Snow!!! Update Feb 12th

Our first snow of the winter.  I've lived here a long time 

and I don't remember a winter like this.  Oh we had

a foot of snow fall at one time but I don't remember

it falling a little one day then a couple days later

more snow then a couple days later even more snow.

We would get it all at once and then it would warm up 

and melt away or if we were lucky it would stay cold

and stick around for a while then melt away.

  This time it stopped and we had about a half inch.  

Brooke got 9 " that snowfall

 Then a  couple days later we had 5 inches in the morning

 Yesterday it started snowing again and we 

ended up with 2 more inches.

Sunday it just kept snowing into Monday and we ended

up with  7 more inches of snow

 It was beautiful!!

Then late in the night Monday it started

raining, but not tons

 What a difference 10 degrees makes

 Most snow we've had in a long time

 Enough moisture to make a snowman now

And the sun is out.  I hope it stays for a while

so we can enjoy the white yards and cleared

off streets.

Happy 4th Birthday, Pete!

Pete's birthday celebration started out with a 

basketball game at 9am.  Ellie was playing so

we went over to catch some of her game

 She's in white right in the center of the picture

 playing defense

 Just being cute!!

Then we went to Imagine Children's Museum to have 

some birthday fun.  You put scarfs in at the bottom

and air takes it around the maze and shoots it out 

some hole along the way

This one you put a ping pong ball in the tube and 

air sucks it up and over and

down into one of these mazes

The kids had fun in this construction site

The most fun is knocking it down

The rooftop had a dinosaur bone dig

and then last but surely not least...the water tables

Home to open presents, with Ellie's help

Where are those tabs?

Cupcake decorating

Good Job!!

And wouldn't blow out the candles with an audience

We got these ornaments for Christmas from the kids

and I just reopened it to hang the ornaments,

saw what good penmanship Ellie has

and had to post it.  At first I thought Brooke wrote it.

Christmas 2018

We went to California to have Christmas
with Amy's family, well really
Andrew's family, since Brooke and her
family were in San Diego this year with
Chris' family

 We got down there a few days before Christmas
but in time for some fun

 and some work

 Claire works hard and gets flour all over

Cade bonding time

Claire bonding time

Even the dog has to get ready for the big day

 Ready Santa!!

 Unwrap

and play

Some play and some sleep

Cade got 007's car in Legos

Claire is figuring out her newest gadget

 and done in 4 hours

Pretty nifty car

and more bonding time in matching pants

 Shasta had a lot more snow on it going home than on
the way down....well maybe I guess it was covered in
fog on the way down so I'm not really sure about that

 Amy sent some pics after we left of Cade
making whipping cream

 and Claire discovering Cattails

Whoa!

We had Christmas with Brooke's family

when they got home from San Diego.

It was after New Years and the rest of the 

world was back to normal.  Ellie had a 

basketball game.  Lucky for us we got to see it

but I forgot my camera so these pics are compliments

of Chris, thanks Chris

Ellie with the ball

Ellie in red on the left.  The ball didn't go in but 

it was a nice shot and she actually hit the rim.

Good Job Ellie!!

Then back home for Christmas 2

 Pete had some odd shaped presents this year

 Before opening presents the kids wanted to have
caroling time.  Ellie wrote up all the words to the
songs she didn't think we would know so we could
follow along

 then she and Pete sang with us

and did the hand gestures

 and then it was present time with Ellie playing Santa

 and helping Pete open his presents

 She was a busy girl

 Pete got some tunnels for his cars so he and Pa played
on the stairs

Pete wanted to get his umbrella out and play with it
but since it's an outside umbrella Ellie made him one
with their new Crazy Forts framing

and one for herself
Such creative kiddos!!

Merry Christmas
and
Happy New Year!!