The Snow Fort

We abandoned our snow fort last week. It was -9 degrees the morning after we built it. We officially surrendered.

Retreated indoors with our legos and puzzles. We're waiting for double digits until we repossess the fort. This morning it was 5 degrees.

Getting better...

A New Year

I have finally made my New Year's resolution.

A letter with pictures of two crazy boys will be sent to California each month for my internet deprived grandparents. Either that or a phone call. Something every month.

There we have it. In print.

Somebody please bang a pot.


Thanks guys.

We were in St George with most of Dave's family for New Year's Eve. We missed you Ted and Leslie!

Poor Gage was sick that afternoon (all over Costco's floor and most of Dave's BC surf shop shirt) so Gage and I sent the family off to their shrimp dinner and stayed in. But party we did. We munched our Cafe Rio pork salad, sipped our Horchata and watched us a Disney Channel movie. This kid is the best cuddler. The perfect date for dinner and a movie.

Thanks to grandparents, I did join the party up at the house. Karoke was in full swing.
Ali and I schooled Dave and Jake at badmitten and the Wagner boys participated in the Winter Hot Tub Obstacle Course (you know, jump in the cold pool then run and touch the front door then jump back in the hot tub).



A great New Year's Eve. Thanks Greg and Lisa.

Rocks in a jar

Today we broke these rocks into pieces from the big slab we hauled back from St. George, Utah. Now they have a home on Noah's top shelf. I'm thinking I need to add a jar full of acorns from the Michigan woods. Remind me in the summer.


We chiseled these babies right off a wall down in the Glitter Pits. A drive out to the desert and a short walk around mounds of glitter with a pile of cousins got us to the right spot. We seriously took a hammer to the wall and filled up a bag.

Another day we climbed and lugged and hopped around this great red rock park with the same pile of neices and nephews. Dave and I couldn't get enough of St. George blue sky and sweatshirt temperatures. It was lovely.


Yet another day found us at the sand dunes in Snow Canyon. A huge sand turtle was made, super deep holes were dug, and of course a jumping contest was had.

Dave

Jamison

Parker

My vote's on Jamison for distance and definitely Parker for style. What's your vote?

Maybe I should have brought home some red sand. And could someone please figure out how to put some blue sky in a jar? Noah's top shelf could really start to fill up.

We're home

"Since he doesn't have an ID, I need him to tell me his name."
"Ok. Tell him your name, buddy."
"D.J."
Under the stern glance of the security guard I say, "No, that's a car, tell him your name."
"Lightning McQueen, ca-chow"
"No sweetie, tell him your name."
"Thomas"
"Nope, that's a train, tell him your name."
"Leo"
The security guard is still seriously not letting us through.
"I'm 3, and my name is Noah" he finally says.
I let out an exasperated breath and the guard waves us on with the tiniest bit of a smile on his lip.

This was the scene last summer when I flew to Washington with the boys. This time the boy was well trained. Said his name before he was even asked, put his shoes in the bin, and knew he'd get his backpack back.

It was a long day. Two flights to get you from Salt Lake to Detroit. But the kids did great. They both did a lot of this...


And a little bit of this...


Now it is time for us to unpack this mess and get back to this Michigan life. Good night!

Merry Christmas

Birth Story

Gage Christian born July 14, 2007

My Lovely Lindsay friend is doing a week's worth of birth stories on her blog. Gage's story is today, day 4, read it here. Scroll down to read her first post to start the series, it's beautiful.

A Good Deed

After he shoveled the sidewalk and brushed all the snow off our car, little Noah started work on the neighbor's.

(Yes, I am taking this picture from inside the front door with warm slippers on my feet.)