We went snowboarding!

Ouch is about all I can say.

I'm taking the photo, but I promise I snowboarded too--twice. My tailbone is still lecturing me about it.



Sam and Julia absolutely loved it, and they were naturals. Em, not so much. She and my friend (the one in the photo) hit the lodge after their first run while I went back up with the rest of the kids for another run, masochist that I am.

Unfortunately, my surfin'/ skateboardin' honey couldn't come with us, so we'll have to go back again when he has off. Em and I plan to try skiing next time, but the rest of the gang will snowboard. More power to 'em. I used to be a pretty avid skiier back in high school, so I feel confident that it won't hurt nearly as much. At least that's what I keep telling my tailbone.

We were able to go for the Pennsylvania learn to ski day, so we got a lesson, the equipment, and a half day lift ticket for $10 per person. It's a really great deal and worth checking into if you live anywhere near a mountain. Of course, we got sucked into buying their special beginner package, but we live so close to the resort that it seems a sin not to take advantage of it now that all the kids are old enough. Jim has every other Friday off of work now, too, so we'll be able to do a lot more family trips on off hours. Yay!

Holiday Fun!

Here's one of those drive-by picture posts, just so I can say that I've updated the blog, and so that I can prove to Madeline that we made good use of her gingerbread mold that I still haven't returned.

Christmas morning. Those are original Lionel trains under the tree that Jim's dad had when he was young. It's hard to say who has more fun with them every year: Jim, his dad, or the kids. I'm in the back checking the fire in the wood stove:


Here's Sam with his new cowboy guns. I think they're the same ones that he wanted to win so desperately from Marty Dodd at the St. Louis Live and Learn Conference several years ago. He's quite pleased with them! Better late than never. And yes, Kelly, if you read this blog, those are our caricatures from the conference on the wall behind the sofa. Connections, connections!

This is also a good shot of the basement family room we've been working on, for those following that ongoing saga:



Gingerbread house fun on Christmas Day:



Not a particularly good picture of the gingerbread houses, but it's photographic proof anyway:


An afternoon romp in the pastures, trying to work off all the food we've eaten already. Don't know if you can see them, but Sam has his guns and holster for good measure:



I'm bringing up the rear a bit more slowly. It's the mimosas and the eggs benedict draggin' me down. Jules, of course, was sweet enough to run back down the hill to keep me company:


Had to include this one of tattoo fun:


And last but not least, a New Year's Day hike on the Appalachian Trail. Happy New Year all! Maybe this year I'll get my new year's cards out before April. Maybe....