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You know it's been too long since you have posted when you can't remember your password!! So here goes on some catch up.......

Papa and Grammy came to celebrate Papa's Birthday with our family. He spent Friday in Josiah's classroom. He got to sit in the big Teacher's chair while all the Kinders sang Happy Birthday to him. Now his picture is in the class slide show titled "Josiah's Papa's Birthday". I won't mention that he got a bit teary when all the kids were singing to him (yep, that is were I get it from)! I also won't mention that both he and Grammy paid dearly for their visit by catching our colds. But I will say we sure do love when Papa and Grammy come to stay the night!!

Someone call the Fire Department!

Make a wish Papa! Happy Happy Birthday! Thank you for celebrating with us!!

Chinese New Year. I had no idea there were so many holidays to celebrate! Good thing Josiah is going to Kindergarten!

100 Days of School. That is right, we have successfully made it through our first 100 days of school. To celebrate, each of the children got to bring 100 things to school. So in typical Josiah fashion, she sat down to work and created 100 Thumb Prints, by Josiah. There is a caterpillar, a spider, a flower, a butterfly, a heart, and a bunny. One of the 1st Grade teachers said it was the best 100 things this year!!

Josiah has lost tooth #4! It is the first of her top teeth to go. Funniest thing is she has to be awfully careful not to laugh when she eats because she now has the perfect projectile blow hole!

New Years 2009

Just like our Christmas traditions, New Years has tradition of its own. We meet all the Stewart, Hurt, Campbell-Taylor clan up at Shaver Lake for long weekend of snow play. And this year the snow storms were perfectly timed. We had alot of fun skiing at Sierra Summit with all the Fam!

Adalie got to show off her stuff on a "big tow rope hill"

Grammy got her exercise walking the hill with Adalie. I think Adalie likes the actual tow rope better than she likes the hill because she will ride it until her arms are tired and then hit the big hills!

We just think Adalie is too cute even when she falls! Probably because she still has her skiing grin on from ear to ear! It reminds me of the first season we skied with Adalie between our legs at 17 months old and all the way down the hill she had on the biggest grin and would squeal her words for skiing, "wee-da-da!" Good memories. How much more fun it is to see that grin!!!

Mommy and Josiah on the chairlift on a blue bird day with Grammy.

Played games with friends at the cabin.

Took in some much appreciated Rest and Relaxation!

And, last but not least, Josiah lost her 2nd tooth! This time she did not cry but Adalie still shed a few tears!
How grateful we are also for this fun time with Family and friends.

Harley Girl

We took the girls for a ride up Baeshore Meadow. Got some wind in our hair, saw some good friends and had a great day. Josiah rode with Daddy "because he goes fast and off cliffs.." says Josiah. And Adalie rode with Mommy "because she goes slow and her snowmobile is not loud..." says Adalie.


Josiah loves to wear her "doo-rag" that Uncle Jon and Aunt Jen picked out for her in Costa Rica. And a friend told her she looks like a Harley Girl. Doesn't she??

But you better look out.... this chick has got her own tracks now!! ***

And she can even hike her sister!!

We are in TROUBLE!!!

**disclaimer - the green sled Josiah had so much fun on, was actually her buddy's sled and he was kind enough to let her have a couple of loops around the track... Thanx Turner!

Moment

Our 2nd day of skiing (2 days after Christmas) proved to be a much warmer day. It was one of those blue bird picture perfect days, the sun was warm, the powder was deep and light, and we were excited to be together enjoying it as a family! The girls skied great. Adalie especially made progress by leaps and bounds, amazing us with each run! Both girls seem to prefer the powder and the trees to the groomed runs.... good thing we have Daddy for taking little girls on turkey trails, jumps and powder.

And Seth and I had one of those moments.... it is difficult to describe these moments because they touch your heart, they are sweet and full of emotion. We were skiing down a run with the girls, keeping a watchful eye on Adalie. We all stopped mid run to catch up with one another, encourage the girls and choose our route for the bottom of the hill, when Josiah turns to Adalie and says "follow me". So, with Seth and I standing together on the top of a knoll, we had the great honor and pleasure of watching Josiah peel off down the hill with Adalie following close on her heels, mimicking her sisters every move. And we both knew ..... it was one of those heart moments! One when you are proud of your girls, one where you love to see them doing it together, with one leading and one following. It is a sweet memory!




Josiah pulling Adalie with Daddy's pole to our lunch spot.

And so the day came to an end, but I hope to remember the sweetness of it always!

First Day on the Slopes

The day after Christmas we took the girls up to Badger Pass with their new skis. We learned from last year that you can't necessarily expect the girls to remember all they had learned about skiing from the previous season. In fact, it was a good thing that Uncle Lorenzo, a professional skier (really!) was skiing with us that fateful first day back to the slopes last year, because Seth and I assumed Josiah would pick up right where she left off. So we got off the chairlift and started down the hill with Josiah skiing on her own and Adalie still between the legs and Josiah just went straight down the hill, headed for the trees - she had forgotten how to turn! Thankfully, before she had a chance to wipe out or scare herself, Uncle Lorenzo was to her rescue. And after a run or 2, we were back in action. So this year, after learning a very valuable lesson we headed to the bunny hill. Josiah had not missed a beat and Adalie, never wanting to be left behind, was ready to roll!

Adalie's First run on her new skies up the T-Bar with Daddy!
Look at our big girl, a skier indeed! Adalie 3yrs old.

Adalie's first run down the bunny hill on her new skies, concentrating on her snow plow!

After just a couple of runs with Daddy, she can ride the T-Bar all by herself, "like a big girl" she would tell you!

We are past the bunny hill and on to bigger and better! And who said ski poles were for made for any other reason than to tow your kids to the chairlift!

I love how little she looks on the chairlift!

Although a very good encourager to her sister, Josiah was ready for the bigger hills.... and so excited to be back on the chairlift!

It was a COLD day of skiing and we were in need of something hot by 3pm! But boy was it fun!! It is so exciting to watch you children learn something new. To see them progress, to get it and be able to do it! For once, we have not under estimated our children!

First Lost Tooth

The day after Christmas Josiah lost her first tooth. It's a funny story.....

It all began 6 months ago when Josiah had x-rays taken at the dentist office. We confirmed that she does indeed have Mommy's horse teeth and in addition to starting a savings account for orthodontics, we need not worry about her loosing any teeth until she is 7 years old .... because those adult teeth are so big, they are going to be moving in VERY slowly! So when Josiah started putting her fingers in her mouth and telling me of loose teeth, I thought OH MY! the other kids in her class are loosing teeth and she wants to also...... so she is making her teeth loose! So I promptly call the dentist to discuss my concerns. He pulls out the x-rays and informs me she actually had very little root left on those teeth and they should indeed be loose and he doesn't know why he said the thing about her being 7 years old! YIKES.... all these months of me telling her to leave her teeth alone, don't make them loose, hands out of your mouth and I WAS WRONG (misinformed really, but still wrong!)!! So that very night I apologized to Josiah and told her to wiggle away! A few weeks later, the night after Christmas Josiah screams MOMMY MY TOOTH FELL OUT!! I look over and she is stark white in the face, eyes bugging out, mouth bleeding and body frozen with her tooth in her fingers and she begins to cry that panicked cry! Adalie, who is closer to her than I, bends down and takes one good look at her sister and SHE begins to cry! So Seth and I rush over, hysterically laughing at the comedy of this scene all the while trying to calm our girls.... really its a good and fun thing to loose a tooth!!!

And low and behold, an adult tooth was peaking through the hole already!!

Christmas Day

We had a wonderful Christmas celebration with our girls and all our families. Some of my favorite moments; Bedtime Christmas Eve and it suddenly dawns on Adalie that it is the night Santa comes, and so she says to me...."I know in the book (T'was the Night Before Christmas) that all the children sleep in their own beds, but I think I should sleep with you!", Christmas morning and our usually sleepy morning girl Josiah raises up in excitement when Adalie exclaims "I heard Santa on the roof last night!", the beautiful and truly white Christmas was fantastic, my executive decision that turkey and all its trimmings is NOT a Christmas dinner and should be reserved only for Thanksgiving when you have nothing else to do BUT cook!, The girls utter excitement with their new snow skies, so much so that they rarely took them off all day, and then began to play "house" while incorporating skiing into their game... I would hear "Come on sweetie, lunch is over it is time for us to go ski!", Having Uncle Lorenzo and Aunt Julia be able to come home unexpectedly for a few days, getting to be in our own home most of the day - there is something lovely about being home!, watching Josiah light the candles on the advent wreath knowing that our girls do know the real meaning of Christmas, hearing and watching the girls' reactions to their annual phone call from Santa, being thankful for the many many many blessings!

I love Christmas morning!







First thing they did was click in! SO we had 2 girls in their Christmas nighties skiing around the living room!

Adie Bear and her new skis she had asked Santa for.

Both girls with their new girlie skis. I have a feeling this is going to be a fun fun fun snow season!

Outside you can see that it is just the beginning of our white Christmas.

We were very proud of our little Josiah lighting the Christmas advent candle this year!

GG and GiPa were able to join us for most of the day. And although GG and I had alot of fun and laughs trying to create the traditional turkey dinner last year, our dinner this year was a breeze.... and very tasty too!

Uncle Lorenzo and Aunt Julia



Amma and Josiah already deep into a new craft!

Amma and Grandpa, Our Fam, Aunt Julia and Uncle Lorenzo and their baby to be soon, and GG and GiPa.

AND last but not least, the late night phone call from Santa that leaves us in stitiches HO HO HO!