Easter

Our Easter celebrations were a bit different this year. Due to a crazy schedule and a bit of sickness leading up to Easter break, we decided to stay home this year. The Waltners were skiing the Alps and the Stewarts were soaking up the sun at the beach! Although we missed both families and were wishing we were in the midst of the fun with each of them, it was a wonderful time of catching our breath.
How thankful I am to have a King who would die for me!

Girl's Day

Today was our girls day and we did all things girlie! We got all dolled up, we shopped, we got haircuts, we bought new sparkly lip gloss, we dilly dallied like only girls can do, but best of all we shared a high tea! Both girls had a tea pot of their own and a whole dish of lumped sugar. They ordered savories and desserts to their delight. With pinkies sticking out, we giggle through our entire meal!

It was a perfect day!

A Sneak Away Treat

We got the special treat of spending the night in a friend's cabin up in the high country. We packed our gear and rode our snowmobiles into an adventure!! We had 2 whole days of uninterrupted time together! We took the girls for the first time out on the big road in search of some new meadows to ride. The loved the fresh powder, the freedom of riding off track, boon docking through the trees and making crazy eights with their tracks. My favorite was watching them like little duckies in a row, follow Seth wherever he led. They could be tearing through a meadow in opposite directions ... and as soon as they saw Seth fire up his sled, they like little magnets, raced to line up behind him ... knowing he would lead them on a fun adventure. It was sweet to see their small little sleds and hear their small little engines follow the roar of his big machine!

One day, I know they will chose and follow their own path, but today I wanted to remember the sweetness of watching them follow their Daddy's!

A Day with Daddy

I firmly believe that God made both Mommys and Daddys for a purpose. And in our house, Daddy is the fun maker!! He can turn an ordinary outing into something memorable. He can make bows and arrows out of sticks and twigs. He can make your average piggy back ride into a magnificent buffalo hunt.

While one of Adalie's favorite things to do is go on a family bike ride, today my heart was singing as I heard their squeals of delight as Josiah the Indian, atop of her trusty Daddy stallion, chased Adalie the buffalo through the trees!

What could possibly beat that, surely not an ordinary day of treasure hunting at the lake??

Spring Break

Finally.... it has arrived..... Spring Break!

It seems this year more than last, I longed for a break. All our commitments have just come to a close and we are in need of some time to just be. So each day of our 7 day break we were intentional about savoring our time. They were days filled with the question "I don't know, what do you want to do?" and it was glorious.

We painted and created a world of chalk, we climbed trees and readied our garden, we slept in late and labored over yummy breakfasts, we had a girls day and some family days, we rode bikes and drank milkshakes.... and much more!

Thank goodness for Spring Break and the recharging of our batteries!

Easter is Coming

It's the last day before Spring Break and the Kindergarten class is a buzz of activity. They have made their bunny baskets, decorated eggs and are ready for the hunt.

What a fun day!

A Free Afternoon

With the sun shining and nowhere pressing to be, we stayed after school to take advantage of a beautiful day with a bit of a breeze. We exchanged the monotony of the after-school routine with some time to just run and play.... and it felt good!!

(Josiah and Piper 2nd grade, Adalie and Ashlyn Kindergarten)

Badger Pass Silver Ski Race

Much to the disappointment of our little skiers, the 2011 Badger Pass Silver Ski Race was cancelled this year due to extreme weather and power outages. However, we have some very dedicated coaches that wanted to give the kids one last race weekend. Although it was a modified course and a smaller pool of racers, the excitement was in the air!! And Grammy and Papa were there to watch, film, and gate judge!
Adalie took to the start gate in her very first official race. She looks so calm and cool getting her pole straps on, scraping her skies in just the right spot, putting her poles over the start gate, listening to her coach's last minute instructions, pushing out of the start gate and tucking toward the first gate. This was a traditional Salome course - just as much about speed, as ability to read the course and follow the gate patterns. We all had our fingers crossed, knowing that if she didn't disqualify, she was fast enough to medal!
Josiah was already old hat. She was concentrating on her gates and desperately trying to beat the 2 older girls in her class that she chased all season long! Unfortunately, too much birthday celebrating had caught up with her and she did not feel good at all. We thought she might need to sit the second set of races out, but she wanted to finish!!
End of the day results - Josiah took 3rd and 4th and Adalie was right behind her sister with a 4th and 5th!!
Congratulations girls on the double medals!!
Can't wait for next season!!

Crazy 8s

Remember when other people's kids were 8 years old and yours were 3 years old..... and 8 sounded SO old??

Well here we are.... Josiah is 8 years old!!

And somehow 8 doesn't seem too old. She is still our little girl (and probably will be when she is 58)!
So we celebrated in our usual fashion at the Badger Pass Spring Fest, but with a few new twists. Josiah wanted to learn to snowboard. So she and 2 of her friends, Caitie and Kaia, spent most of the morning on Bruin trying to keep their feet under them. Even Adalie braved the dark side and donned the snowboard for a few runs. Although Josiah's ski team coach was concerned about the "snowboarditits" she seemed to be suffering from, the 3 musketeers were braving Eagle by the end of the day!
Josiah said to me this year that she felt like the luckiest girl in town because all her family was there to celebrate her special day. Just like the day she was born, they came from near and far to be with her!!
Once again, we entered a ski dummy in the downhill competition. This design was inspired by Josiah who is all about peace signs! Although it was not the fastest down the hill (or even a finisher), it was voted "Best Looking"!!
Happy 8th Birthday Miss Josiah!!

8 with Mrs. Durrell

It't no April's Fools when you turn 8 with Mrs. Durrell.... she gives you 8 real whoopers of a whipping!!