Helmka Happenings

4th of July CanyonFall Catch Up

2012-02-11T18:43:00.000-08:00

These are the last of the leaf peeping photos from my Mom's visit last fall. This beautiful place is about an hours drive outside of Albuquerque in the Manzano Mountains. The canyon is appropriately named 4th of July canyon, since in the fall it is a riot of color. Most of the color comes from Maples, but there are also Oaks, Ash and Aspens. Enjoy the photos...

Have a blessed Sunday.

Karen

Snow Photos

2012-02-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

A few more photos from our last snow and then back to my fall catch up posts. I sure hope spring is on its way, I need something new and pretty to photograph.

Kaden before school, a bit of snow play time.

Front of House-we didn't get a bunch of snow and it started to melt fast.

Back yard-Mountain view.

Early morning sunrise, I love the glowing clouds along the base of the mountains.

Have a wonderful week!

Karen

A Little Snow=One Happy Playful Puppy!

2012-02-03T09:40:00.000-08:00

We got around 2" of snow last night, just enough to turn the world into a winter wonderland. This was Miguel's first time in the snow and we weren't sure how he would like it? He loved it! He went so crazy that some of the photos are a little blurry.
***This is a Miguel heavy post...Enjoy!

Have a super weekend!
Karen

Miguel Photos

2012-02-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

Miguel has really stolen our hearts. He fits into our life so wonderfully, adding the perfect amount of fun and sweetness.

Have a wonderful rest of the week!
Karen

Blue Sky and Snow

2012-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

More snow photos from our big December snow.

After four days of off and on snow the sky finally cleared and it was a beautiful sight! I like snow but hate the cold and with overnight lows of below 0...I was happy to see the sun! We got about 8"of snow, places around us got up to a foot.

With the clouds clearing, you could see the mountains in their white glory. The Sandia Mountain Ski Resort was the hottest ticket around for awhile, they got over 50" of snow during the storm and were selling more than a thousand lift tickets a day.

The sun felt so good! We all couldn't wait to get outside.

A perfect ending to the day was a gorgeous sunset, turning those snow white mountains to pink.

Have a super day!

Karen

Morning Sunrise

2012-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is what greeted me yesterday morning. What a way to start the day!

This photo was taken under the cottonwood trees on our flagstone patio. Sandia Mountains in the distance.

This photo was taken right out the back door to the patio, pergola overhead.

Have a wonderful day!
Karen

Front Gate

2012-01-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't really posted any photos from our house in New Mexico. I was looking through what I had and found that I had taken seasonal photos of Kaden in front of the gate leading to the courtyard. This is one of my favorite parts of our new house.

Summer 2011

Fall 2011

Winter2011

Have a great weekend!
Karen

More Fall Catch-Up...Marvelous Maples

2012-01-17T18:19:00.000-08:00

Marvelous Maples in the Sacramento Mountains, Lincoln National Forest. These are more photos from our leaf peeping trip while my Mother was visiting this past fall.
Enjoy the photos...

Have a wonderful rest of the week!

Karen

Fall Catch-Up

2012-01-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

Still playing catch up from all we did this fall.
Kaden and Chris did a lot of fishing.

Chris got a new grill and he is stockpiling fish, so he can use the smoker option.

Have a super weekend!
Karen

Welcome...

2012-01-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

Miguel!
The newest member of our family.

We rescued him from the pound, he is a chihuahua about 1yr old. A very sweet and smart little guy.

He loves to play outside and this photo of him standing in the sun says it all!

Have a super week!
Karen

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

We got another 2.5 inches of snow last night...it is really beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Plus, we got the cookies baked and all the decorations up.

I work the next three nights, my turn on the holidays. So I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year now.

The Helmkas

Snow and Sugar Cookies

2011-12-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful snowy day yesterday, perfect for staying inside and baking. We turned on the Christmas music and watched Christmas movies while we baked. The cookies we made are gifts to our neighbors and co-workers.

After we finished baking Kaden and Chris went outside to play in the snow. We didn't get as much snow as the last time, only about 3.5 inches. Just enough for fun!

Thanks for looking!

Karen

Golden Glow-Sacramento Mountain Aspens

2011-12-16T07:19:00.000-08:00

After seeing my beautiful fall photos from last year, my Mom came in October for a leaf peeping trip around New Mexico. We had planned to make it to three mountain ranges in New Mexico, but ran out of time and only made it to two.
Our first stop was the Lincoln National Forest. I found this wonderful loop drive through the mountains last year with some of the best views of the fall colors. You start by driving up through a beautiful canyon which highlights the gorgeous mountain Maples, scattered with Oaks, Ash and other trees, but the real focus is the Maples. When you finally climb out of the canyon at the top you are surrounded by Aspens. This year we did the reverse route, the Aspens first.
When we were living in El Paso it was only a little over an hour drive to the Sacramento Mountains, now it is 31/2hrs from Albuquerque, but I will still make it each year, it is that beautiful!
Enjoy the photos...

Thanks for looking!

Karen

Leaf Peeping-Lincoln National Forest

2011-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

The Sacramento Mountains, part of the Lincoln National Forest in southern New Mexico are some of my favorites. They have a very diverse plant and animal habitat because of their southern location yet high elevation. You get the beauty of more northern mountain ranges along with warm temps because of their southern location. Fall is a spectacular time in these mountains. They are very wooded and were once logged, yet have so many deciduous trees that they become a riot of color in the fall. Maples, Aspens, Oaks, Ash, Sycamore and so on paint the landscape in October.

I took this photo looking down through Mexican Canyon on the drive up into the mountains. The trestle is Mexican Canyon Trestle, being restored. It is the largest trestle still standing in the Lincoln National Forest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This trestle was built in 1899 of local Douglas Fir, it is as long as a football field and as tall as a six story building.

Have a great Friday!
Karen

On Our Way...

2011-12-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

to the Lincoln National Forest, for leaf peeping, we made two stops. This was during my Mothers visit in October. The first stop was at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area, here is some info...

Valley of Fires recreation area is located immediately adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

Our second stop was a place I had wanted to visit for a long time. The Three Rivers Petroglyphs, such an amazing and beautiful place. Here is some info...

The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is one of the few locations in the Southwest set aside solely because of its rock art. It is also one of the few sites giving visitors such direct access to petroglyphs. The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting petroglyphs sites in the Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over 50 acres of New Mexico's northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock. A small pueblo ruin is nearby and Sierra Blanca towers above to the east.

Have a wonderful week!

Karen

School Photo

2011-12-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

He looks so grown up to me in this photo...sigh.

A big "Thanks" to Jen, I forgot to post this photo until I saw your post with the boys school photos.

Karen

Snow Photos-Our Yard

2011-12-06T07:03:00.000-08:00

We are going on day #3 of being couped up, so what else can I do but take snow photos? Another inch of snow fell last night, bringing our total for the last four days to 71/2 to 8 inches of snow. It is snowing lightly now and when I got up this morning it was 5 degrees. Brrrr!

**Photo heavy post-but a fun ending.**

Front Yard

Back Yard

Side Yard

A few fun ones-Santa Kaden

Have a great week!

Karen

First Snow

2011-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

We had our first snow yesterday, it is still snowing off and on now and it shows more snow through Tuesday. Kaden is hoping for no school tomorrow. This morning he had fun making a snowman.

Have a great weekend!

Karen

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

Have a wonderful day!
Karen

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

I am still trying to catch up with all the activities we did during October, a very busy month. We had Balloon Fiesta, a visit from my Mom, the pumpkin patch, leaf peeping trips and Halloween.
One of the trips we did during my Mom's visit was to the pumpkin patch. The patch was in Corrales along the Rio Grande, a beautiful setting, however it was very small. Coming from El Paso, we were used to big pumpkin patches full of fun things for the kids to do. Even so, it was a beautiful fall day and we had a great time together as a family.
Enjoy the photos.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

Mario and some pumpkins

2011-11-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween!

Kaden was Mario this year, his favorite character from his favorite game. His costume was so cute, it had a stick on mustache and a blow up belly.

We bought a pumpkin carving kit and Kaden did his own pumpkin using the stencil in the kit. He carved it all out by himself, his pumpkin is the kitty bat.

Chris got all creative and used his drill to make random holes in one pumpkin and then did a freehand crow. We had seen in a magazine how they painted the cutout black, I think it turned out really neat.

TFL!

Karen

Coyote Creek Part 2

2011-10-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

After the drive through the beautiful valleys we climbed in elevation into the mountains to Coyote Creek. We had a wonderful day fishing and exploring. It was a very picturesque setting. We saw people fly fishing the stream but we fished the beaver dam ponds.

On the drive home we stopped at Morphy Lake. It was late in the day, so we only fished for a bit. The mountains in the distance were starting to show some fall color.

Have a great week!
Karen

Coyote Creek Part 1

2011-10-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

This is going to have to be a two part post because it is so picture heavy. Todays post will feature photos from the drive, part 2 will have the fishing photos.

We took a trip in early fall to Coyote Creek State Park in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains. The park offers stream fishing and also numerous beaver dammed ponds. The drive there was beautiful, winding through valleys with old barns, farms, adobe ruins, wildflowers and beautiful rock formations.
Enjoy!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Tent Rocks

2011-10-25T15:03:00.000-07:00

I have been a very bad blogger this year! Relocation, new job, husband retiring from the military have really taken a toll on my free time. :)
I believe life has finally slowed to a normal pace and hopefully I can play catch up with all we have done to date.

One of the places we couldn't wait to visit once we moved to New Mexico, was Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. We had seen photos from people who had visited there and it looked like an amazing place. It turned out to be one of those out of this world places, we were blown away, it was beyond amazing beyond what we expected. You hike up through a beautiful steep slot canyon to arrive on a mesa looking down at the tent rocks and slot canyon below. On top of that you are surrounded with three mountains ranges in the distance, the Jemez, the Sangre De Cristo and the Sandias. I recommend a visit if you are ever in the Albuquerque or Santa Fe area.

Enjoy the photos from our trip...

Kaden picking our route.

Very cool rock formations.

A family of photographers.

Beautiful ripples in the walls of the slot canyon.

Inside the slot canyon.

Looking out of the slot canyon to tent rocks.

Kaden with tent rocks in the distance.

Tent Rocks.

Tent rocks with the Sangre De Cristo mountains in the distance.

Morning Wake Up

2011-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is what we get to wake up to most mornings...balloons floating by in the sky.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

FINALLY!

2011-08-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

A New Post!
Many of you have emailed me or told other family members you needed to see my blog updated. Sorry, it has just been a crazy past four months. The move from El Paso, starting a new job, Chris coming home and then unpacking and settling in.

Yesterday we got out and enjoyed the beautiful nature around us. We took a hike in the Sandia Mountains, which sit right at the edge of Albuquerque. We went for a 4 1/2 mile hike out to an old cabin made out of the sandstone from the bluff it sits on. I put an arrow in the photo, so you could see it.
Enjoy the photos...

Tram ride to the top of the Sandia Mountains.

View to the left of the tram to our destination.

Close up view of our hike destination.

Wildflowers in an open field.

Ahh...nature.

Our hike destination.

Chris and Kaden on the edge with the tram visible to the left behind them.

A look past the cabin to Albuquerque below.

One final nature shot.

It feels great to be getting out again and doing fun adventures as a family.
Have a great rest of the week!
Karen

Spring!

2011-04-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

I thought this scene just screamed spring, the flowers blooming, the patio furniture out of storage and a trowel waiting to plant something new. I took this photo in my neighbors yard. They have really been working in the yard this spring and it looks beautiful.

With the sale of our house, I have not had time to work in the yard this year. We are closing on the house and we will be moved out by the end of next week. I will not be posting much for the next two months since we will be living with a friend and all of our stuff will be in storage.

As soon as we are moved to Albuquerque I will post some photos of our new house.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful spring!
Karen

Sponge Bob Birthday

2011-03-06T17:38:00.001-08:00

Kaden had a Sponge Bob themed birthday. The cake turned out fabulous! Most of his best friends made it to the party and everyone had a great time. He got a lot of Sponge Bob themed gifts. He is really into Sponge Bob right now. Once we move to Albuquerque, we will be decorating his room with Sponge Bob.

TFL!
Karen

Big 8 and an even Bigger 40

2011-03-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

March is birthday month in our house. I turned 40 on the 2nd and Kaden turned 8 today.

Kaden is having his party tomorrow and then going to the Monster Truck Jam with his best buddy from school. Should be a fun day for him.

The house sale is coming along, only one more hurdle, the appraisal. Keep your fingers crossed and prayers please. After one week on the market, we are under contract, the inspection was completed yesterday. I have started applying to jobs in Albuquerque and hope to move the middle of June, if all goes as planned. After the sale of our house in El Paso, a good friend has invited us to live with her for the two months until we move to Albuquerque. This was a stress for me to try and figure out what to do until we could move in June. I feel so blessed to have such great friends in my life!

As promised, Kaden and his science board.

It is March and spring has sprung! Everything is coming up in the garden and the weather is nice and warm, mostly in the 70's, with a few higher and few lower temps. One of the best parts of living in the desert SW is all seasons are 3months, so by the time you are really tired of one season, the transition to the next season has begun.

This was taken March 27th of last year, so I know we are only a few weeks away from flowers and butterflies. I have a lift in my spirit for sure.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

February Happenings

2011-02-24T19:05:00.000-08:00

**It's official, we took our first step to living in the land of enchantment! Our El Paso house is on the market. Chris will be done with the Army in July and then retired in October. Then we are off to Albuquerque, so exciting!

**Kaden had a wonderful Valentines day. We made treat bags for all the kids in his class.

Here he is with his Valentines gifts.

**This was science fair month at Kaden's school. Kaden did a great job on his oral presentation to the class and his science project board turned out super. I will post a photo soon.

**After our week in the deep freeze, we are finally warming up. What an experience that was! Along with below 0 temps, snow and lost power, there was also no clean drinking water for over 36hrs. In the end we came out better than most with only a busted sprinkler pipe and some dead yard plants. Thank the Lord!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

WooHoo El Paso!

2011-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

El Paso made it to #1 for lowest crime rate of cities with population over 500,000. I am so proud of our "little" city! Since 1997, El Paso has been in the top 5. Here is a link to the info...

Copy and Paste the info
http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2010/City_Crime_Rankings_bypop_2011-2011.pdf

Here is another, way-to-go for El Paso, we are the 7Th happiest city to work in, in the US. Here is a link to that info...

Copy and Paste the info
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2011/02/03/happiest-and-unhappiest-cities-to-work-in-the-us/

We are almost out of deep freeze here. So happy about that. The last four days have been terrible, temps below zero, 6" of snow, wind chills to -18, no school for 3days, power outages and so on. Come on Spring!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Karen

Karr Canyon Part One

2011-01-29T08:11:00.000-08:00

Photos from our fall leaf peeping trip to the Lincoln National Forest, Karr Canyon. After hiking throughout New Mexico and seeing all the different Maples in the forest, I went on a research mission to find out what types of Maples grow in New Mexico. I grew up with a Mother who loved Maples and planted many imported Japanese Maples in her yard. So to see Maples growing naturally in the forests really intrigued me.

This is what I found out...
The Maples of New Mexico like to grow with the Pinon trees and Douglas Fir trees in the forests, these trees provide shade and soil nutrients. They usually reside under the Aspens, around 7000-8000ft elevation. Here are the types of Maples growing in New Mexico, I found this information on the USDA plants database.

-Bigtooth Maple(Acer Grandidentatum)
-Canyon Maple-this maple is the most glorious and varied in color and rivals the sugar maples of the east. (Acer Grandidentatum Nutt Var Sinuosum Rehder Little)
-Rocky Mountain Maple(Acer Glabrum Var Glabrum)
and
-New Mexico Maple-yes they have a one of kind maple, the leaves turn yellow and are very serrated along the edges.(Acer Glabrum Var Neomexicanum)

Enjoy the photos!

Have a blessed weekend!
Karen

Collecting Maple Leaves

2011-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

I was told today by my Mom, that one of my Aunts would like to see a new post...so here you go Susan! ;)

I don't take many photos during the winter, I am not a fan of cold weather and go into a mini hibernation during the colder months. Also, my MIL was visiting the last three weeks helping me pack and get the house ready to put on the market. **More on that later.**

I had planned to post more photos from our fall leaf peeping trip to the Lincoln National Forest before Christmas, but the holiday snuck up on me. So for the next few posts I will share more of the glorious beauty of fall in New Mexico.
Enjoy...

Collecting Maple Leaves
-Leaf Peeping Trip
-Fall 2010

Have a great rest of the week!
Karen

Day After Photos

2010-12-26T12:54:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

Luminarias on Christmas Eve...

If you look closely at the window you can see the last bit of a beautiful sunset reflected.

Christmas Tree...

Christmas Morning...

Have a great day!
Karen

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:56:00.001-08:00

Luminarias

2010-12-24T14:08:00.000-08:00

In El Paso it is a tradition to light Luminarias on Christmas Eve. I looked up this tradition on Wikipedia and here is what I found out...

"Traditional Christmas Eve luminarias are made from brown paper bags weighted down with sand and illuminated from within by a lit candle. These are typically arranged in rows to create large and elaborate displays. The hope among Roman Catholics is that the lights will guide the spirit of the Christ child to one's home."

What a beautiful tradition! We have set up our Luminarias and are waiting patiently for dusk to light the candles and then walk the neighborhood enjoying every ones displays. We lined the walkway up to the front porch and also around the main planter in the front yard.

Here are some photos...

We have the most beautiful dark, almost navy blue sky in the winter and the sun comes in at an angel that makes everything glow and creates fabulous shadows.

My MIL makes us a beautiful wreath each year to hang on our front door. Thanks Alicia!

If any of my photos of the lit Luminarias turn out from tonight, I will post them later. Have a blessed Christmas Eve!
Karen

Shepherd and Art Exhibit

2010-12-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday was a busy but fun day for us.

First, Kaden was a shepherd in the Nativity play at church.

Second, Kaden's art class had its "Winter 2010 Students Art Exhibit". Kaden had two paintings in the exhibit, see photos below.

Kaden and his teacher.

Kaden and his "Let's Rock" guitar painting.

Kaden and his "Watch Out" snake painting.

Have a great rest of the week!
Karen

Santa Hats and the White Sands

2010-12-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Before Chris left we took a trip to the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico, for some family photos in our Santa hats. We had a great time sledding and enjoying being together as a family.

Have a blessed week!
Karen

Happy December First!

2010-12-01T05:56:00.001-08:00

The countdown to Christmas begins!

Kaden in front of my Muskogee Crape Myrtle and Valley Cottonwood. I thought the glow of the leaves made them look like lights.

Enjoy the rest of your week!
Karen

Out and About

2010-11-27T17:02:00.000-08:00

We have been busy with Chris home. Here are some photos of a trip we took a few days ago.
We drove along HWY 28 the heart of agriculture in the Rio Grande Valley in New Mexico. This is a beautiful drive winding its way through farms and ranches. We stopped under the Stahmann Farms pecan trees for photos. This is one of the largest pecan farms in the world.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

Thanksgiving Walk

2010-11-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I hope you all had a blessed day.

We are really enjoying Chris being home and have been out and about most days. I am behind in posting but will try and catch up this following week.

Today we took a nice walk along the Acequia, in the Rio Grande Valley, while the turkey was cooking. It was a beautiful crisp Autumn day.

Kaden has loved having his Dad home.

Have a great week!
Karen

Photos from my Yard-Fall

2010-11-20T07:08:00.000-08:00

Good Morning everyone! It has been beautiful here the last couple of days, yesterday and today in the low 70's. It has been cool enough at night, in the 30's to change leaves but warm enough during the day to keep the flowers blooming and the butterflies coming. This is one of my favorite parts of living in the desert SW, butterflies in November!

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Fall Hiking

2010-11-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

More photos from our leaf peeping trip to Cloudcroft New Mexico, Lincoln National Forest.

We went on the cloud climbing rails to trails hike. We took this hike two springs ago and really enjoyed the history of the trains and the beauty. I knew I wanted to come back in the fall to see the fabulous color.

Replica of the Original Historic Cloudcroft Train Depot.

"S" Curve Trestle remains.

Beautiful fall color.

Mexican Canyon Trestle, being restored. The photo below is from two springs ago, you can see the entire trestle. It is the largest trestle still standing in the Lincoln National Forest and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
*The Mexican Canyon Trestle was built in 1899 of local Douglas Fir, it is as long as a football field and as tall as a six story building.*

More gorgeous color.

Awww....

Thanks for looking!
Karen

School Photo

2010-11-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

Have a great week!
Karen

Cloudcroft Aspens

2010-11-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Photos from our fall leaf peeping trip. Lincoln National Forest New Mexico.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and fun Halloween!
Karen

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

We chose to go to the little pumpkin patch close to our house this year. We met up with Kaden's new best friend from school and his family, who we found out just lives a few houses up from ours.
Enjoy the photos.

Peddle Bike Races.

Huge Jumper.

Corn Maze.

Pumpkin Patch.

Have a great day!
Karen

Layouts to Share...

2010-10-27T18:39:00.001-07:00

TFL!
Karen

Fall Happenings

2010-10-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Fall everyone!
I haven't posted in 3 weeks and I apologize. We have been busy with trips to the pumpkin patch, the zoo and leaf peeping in the mountains. I promise to post photos from our adventures over the next couple of weeks. We are all doing fine and looking forward to Chris coming home for Thanksgiving.
Here is a sample of what we have been up to...

El Paso Zoo trip, to see the fabulous new African Safari exhibit.

Pumpkin Patch trip, to find the perfect pumpkin.

Lincoln National Forest, Cloudcroft trip, to see the maples and aspens.

Have a wonderful week!
Karen

Photos from my Yard

2010-10-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted photos from my yard since spring. These are some of my favorite photos from this summer.

Have a wonderful week everyone!
Karen

Along the Rio Grande

2010-10-04T09:11:00.001-07:00

Photos from one of our walks along the Rio Grande.

Many nice rock picnic areas with benches.

The bridges are over the input/output of the Rio Grande for irrigation of the fields and farms.

Kaden standing on the bridges.

They have completely paved an area down by the river or you can walk on the dike. Here Kaden is running along the paved area. I prefer the dike because you can see both the river and all the farms and fields on the other side of the dike.

Chamisa, a beautiful fall desert flower in the Aster family.

My favorite photo of the batch.

Have a wonderful week!
Karen

A Field of Sunshine

2010-09-29T11:17:00.000-07:00

On one of our walks along the Rio Grande we stopped in a field of Sunflowers and purple Asters for a photo shoot.

Franklin Mountains

New Mexico Mountains

Close up with the Franklin Mountains behind.

These photos just make me happy, make me smile. I hope they put a smile on your face and bring you a bit of happiness too!
Karen

Family Vacation....Part Two

2010-09-26T12:38:00.000-07:00

Part Two of our vacation takes place in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. The Gila Wilderness was the first designated wilderness area in the United States. It is also the second largest at 3.3 million acres, the largest being in Alaska.
Enjoy the photos.

The View from our Casita.

We stayed at the Casitas de Gila overlooking Bear Creek and the Gila Wilderness. We were in the sunshine cabin.

Bear Creek.

The Mountains of the Gila in the distance.

The Beauty of the Gila in the color orange.

Gila Rock Formation Hoo-Doos.

The Catwalk.

Staying cool in White Water Creek on the Catwalk.

The Gila River.

Amazing rock formations and a tiny Kaden compared to the rocks.

Kaden playing in the water.

Have a great week everyone!
Karen

Balloon Festival

2010-09-19T06:37:00.001-07:00

It is White Sands Balloon Festival time again. This is one of my favorite activities to do each year, I really look forward to the event. We had a fabulous time.

In my opinion, the Whites Sands National Monument is the best back drop for balloons, with acres of white gypsum dunes, brilliant blue sky and the San Andres mountains behind, it is photo op perfection.

I probably took 200 photos, here are a few, I will post more when I have gone through them all.

Hope you have a blessed Sunday!
Karen

Family Vacation...Part One

2010-09-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

My family came to visit the last part of August for a whirl wind tour of southern New Mexico. We had a great time, here are some highlights of the fun. Enjoy part one...
Rio Grande Valley, La Union Farm picking fresh veggies.

Historic Old Mesilla Las Cruces

Organ Mountains Las Cruces

My family and Kaden, White Sands National Monument
My family and Kaden, Rio Bonito hike, Ruidoso
All of Us, McGinn's Pistachio Tree Ranch, Alamogordo

A bit of beauty that is southern New Mexico

Kaden, City of Rocks State Park
My Family and Kaden, City of Rocks State Park
One last photo of Kaden at the City of Rocks State Park.

I will post part two in a couple of days.
We are off to the White Sands Balloon Festival this weekend.
TFL!
Karen

Layouts, Layouts and more Layouts

2010-09-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

***This is a layout heavy post.***

I haven't really scrapped since spring, but the last week or so I have had some good scrapping mojo. Click on the images to see the details.

Enjoy the layouts.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Scenic Route Papers
Quickutz
CottageCutz

Fly a Kite
Studio Calico Kit
Quickutz

So Dog-Gone Cute

Basic Grey Papers
Quickutz
CottageCutz

Go Fish
October Afternoon Papers
Quickutz
CottageCutz

July 4th Fun

3Bugs in a Rug Papers
Quickutz
*based on a sketch from SBE*

Tooth #2
3Bugs in a Rug Papers
Quickutz
*based on a sketch from SBE*

As The Gander
Basic Grey Papers
Quickutz
CottageCutz

Bridal Veil Falls

3Bugs in a Rug Papers
*based on a sketch from SBE*

Strawberries
Shabby Green Door Papers
Quickutz
CottageCutz

TFL!
Karen

Crest Trail Hike

2010-08-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!

These are photos from the Crest Trail hike, one or our adventures when my MIL was visiting. This hike was done in the Sacramento Mountains, Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico.
Enjoy the photos.

This was a hard hike, at the summit it reached an elevation of 11580ft. We didn't reach the summit, but still had some beautiful views.

Have a wonderful day!
Karen

First Day of School

2010-08-24T07:15:00.001-07:00

I think this new school is going to be a great fit for both Kaden and myself. This is our neighborhood school and I wish we had gone here last year too. The staff are so welcoming and friendly and Kaden already adores his teacher. I signed up to be part of the PTA and we are both looking forward to making some friends in our neighborhood. Enjoy the photos, I can't believe how much older Kaden looks from last year. Big SIGH....

Have a blessed week!
Karen

Rio Bonito

2010-08-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Everyone! I promised photos from all the fun adventures we had during my MIL 5week stay. Here are some photos from the hike along the Rio Bonito in the Sacramento Mountains. This is part of the Lincoln National Forest in Ruidoso NM.

We had a fabulous time. The weather was beautiful and warm enough for a dip in the water.

Grandma and Kaden

Milberts Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Me-the lunch pack mule. ;)

The perfect spot for lunch along the river.

Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly

Playing in the Water

More fun in the Water

Capitan Mountain Fritillary X2

Hope you enjoyed the photos.
Take care.
Karen

The Color Purple

2010-08-06T04:44:00.001-07:00

One thing I thought I would really miss when we left Washington State for El Paso Texas, was the Lilacs in Spring. What I found out was there are many pretty purple spring and summer plants in El Paso.

Spring Vitex

Spring/Summer Crape Mrytle

Summer Sage

Have a blessed weekend!
Karen

Hello out there....

2010-08-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

no we have not fallen off the earth. We are all doing fine, just a very busy summer. I promise to post some of the many photos from our trips soon.

My MIL just left after visiting us for 5 weeks. We had a great time!

Here are some photos from sledding at the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.

Have a great week!
Karen

Photos from my Yard

2010-06-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

This is a very photo heavy post, for all of you needing your Kaden fix. Also, some photos from our yard, this is where we spend most of our time. Enjoy the photos.

Misc. flowers from my yard.

Last day of School-Kaden and the Vitex.

Close up of the Vitex blooms.

Front yard looking so pretty.

Kaden and fresh picked strawberries.

Kaden hanging out on the back porch.

Gorgeous sunset we had the other night after a fantastic storm.

Have a super week!
Karen

Hollyhocks and Scrapbooking

2010-05-26T05:21:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone! I hope you all are having a wonderful spring day!

We are still enjoying the beautiful El Paso spring weather, so yet again I am behind in posting. I am so excited, my much anticipated Hollyhocks bloomed. I had gotten the seeds two years ago from my neighbor and then had to wait patiently last year as they came up, knowing they wouldn't bloom until the following year. Well, it is the following year and WOW! I got two different colors, a bright red and a dark magenta.

These are some of my latest layouts for the CottageCutz DT. The new spring release is fabulous!

Have a great day!
Karen

Hello Out There...

2010-05-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have not posted in a while. It is just so beautiful here and we spend every moment we can outside.
Here are some highlights of what we have been doing the past month. **Photo heavy post.**

Kaden had the part of the Gander in Charlotte's Web play.
Thanks to Grandma Sturdivant for the fabulous costume!

My Cacti all bloomed big gorgeous blooms.
Texas Rainbow Cactus

Hybrid HedgeHog Cactus

Claret Cup Cactus

Kaden had his first science fair. He had to do a science project, I took photos and then create a board.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

Along the Way...

2010-05-02T07:39:00.001-07:00

We drove to Disneyland for Spring break, so we got to see some wonderful sites along the way. One stop I knew I wanted to make was to see some Saguaro Cacti in Arizona. The Saguaro Cacti are huge. It is hard to tell how big things are as you are flying by at 60 miles and hour. They look small in amongst shrubs, those shrubs are really trees. My Mom says the mountains make everything look dwarfed, you can really see this in the last of my photos. Enjoy!

Have a great week everyone!
Karen

CottageCutz DT Stuff

2010-04-28T06:55:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my DT work for the past month, using the NEW CottageCutz Easter and Spring dies.

Name Place Holder and my Easter Center Piece.

Bunny Faces Layout.

Easter Quote Layout.

Chocolate Bunny Goodness Layout

In The Garden Layout.

Have a great day!
Karen

Rain Drops

2010-04-23T06:27:00.001-07:00

After almost a week of cloudy days...which if you know me, you know I hate cloudy days. We finally got some rain. It rained most of yesterday, alternating between heavy downpours and then drizzle. I don't mind the rain and living in the desert SW the rain smells so good, so fresh. I grew up in Washington State, where it rains all the time and it always has a musty damp smell. I didn't know rain could smell so good until moving here. In between downpours, I went out to get some rain drop photos. Enjoy the photos.

Rain Drops on Livin' Easy Rose

Rain Drops on Ivy Geranium

Rain Drops on Claret Cup Cactus

Rain Drops on Evening Primrose

Rain Drops on Strawberry Plant

With thoughts of blue skies.
Karen

Happy Thursday!

2010-04-22T06:48:00.001-07:00

I have been a bad...bad blogger. Sorry!

Here is what has been happening in our life for the past two weeks.

Kaden lost another tooth. This makes #7.

Saturdays are soccer days. He is really having a great time.

Kaden's team and coach.

Everything is blooming in my yard.

Butterflies and Hummingbirds are all about.

I will try and be better at posting.
Karen

Yucca Trees

2010-04-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

One thing about living in the desert SW is you find so much beauty in such humble places. It amazes me that plants that requires so little can product such outstanding blooms. Yucca trees are evergreen, so they provide green all year and then these gorgeous blooms in the spring.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Karen

Happy Easter and more Poppies

2010-04-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

The Poppies are amazing this year! We took another trip to enjoy the beauty and the wonderful El Paso spring weather.

Have a great week!
Karen

Awww...Spring!

2010-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

Spring is FINALLY here! I have plants blooming in my yard...so I am happy! I miss the flowers so much over the winter.

Granada Rose

Yucca with a Dove

Here are some photos from our spring break trip to Disneyland. Family met us in California and we had a great time!

The Family

Grandma Sturdivant and Kaden

Grandma Bonner and Kaden

Aunt Britt and Kaden

Aunt Anne and Kaden

Have a wonderful week!
Karen

New CottageCutz Creations

2010-03-21T08:52:00.001-07:00

Good Morning!

We are back from Disneyland. Everyone had a great time, but we are all very tired. I am going through my photos and will post some soon from our trip. For now, here are some creations using the New CottageCutz Easter dies...

I made these invites for Kaden's birthday using the New CottageCutz Frog w/ Branch die.

A layout using the New CottageCutz Frog w/ Branch die.

This is a center piece for my table for Easter. I used the New CottageCutz Easter dies...Easter Egg die, Mini Bunny die and the Mini Chick die.

Have a super week!
Karen

Some Poppies and Disneyland

2010-03-12T17:09:00.001-08:00

A great year for poppies. We had so much snow and rain over the winter, that there are poppies all over the mountain. I took a few photos today but will go back next weekend for the Poppy Festival. There are fields of poppies high in the mountain and I can't wait to explore and hike to the fields to get beautiful pictures.

We are also going to Disneyland for spring break. Both Kaden's Grandmas and two of Kaden's Aunts are meeting us there.

This was Kaden when he was 3yrs old, the last time he was at Disneyland.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Happy Birthday Kaden!

2010-03-04T07:51:00.001-08:00

Kaden is 7 today...where oh where has the time gone?

Another lost tooth, making the grand total to date-6.

Finally...signs of spring.

Garden Fresh layout using the new CottageCutz Strawberry die.

Have a blessed day!
Karen

Sorry to be MIA...

2010-02-26T06:49:00.000-08:00

I have been busy getting ready for my marathon on March 7th. So any extra time I have, I am out running. I feel more prepared this year than last year and I have high hopes of a good overall time. Wish me luck.

Here are some photos of what we have been doing over the past few weeks.
**long post**

Kaden lost another tooth.

We went to the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum a couple weekends ago. What a fabulous place! Here are a few of the highlights...

They have a huge building with many different exhibits inside, but with an active little boy we spent most of our time outside.

All those sweet new baby animals.

A perfect spring day!

They had many outside activities to see...cow milking, roping and rodeo, but Kaden's favorite was the blacksmith shop. They made him a nail and he loved it.

Here are the last of my CottageCutz projects. These are the dies I was showcasing.

Have a blessed weekend!
Karen

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

2010-02-13T17:13:00.000-08:00

I was chosen to be the February Guest Designer at The Scrapping Cottage. The owner has her own line of fabulous die cuts, CottageCutz. They work in almost any die cutting machine, so go check out her site (www.scrappingcottage.com).

Here is what I have created so far this month, using these adorable dies...

The Heart Doily is beautiful! You can cut only the top scallop of the heart to create lace like I did behind my large circle.

Have a wonderful Valentines everyone!
Karen

A little snow and more layouts

2010-01-30T07:35:00.000-08:00

We had a dusting of snow yesterday morning. After two days of cloudy skies and rain we ended the cold front with snow. I think blue skies are coming...I see warm temps in the future. I am optamistic that flowers and butterflies are not that far off.

I am still on my creative roll. Here are a few more pages.

Halloween Glow-Halloween 2008

U 2 @ The Patch-Fall 2008

Arrgh-Halloween 2008

Anticipation-Halloween 2007

Sweet Jump-Summer 2009

Have a great weekend everyone!
Karen

More layouts...

2010-01-25T16:40:00.001-08:00

I am on a roll. ;)

A Favorite of Fall-Fall 2009

Easter Fun-Easter 2009

Easter Eggs-Easter 2009

Autumn Magic-Halloween 2007

Have a blessed week!
Karen

New layouts to share

2010-01-17T06:33:00.000-08:00

It is finally warming up here and my creative juices are flowing. Today they say we my reach 64...how wonderful!!!

**The chipboard hearts and buttons made this scan crooked.
Christmas Cookies-Christmas 2009

Pirate-Halloween 2008

To Mom-Mother's Day 2009

Have a great week!
Karen

Happy New Year...LATE...

2010-01-12T07:31:00.001-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted since Christmas. I have a hard time in winter, I just don't feel creative. Here are some layouts from last year. Click on each image to see larger. Enjoy...

Along the Rio Grande-Fall 2007

CloudCroft-Spring 2007

Spring Destination-Spring 2008

Gila Wilderness-Summer 2008

Hike-Summer 2008

I am trying to do more 2 pagers to get caught up.
Have a blessed week!
Karen

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-21T07:49:00.001-08:00

Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
Until 2010...
Karen

Getting Ready for Christmas

2009-12-19T19:07:00.001-08:00

The last two days Kaden and I have been baking cookies for our friends and neighbors. It has been a fun time, we watched Christmas movies and enjoy being together.

I also wanted to point out the photo in my blog header of the beautiful wreath my MIL sent me...Thanks Alicia.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

More Snow Photos

2009-12-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

We did get more snow on Friday. Not as much snow as Tuesday (see post below) but enough to make everything look pretty. Here are some photos...

Snow sitting on the last blooms of summer.

Flowers frozen in my birdbath.

Kaden playing with the ice in the birdbath.

Kaden having fun in the snow.

My car.

It was fun while it lasted but I am glad it is almost all gone. Just a little bit of snow left on my front yard.
Have a super weekend!
Karen

El Paso is #2

2009-12-04T10:22:00.000-08:00

EL PASO, TEXAS – Today CQ Press, who is now the publisher of the City Crime Rankings Safest Cities/Most Dangerous Cities has released their latest rankings. El Paso has been ranked the 2nd Safest City in America of cities with a population of more than 500,000. El Paso was ranked as 3rd Safest in last year’s ranking.

CITIES OF 500,000 OR MORE POPULATION (34 CITIES)

Lowest Crime Rate Ranking
1. Honolulu, HI
2. El Paso, TX
3. Baltimore, MD
4. San Jose, CA
5. Austin, TX
6. San Diego, CA
7. Seattle, WA
8. Portland, OR
9. Denver, CO
10. Los Angeles, CA

Highest Crime Rate Ranking
1. Detroit, MI
2. Memphis, TN
3. New York, NY
4. Washington, DC
5. Atlanta, GA
6. Philadelphia, PA
7. Indianapolis, IN
8. Columbus, OH
9. Milwaukee, WI
10. Dallas, TX

This years ranking are based on the 2008 U.C.R. crime statistics as well as other considerations. For more information on these rankings and the considerations used by CQ Press, please visit there website at http://os.cqpress.com/citycrime/2009/CityCrime2009.html. CQ Press is now the publisher for Morgan Quitno’s study on city rankings.

I am so proud of our city!
Have a great weekend!
Karen

More Snow and some Layouts

2009-12-03T17:41:00.000-08:00

So we are supposed to get more snow tonight and into tomorrow morning. We will see? It is snowing in Las Cruces now and there is a huge mass moving this way. I may have more snow photos tomorrow.

A couple of layouts to share...

TFL!
Karen

Snow Fun

2009-12-01T08:44:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos of Kaden playing in the snow.

Have a great week!
Karen

From Fall to Winter in one post

2009-11-30T10:15:00.000-08:00

It is snowing...yeah! So pretty!

The snow is not sticking because it is very wet. It has been raining non-stop since Saturday night around 8-pm. It has alternated between heavy downpours with thunder to light rain. The Franklin Mountains are covered with snow. I am hoping tonight as it cools down more the snow may stick in the lowlands. I HATE rain and grey weather but if it snows I can deal with it. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some snow photos to share.

Have a great week!
Karen

Fall in my Yard

2009-11-28T16:01:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving!

We still have beautiful fall color in El Paso. I wanted to share a few photos from my yard.

Texas Red Oak

Cottonwood

Crape Myrtle and Kaden

Have a great weekend!
Karen

McKittrick Canyon

2009-11-08T08:37:00.000-08:00

This is one of the most beautiful areas to view fall color. If you are ever stationed at Fort Bliss, visit El Paso or live in the Texas/New Mexico area...you MUST make a trip to McKittrick Canyon in the fall. It is located in the Guadalupe Mountains part of the Lincoln National Forest, about 2 1/2hrs drive from El Paso. McKittrick Canyon is a great day hike, you follow a small creek through the beautiful fall foliage. Once you start up the ridge you have gorgeous views of the canyon below. If you make it to the top of McKittrick Ridge you can overnight camp. I went with some girl friends and we made it about half way up the ridge. Enjoy the photos...

Have a great week!
Karen

Kaden's Pumpkin

2009-10-31T18:50:00.000-07:00

Kaden did a lot of the carving on his pumpkin this year. He did a great job! The blog title has a photo of the glowing masterpiece.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

All I want for Christmas...

2009-10-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

is my two front teeth!

Have a blessed week!
Karen

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-25T15:47:00.001-07:00

On Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Patch in the Las Cruces valley with one of Kaden's best buds from school.
Most of the photos are of Kaden alone because I didn't have permission to post photos of the other kids. I did post one cute one of all of them from behind.
Enjoy the photos...

Have a great week!
Karen

Rio Bonito

2009-10-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

These are the last photos from our Fall trip to the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. We took a hike along Rio Bonito which feeds Lake Bonita...see post below on fishing Lake Bonita.

My favorite photo from the hike I put in the blog header. Along with the Aspens, Oaks and Ash trees there were also beautiful maples in full Fall color. The creek was a series of small water falls and deep pools. In these deep pools were baby trout. The last photo shows Chris and Kaden pretending to fish with sticks in the one of the deep pools. We really had a great time on the hike, it was just so beautiful and peaceful!
Enjoy the photos...

Have a great week!
Karen

Misty Fall Morning...

2009-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

The morning of our fishing trip to Bonita Lake started out cold and foggy. It did clear and we had nice warm sun on our backs and blue sky overhead. We fished for about 4hrs and Chris got one fish.

I think the misty photos are so pretty. The fall colors on the mountains around the lake were beautiful!

Enjoy!
Karen

Lincoln National Forest Aspens

2009-10-12T16:54:00.000-07:00

I {heart} Aspens!
TFL!
Karen

We found Fall...

2009-10-11T18:31:00.001-07:00

We are back from our trip to the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. We had a great time, the weather was wonderful and the scenery was beautiful. I will post more photos in the next couple of days.

Have a blessed week!
Karen

In Search of Fall...

2009-10-08T19:01:00.001-07:00

We are sill here and doing fine. Sorry to have been a bad blogger for the past few weeks.
I should have some wonderful photos after this weekend. We are headed up into the mountains for some leaf peeping, fishing and hiking. I am hoping to get some beautiful photos of the fall leaves. The National Forest website said the Aspens, Maples and Oaks are 85% changed, so I have high hopes. We leave on Friday and come back on Sunday. We are going to the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico, staying in the town of Ruidoso.

Until next week, here are some photos from last Fall. These were taken in the Santa Fe National Forest and the Cibola National Forest, also in New Mexico.

Have a great weekend!
Karen

Balloon Festival Photos

2009-09-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

We got to the balloon festival right at sunrise, I was able to get some nice shots with the sun coming up and shining through the clouds. I was hoping for another glorious blue sky day like last year (see a couple of posts down). Unfortunately, we had just had a week of rain and it had rained really hard that morning. The one good thing with all the clouds and rain was there was standing pools of water and I got some beautiful reflection shots.

Enjoy the photos!

Another Lost Tooth

2009-09-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is lost tooth #3. The first one on the top.

Have a great week!
Karen

Layouts

2009-09-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

We are back from the Balloon Festival and it was a blast! I will post the photos on Monday. I have to work tomorrow and need to get ready.
Here are some new layouts to share...

Monsters Inc.

3Bugs in a Rug papers and stickers
Quickutz

4 Wheelin'

Based on a sketch
Scenic Route papers and stickers
Quickutz

TFL!
Karen

Helmka Happenings

4th of July Canyon**Fall Catch Up**

Snow Photos

A Little Snow=One Happy Playful Puppy!

Miguel Photos

Blue Sky and Snow

Morning Sunrise

Front Gate

More Fall Catch-Up...Marvelous Maples

Fall Catch-Up

Welcome...

Happy Holidays!

Snow and Sugar Cookies

Golden Glow-Sacramento Mountain Aspens

Leaf Peeping-Lincoln National Forest

On Our Way...

School Photo

Snow Photos-Our Yard

First Snow

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Patch

Mario and some pumpkins

Coyote Creek Part 2

Coyote Creek Part 1

Tent Rocks

Morning Wake Up

FINALLY!

Spring!

Sponge Bob Birthday

Big 8 and an even Bigger 40

February Happenings

WooHoo El Paso!

Karr Canyon Part One

Collecting Maple Leaves

Day After Photos

Merry Christmas!

Luminarias

Shepherd and Art Exhibit

Santa Hats and the White Sands

Happy December First!

Out and About

Thanksgiving Walk

Photos from my Yard-Fall

Fall Hiking

School Photo

Cloudcroft Aspens

Happy Halloween

Pumpkin Patch

Layouts to Share...

Fall Happenings

Photos from my Yard

Along the Rio Grande

A Field of Sunshine

Family Vacation....Part Two

Balloon Festival

Family Vacation...Part One

Layouts, Layouts and more Layouts

Crest Trail Hike

First Day of School

Rio Bonito

The Color Purple

Hello out there....

Photos from my Yard

Hollyhocks and Scrapbooking

Hello Out There...

Along the Way...

CottageCutz DT Stuff

Rain Drops

Happy Thursday!

Yucca Trees

Happy Easter and more Poppies

Awww...Spring!

New CottageCutz Creations

Some Poppies and Disneyland

Happy Birthday Kaden!

Sorry to be MIA...

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

A little snow and more layouts

More layouts...

New layouts to share

4th of July CanyonFall Catch Up