HAPPY BIRTHDAY G'MA SHARON

Well, so much for my New Year's resolution to post on my blog at least once a month.  Although, this is my 3rd post this year, which matches the total number of posts I had for all last year--last year was a particularly bad year for blogging.  I was looking through my blog the other day and going through old posts back to 2008 and really enjoyed looking through them and seeing old photos of the kids and how big they've gotten.  That gave me renewed energy and resolve to blog more--if not for others to see but for me to be able to go back and see years down the road.

For today, my focus is Grandma Sharon's birthday.  Of course, we waited to the last minute but the kids had a special message for here and here it is.  The video is very blurry, but you get the idea.

That is all I have time for now, but I do have lots of photos from school events to be posting, so I promise to come back this weekend and do that.  For now, know that we love and are thinking of you Grandma Sharon and hope you have a fabulous birthday.  Wish we could be there to tell you in person.

TTFN--Ta Ta For Now (and for not so long)

Snoqaulmie Snowmageddon 2013

The Cabinet

Okay, well it wasn't really a snowmageddon, but that just makes it a much cooler title, although as you can see from the picture to the right, there was plenty of snow for us to enjoy during our annual trip to our dear and longtime friends, the Downs' cabin, or the 'Cabinet' as it has come to be known.  This photo was actually taken on the Sunday of our long Presidents' Day weekend.  We went up Friday night and then spent most of Saturday cozy inside the cabin since it was raining most of the day, which really doesn't make being outside much fun.  I finally had to force Justin and Owen (Hannah still refused) to go outside to "enjoy" the snow/slush for awhile.  Thankfully that rain turned into snow overnight, leaving a nice fresh layer of snow for the rest of our weekend.  Sunday, the kids got in a snowball fight with dad and two trips to the sledding hill, which used to be a short walk away but has now turned into a 'lazy' snowmobile ride away.  The first trip wasn't the best due to the fresh layer of snow, which was very sticky and not conducive to the high speed sledding that the kids desire.  The second trip was actually a night sledding trip, which has become a new, although yet to be determined safe, activity.  The women abstained from this trip but were told that there were many crashes and burns with heads and other body parts being skid across the now much faster snow and ice.  Although, all the kids did come back happy and exclaiming that night sledding is very fun.

Before we packed up for the trek home on Monday, we got in one last trip to the sledding hill.  This time the snow was much faster much to the kids' delight.

The Downs and Lough kids on the sledding hill

The kids' favorite thing to do every year is to form sledding trains coming down the hill.  They will come up with every combination of who is in front and back and also sometimes just form a circle rather than a line, which I believe was the intention in the photos to the left and below.  I'm absolutely amazed that there have never been any major injuries with a boot to the face or some such thing, but thankfully there hasn't been-still the only major injury during a trip has been the infamous snow shovel to Hannah's forehead.



Owen is holding onto Justin for dear life



After officially taking a snowboarding lesson this winter, Justin is even more
adept at even his cheap plastic snowboard.

Whee!

Hannah nearly takes some tree branches to the face.

More Whee!

All pile on the snowmobile for the ride back to the cabin.

Had to get a nice photo of all of us with Hannah's perfectly shaped, although faceless snowman.
He is a Coug fan, though!

All My Snow Angels!

Finally, I wanted to show a photo of the 'Cabinet' mascot, Sunday, the Bernese Mt. dog.  This big bear of a dog is totally at home just sitting out on the porch in the snow, watching the continuous flow of snowshoers go by as they stop and stare at him and just gawk at his shear massiveness.  Despite his size, Sunday, is the gentle-est of dogs and such a sweetheart. 

Well, there it is--my February installment of my blog.  I barely made it and nearly broke my resolution just one month in, but I made it.  So until March...

TTFN--Ta Ta For Now

New Year, New Blogging Goal

Okay, this is getting ridiculous!  I have been so horrible with this blogging thing.  I did have a big post all about our Lake Shasta trip back in August just about ready to go, but just never got around to it, but now it just seems pointless.  I have a goal for this year, though.  I don't typically make New Year's resolutions, but I am saying (or typing) right now that my goal is to blog at least once a month.  I mean, REALLY!  I should be able to handle blogging once a month.  I figure if I could at least blog about the highlights of the month, then I'd be doing good and if there's anything special I want to blog about, then that will just be a bonus.  As you may or may not notice, the blog does have a new look with it's winter theme.  That will obviously need to change as we move out of winter into spring, which really can't come fast enough right now.  Unfortunately, though, I think we still have at least another month to month and a half of winter weather  to suffer through.  But enough about that...  It has been a busy month with two birthdays.  I finally finished up with all the parties last weekend, and am relieved to be done with all that for another year. 

So Justin's birthday came first and as always, snuck up on me after the holidays.  I think I barely had the Christmas decorations taken down and put away by the time his birthday came around.  He turned 10 this year and had a bowling party.  I took a group of his best buds for bowling and arcade games.  Justin, unfortunately, was at the bottom of the bowling scoreboard (takes after his mom), but they all had a great time, and there was no mess for me to clean up at home, so it was a win-win for everyone.



Justin and his crazy friends

Hannah showing off her flexibility at 12

Unbelievably, Hannah turned 12 this year. Just one more year before we officially have a teenager in the house. Unofficially, I feel like we already have a teenager. Hannah is definitely as into fashion and makeup as any teenager I know. For such a fashionista, what better place to have her birthday party than at the mall. With the help of my friend, we took 6 girls to the mall for a scavenger hunt. For the most part, fun was had by all. There was some drama with mom tagging too closely behind and apparently trying to butt in too much, but for the most part, emotions remained in check.  Just a little taste of what I know we're in for over the next few years.  For now, though, she still usually remains our sweet little girl who isn't too embarassed by her parents unless we're actually trying to, which is something her father often strives for.

Hannah excited about her new Toms



Her brothers helping her with the 2 extra fingers she needs for her age



The mall crew--Hannah's besties.



Hannah leading her workers

 Hannah has also joined the Wy'East Dance Team and had practice throughout January.  They competed at a large competition with many local middle school and high school dance teams last weekend.  I was a little worried because they didn't even practice their entire dance all the way through until their last day of practice before the competition.  I was happily surprised, though, because I thought they did great.  






They break into the YMCA








Hannah was actually the little "star" of the piece playing the boss of a group of janitorial workers in their "Working Day & Night" number. Very proud of my little dancer. They continue to practice throughout Feb. and will have another competition at the end of the month.



Hannah leads the kick line



And the big finish--Ouch!

Okay, well there it is--my first blog post in almost 9 months.  Here's hoping , there'll be another one soon.

TTFN -- Ta Ta For Now