this close...I don't own a zoom lens!

On the bus...studying the map...

I love this thoughtful pose as she was gazing out the bus window at the massive granite formations around us.

Don't forget the pumpkin soup!

LOVE my babies!

Always plenty of silliness!

Making a craft by the lamplight

MEGA SMORES!!!!!

Overall, we had a marvelous time and plan to go much more in the future!

Yosemite is probably my most favorite place to go in California...next fave is Disneyland at Christmastime. ;)