A day of Boarding

>All season the kids and Mike have wanted to try boarding. Con went last Tuesday with his school and loved it, so we decided to bite the bullet and let everyone try. We rented boards and boots the night before. Katie was so excited, she told me she probably wouldn't be able to sleep. She kept her boots on all night and kept trying out her board. This morning, a very nice guy Mike knew from work met us and gave Mike, Chase, and Katie a lesson on the basics. Everyone had wet gloves and bums, but smiles. Connor continued practicing what he had already learned and was doing very well. There were many falls, but they all said it was very fun. Mike said it was painful. Everyone picked it up pretty well. We may even have a couple who convert next year. Kenna and I just skied. I didn't do the photography job I intended to because I forgot to charge my battery and of course it was almost dead. I tried really hard to get a picture of everyone before it died. Check out what I did get.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Happy Birthday Chase!

Chase has reached his first decade! On my birthday he told me I was "decades old." That didn't sound so good to me, but it's great for him. We love having Chase in our family. He keeps us on our toes. His ski instructor told me he has a "dry" sense of humor and she is so right. He is so good that sometimes I don't know he is teasing. He is also quite a deep thinker and asks me questions that surprise me (which if I had a better memory or kept a journal, I would be able to share, oh well.) Chase loves to play with friends, mostly they make up characters and fight or jump on the tramp. He is playing the cello this year and does not like it. Chase is in fourth grade and has become a great skier. He is tall for his age and sometimes I think he body grows a bit faster than his reflexes can keep up with. He has a contagious smile although his Principal gave him the nickname "Smiley" because every time he sees her, he frowns. He loves to play on the computer or video games and loves loves the four wheelers. WE LOVE CHASE.

Just another week

Last week I installed a new faucet all by myself and I'm pretty darn proud of it. I'm not the most handy person and frankly projects that I don't really know what I'm doing scare me a little. Before

At the same time, meeting a new challenge or doing something you've never done before is also pretty invigorating, so I just did it. I bought the faucet and got some instruction from the Home Depot guy. The hardest part was getting the old one out. The new one looks great and no drips! Yay!

After

You would think I would know how to do more home improvement things, growing up with my Dad, but I didn't take advantage of his knowledge while I was there I guess. Kenna and I were the only ones home, so I didn't get a picture of me with my head under the sink. Sad day.

These are some pictures of my kidos on the tramp. They sure love that, warm or cold. They tell the story well, one minute they get along great, the next there is a bunch of wrestling going on. This last one, I don't know---time out????This is part of a city of blocks and animals Kate, Kenna, and Chase built last Sunday. It took up the whole floor of Kate and Kenna's room. There was a hotel with a pool, stores to buy whatever at and a mansion. They wouldn't clean it up until I took pictures so they could "build it exactly the same next time."

This is what Chase spent his afternoon today building. I'm not sure why--that's just Chase.

One last sad (or not so much) note, Smokey went to heaven yesterday. We aren't sure why. He did seem to have a cold, but who knows. I wish now I would have taken a picture of him with his saber teeth. His teeth were deformed and didn't rub against each other right to ground down, so the would grow huge, once starting to go up his nose. Mike learned how to trim them after one trip to the vet cost more than the silly rabbit. Kate doesn't really seem to sad about it, which is good. The biggest problem is now they are all talking about what pet they want to get next.