As the temperatures drop and I find myself stoking the coal four or five times a day, I am thankful for friends who give fleece*.  Our friends, the Carnes, sent us an early Christmas package in August with many REI goodies that I have recently come to appreciate more fully.   Layers upon layers have kept us nice and cozy.  The hardest part is making sure that the girls actually keep the required layers on.  (Since I can’t find the cord to the digital camera yet, I’m posting a few photos from a few months ago.)

Non fleece-related news:  Yesterday, while hiking behind our house with Sarah, Christa had a nice chat with a shepherd girl who was tending her flock.  Now that’s something you don’t hear about every day.  Meanwhile, Anna and I created our own form of T-ball in the back yard using PVC pipe and a wooden cross (it’s a long story.)

For those of you living in colder climates, I recommend getting fleeced.  Until the next update, your Yeti reporter, signing off…

* I am also VERY thankful for all our other friends and family who don’t get the "blog nod" now and again for their kindness and generosity.  You are not forgotten; (but the fleece is a very tangible daily reminder–you gotta admit!)  Oh yeah, and the coffee…the coffee is hard to take for granted, too.  I’d better stop.  I’m just digging myself deeper in.