I spent time in our back yard photographing our roses on Thursday. While I was shooting, I spotted a baby rabbit (from another mother, we think). This was the first time we saw this one without its mother. I was able to get sooo close to it and got some really great pictures. Adorable!

Then it was inside for the food. Jesse cooked a fabulous brisket accompanied by potatoes, carrots and noodles. Every time he cooks, I am thankful that I have a wonderful husband who is an amazing cook! Andrea brought a tasty M&M birthday cake that she made for Maxwell. It was unbelievably good!

We took the boys across the street to the park so they could burn off all the sugar they had consumed by climbing trees and chasing balls. Maxwell wowed me (and frightened me) with his monkey-like climbing ability.

Here’s a picture of the birthday boy.

My photograph here doesn’t do the beautiful matting and framing job justice. A great French, paper-wrapped mat and frame really add pizzaz to a painting, drawing or photograph!

The new piece of work hangs above our mantle.

Jesse gave me Valentine’s Day flowers early. I’m a lucky gal! He gave me red roses, white tulips and red calla lilies. Today I received amazingly delicious Valentine’s cupcakes. Aren’t they cute? Happy Valentine’s Day to our sweeties everywhere!

Instead of focusing on the negative when it snows, I like to look at the positive. Here are a few shots from my yard.

The snowflakes dangling from the chandelier were so much fun to make! Jesse’s mom gave me a kit years ago to make my own snowflake ornaments. I kept packing it away with the rest of my decorations because each year I never had time to make them before the winter holidays. I stopped doing that this year, and finally made the snowflakes in May. They really sparkle under the chandelier lights. Our cat was mesmerized by them the day we hung them up, but luckily (for safety reasons) she seems to have forgotten about them.

We wish our readers a warm holiday season and a bountiful new year!

I spotted this great creature peeking into the windows of the Colorado Convention Center.

I was looking forward to returning to “normal” October temperatures in Washington, D.C., but today we had a very rare snowfall for late October. Throughout the day, rain progressed to sleet, and then to light snow by late afternoon. We have a light blanket on the ground now. I hope it doesn’t kill the remaining pepper and pumpkin crops in our garden!

Here is the photograph that sold. I shot this in Chinatown during our trip to Los Angeles last September. It was a gorgeous day and there was no one around. I was intrigued with the lanterns and the shadows they cast.