Aunt and Uncle visit

Aunt M and Uncle W came out to visit us last weekend. W was on leave prior to his scheduled deployment later this spring. M kept them very busy. In the short week W was here he visited friends at the Y, attended a friend's graduation, slept in one day, ATVed, skied 3 days, visited hot springs, snow-shoed, had supper at 2 friend's houses, and took part in our church's Lent Soup Supper. What a busy week!Siblings!

Uncle love!

Aunt adoration!

Sibling Ski weekend

M took Uncle W and Aunt M skiing 2 days while they were here--so I will let her tell you about their time.
Sunday morning we left early to head to Winter Park. It was pretty windy at the top of the bowl, but the skiing was great with light snow falling pretty much all day long.

After spending a nice evening relaxing at the local hot springs and spending the night in a cabin, we woke up to at least 6 inches of fresh snow on the truck.

It continued to snow as we left the Y to head over to Copper for another day of skiing. This is where our luck started playing out. It was a little later in the morning than we had planned to leave. After stopping to check out and use a quick bathroom break, we passed the Mary Jane turnoff at 8 am. The drive over the pass was slow with about 10 cars caught behind a slow camper. Once we finally passed, the snow continued to get worse and at the top of the pass the visibility was down to less than a 1/4 mile. When we reached the bottom just before 9 am the road was closed--we found out later it closed just after 8 am, which made us one of the last cars through. It took us another hour & 20 minutes to go 30 miles further west on the I-70--passing about 3 accidents along the way. Finally Copper came into sight and we quickly got unloaded and ready to ski another day. Since we weren't heading back to the SMR that night we didn't have a 3rd pass and had to purchase a day ticket. Here again we got lucky. Apparently the staff passes that had always been unlimited access had been changed this year to only include 4 days at Copper, which we didn't know had already been used up for the year. The first guy that scanned us let us through after commenting that his scanner said we were out of days. Was it because he wasn't aware of the rule change and assumed his scanner was acting up or he knew that the road was closed and we couldn't ski at WP that day or because we had bought one ticket he was just being nice. Who knows, but we decided to ski the top of the mountain most of the day and not head back to the bottom chair lifts. What a wise choice! The snow was awesome--at least a foot of fresh powder--as seen by M's ski pole she is holding up.

We spent 2 1/2 hours skiing the blacks (and at least one double black) at the top of the mountain. Most of the runs I wouldn't do in normal conditions, but with a foot of powder it didn't matter if you fell.

W cruising down the moguls which were buried under all the new snow.

M coming down through the powder.

Falling was almost as fun as the skiing!!! We headed into lunch at about 1:30 which means we didn't get on another lift until after 2. After scanning our passes the attendant asked if we had been using them all day. After saying Yes, he let us on the lift. We found out the next day (after a call to the HR office) that another staff had been turned away 2 days before for expired days at Copper and this change was something they weren't even aware of.

Finishing up the last run of the night.

Enjoying some adult beverages after a long day skiing. Then we headed back home with a detour to drop off the staff passes through another snowfall. Again we were lucky because one of the roads we were on that evening was later closed for avalanche control.

It was a wonderful sibling ski trip. The next two days, M and W went snowshoeing and went skiing one more day. A tiring, busy but very fun-filled week.

ATVing

The first day Aunt M and Uncle W were here we took them to the Eastern plains to go ATVing.D cooked our hot dogs for lunch.

C and I hid in the truck to stay out of the wind, while we were snacking on some Cheetos.

Uncle W's friend from the Y came down to join us for the afternoon (after having a little trouble finding us).

After lunch while the boys were still out ATVing, we took a short walk by the parking lots.

C even found some "dessert" on our walk--cow pies!

15 month girl

C turned fifteen months in March. She is growing up so fast.Serenading M&D to Jesus Loves Me one Sunday before church.

We have a new puppy in our house--only when she wants to be one that is!!

Sometimes, like this evening, when it is a cold and rainy day outside and I can't go outside to run off energy I get really hyper in the evening. So tonight before bed D ran me through some workouts.

Skiing with Mommy

Today M took me skiing for the very first time. I was very excited to go to the skiing mountains--there are different than the camping or Y school mountains.When we turned off the interstate we stopped to get my skis. M knew the skis would be little, but they were much shorter than me and I'm only 3 feet tall!

Once we got to the ski hill, M realized why we didn't have any ski traffic to contend with on our drive--they were already there! So we had to drive into town & wait for the shuttle bus. It took me a while to get used to walking in the boots, but we finally made it to the bus stop.

Once we reached the resort M let me ride in a wagon with my skis until we got to the lift. Then when M actually got my skis on she had to coax me to let go of the wagon. I wasn't too sure about the whole skiing thing at that point. We finally got on the ski lift and I realized that this skiing hobby had a lot of potential. It was a fun ride up--we were so high up and it was fun to watch everyone below us skiing.

Since we got to the mountain so late it was lunchtime by the time we made it down our first run, so we sat down on the snow to have a picnic. I only lasted about 2 hours, but we went on 3 different lifts, 4 different runs--one even had a ski jump that M helped me over-- and went up and down a total of 7 times. I only lost my skis once--when I was between M's legs and we started going a little fast and I wasn't putting all my weight on my skis and they started going out of control. By the time M was able to stop my skis had fallen off--we didn't fall down, but we had to climb a little ways to get my second ski.

I was a little wobbly the first run, but on the second run I wanted to try it all myself so M let go of me and here are the results. Notice that even after the fall I am still having fun--laughing as M comes up to me.

After about my fifth fall I decided it was safer and easier for M to hold unto me. So the rest of the runs I stayed between M's legs holding onto her poles so I didn't get ahead of her and I let her lead me down. We practiced turning and stopping. M says I did really well until about the second to last lift up and I realized my hands were cold. After a few tears, M finally made me understand that we had to go down to the ski lift and up another one before we could get all the way down to our truck again. That settled me down for a little while, but then I had my meltdown on the last run down and it was not fun for M since I was crying most of it and cried in the wagon all the way back to the bus. M thought for sure I would crash and sleep all the way home. Crash I did--in the bus on the way back to the truck but as soon as M picked me up to carry me I woke up and stayed up all the way home.
All in all it was a very fun day. M thought it was a success since the whole point was just to get me comfortable with the skis and the whole concept. M could definitely tell I was more comfortable on the seventh run than I was on the first run. My skis stayed straighter, I was standing up straighter and kept my full weight on the skis to keep them on the snow. M hopes to get me out at least one more time this winter--maybe when Aunt M and Uncle W come to visit us.

more snow

We didn't get as much snow as the Y did at home, but C and I still enjoyed playing in it Saturday morning before it melted. I tried pulling C around, but she was much too heavy for me, so M pulled the both of us through the park and down a few of the smaller hills.
Getting ready to have the ride of our lives.

Walking to the park to go sledding. Look how good C is walking now!

C enjoyed the ride for the most part until she fell out twice. Then the snow got on her wrists between the gloves and coat, and she wasn't happy about that. We played for a good forty-five minutes before heading back to the house to warm up. And in that short time the roads went from ice to slush and by the time D came home from work 3 hours later the roads were dry, and the lawns mostly melted. Our snow just doesn't stick around very long so we have to enjoy it while we can.

snow, snow, snow

On Friday the Y got a good foot of snow. M played in it at lunch--going on a snowshoe hike with it still lightly snowing and snow up to her knees in same places. After school it was almost up to my waist! M and I went down to the ice skating pond, but of course with all the work keeping up with the roads, the pond was still very much covered over. We had fun walking in it though.I fell a couple times and realized just how deep it really was!!
We only lasted for a few minutes, but it was worth all the work.

Random fun

M found an old picture on her phone. Before Christmas, the church choir would practice every Sunday after church for their Advent songs. I thought I needed to be a part of it. So I practiced with them and on 2 Sundays even went up to help them sing. I caught onto some of the words, but most often I just stood up there smiling with my book open. Future choir member in practice! M's cutie pie with long enough hair for a spiked ponytail. M had been thinking all week that C's hair is almost long enough for a ponytail and on Thursday this is how C came home from her babysitters. The daughter was having lots of fun doing up C's hair. Isn't she cute?

Ear, nose, throat

M joked the other weekend that she should have been an ear, nose, throat doctor. She had enough practice last week with her family being sick. All of us (except M) were sick and on antibiotics. I think we all had the same cold/congestion but it just affected us all differently. It started with C's babysitter having 4 sick kids--2 with strep, one with an ear infection and one with croup. So C brought home the cold and because little ones don't have tonsils, her strep infection went all the way down to her diaper rash. After a few days of congestion and sore throat, D decided to get himself checked for strep. His prelim test came back negative, but the doctor still prescribed antibotics until his official test came back. They never called us so we think it was strep plus a sinus infection because the antibiotics helped within 2 doses. While we were at urgent care with D, I coughed so hard I threw up, so M decided to have my cough--which she was thinking was just the start of my allergies again--checked out. Turns out I had an ear infection. However, after a week of medicine we are all better!

Valentine's Day

After gymnastics class on Monday, M and I headed home to celebrate Valentine's Day with D and C. D had steak waiting for us when we came home and a dozen roses sitting on the table for M. He gave C and I new books, a CD player and cookies. C enjoying her cookie on M's lap.

We got new books because we spend a lot of time reading the books we already have. Here we are over the weekend sitting in my room reading.

I like to pretend that I am the teacher and show everyone the book while I read it to them.

Getting ready to write all my Valentine's for my friends at school on Saturday morning.

Writing my name on the card so that my friend would know who it was from. That only lasted about 5 friends and then M had to finish the rest. But I still picked out which card I was giving to each friend and I helped put the heart sticker on and tape the fruit snacks to the card.

"Reading" the Valentine to M while C oversees everything from her high chair.

Gymnastics

On Monday I went to my first gymnastics class. It was just a trial class to see if I would like it. After spending 45 minutes walking on the balance beam, doing somersaults, running and jumping I can say with certainty that I did enjoy my time. It took me a little bit of time to warm up to the teacher and other kids, but by the end I was having lots of fun.

Running, jumping and playing---what could be better?

Where's Carrie?

Saturday morning C and I were helping M&D clean house for the Super Bowl Party. C somehow got lost on the bed with all the stuffed animals.There she is!
M's cutie in a hat!This weekend was a big one for C. She has been walking with help since Christmas and the last 2 weeks has started taking an accidentally step here & there. Accidentally in the fact it is because we trick her into letting go of our hands or it is a step just to catch her balance before reaching out to grab a footstool or something. Anyhow, Saturday evening she took 6 steps in a row before falling down (for G&G on the webcam!). And with a big audience over for Super Bowl Sunday, she was having a blast walking from furniture to furniture and having different people encourage her--even showing off at half time for P&G via webcam.
Here is one of her last videos crawling. Notice how she turns on the speed when she thinks I am going to chase her!

Her in between mode of transportation--knee walking.

Saturday night practicing her newest trick in a "safe" environment.

Super Bowl Sunday walking all over the place.

Ice skating

M & I have been visiting the pond at the entrance to the Y grounds every Friday afternoon. We've just been having fun with our boots--running across and sliding. But just this last Friday, M braved bringing out the ice skates for me.Sitting down to rest. Ice skating is hard work!

After only two laps I decided that the boots were much easier, so I convinced M to let me take the ice skates back off.

Much sturdy and I am able to run in the boots, whereas with the ice skates I just wobbled. I felt kind of like C does right now learning to walk!!

I think I will try the ice skates again this Friday. Who knows--maybe after a few weeks I could be a pro!