Black Diamonds and Blue Skies

My computer is like new thank goodness!  We are back in business.  :)
This winter we have had more cold than snow!  I took this a few weeks ago and it is the only snowman we have had this year.  Bad news for the mountains.  Not many ski resorts open south of here.

So a couple of weekends ago we went to Mt Bachelor to ski.  We drove up on Sat, shopped, met our friends for dinner at our favorite brewery, and then went out for ice cream.  We can't believe how much their kiddos have grown up!  It was fun to catch up with them.

Avery was fast asleep before we made it to our room.

The next morning we got up early to get the boys to their ski lessons.  Geoff likes to start each season with a lesson.  One big advantage of the lessons:  they force you to get to the mountain early in the morning!  The weather was great-like in the high 40's and low 50's which is so nice when you are skiing.  The boys before their lesson.  Jack is on the left.

 

 

The boys started off with seven kids in their class…but when Geoff picked them up at the end of the day it was just the instructor with the boys.  We think they added instructors at lunchtime and the boys ended up with a semi-private lesson for half the day.  They even finished their lesson with a black diamond!!!  I have never even done a black diamond.  Jack told us he fell twice on the black diamond and that Wyatt fell "hundreds of times".  Then Wyatt said "I was soooo tired."
Geoff and I planned to ski with Avery for the day.

 Avery on skis for the first time (except for when she wore them at our house).

This kid has more equipment than I do.  I am the only one still renting my own equipment.  Someone left these great baby skis at our local board store at a ski swap for free!  Geoff snatched them up.  

Avery's first run!

She wasn't sure about it.  She kept saying "house, house".  That is what she says when she wants to go home.  She made it three runs before Geoff called it quits.  I stayed on the free chair lift all day with our friends that were snowboarding that day.  We also saw another family from the squadron who were skiing this weekend as well.   

We went to a brew pub after skiing with our friends from the squadron.  The pub had a great play area for the kids and great food!  The kids found another play area outside as well.  We were all wiped out from skiing.

We went back into Bend to run a few more errands and we went to the K family's house to visit.  Mr. Joe even set up a volcano for the kids.

Fast forward to last weekend.  Geoff and the boys headed back to Mt. Bachelor and Avery and I stayed home.  She was not happy about them leaving w/o her…so I told her we could bake cookies.  We even broke out some aprons.

 She was reaching for her pocket when I saw her stick her phone under her chin-

 Geoff took this as soon as they were starting to ski…Jack has his goggles on.

Ski break...

Hot cocoa break...

Wyatt's face...

Geoff said they did awesome and did blues the whole day.  I love the few videos he got….feels like you are up skiing with them.  

Under Repair

I know I have mentioned before about our horrible luck with electronics.  Well, the electronics demon has struck again.  My less-than-two-years old Mac mini is in the repair shop bc the hard drive is failing.  Great!  Can someone explain to me how the hard drive starts to fail?  Especially on something so new?  Anyway, that is why I haven't been able to upload any pictures or do any posts.  Praying they can save it and fix it.  Hopefully soon. 

Avery Little Lady

Sometimes I give Avery a daytime shower or bath if we run out of time for one at night.  It is fun because we aren't so rushed.  There is nothing like snuggling with a-just-out-of-the-bath-baby!  

This petite girl can pretty much out-eat all of us.  She regularly eats 2-4 bowls of cheerios for breakfast. She has eaten six (not mini) pancakes for breakfast (with fruit, sausage and milk) at the same meal.  She has learned the words for things she likes such as "keekee" for "cookie" and "cake".  If we say "we don't have cake", she then says "cake peas".  She says "bar" for cereal bar.  

Her jammies are growing shorter….

 …her hair is growing longer...

...and she hums when she eats.  (It is so cute).

She really loves her big brothers and tries to get right in the center and try to imitate anything they are doing.  

She wakes up either saying "mama" or "daddy".  

And she gives the best little hugs ever.

New Year's Day Skate

New Year's Day was the busiest we have ever seen our local rink.  We had to wait in line (unheard of around here) to pay and get skates.  We got Avery the smallest skates they had (size 8) to let her skate for the first time (she wears a size 4).

Testing it out.  

 Off they go!

J did awesome skating - even on his own.  I am crazy about this kid.  

 We met up with our some friends…look at little Bella posing for the camera (can you tell her mama is a professional photographer?)

Wyatt really took off and had a great time.  Geoff got quite the leg and back workout on New Year's Day.  Avery and I both had a head cold but she was the trooper and kept going and going.

W is also getting more and more independent every day.  He skated most of the time with his friend D.

 Taking a break.

Skate turn-in…I'd say the ice rink started the year off right.

 Welcome 2014!  Happy New Year!

Swimming and Snow

Our friends that live up the street moved here from Texas.  They have four kids (including twins) and their oldest son is Jack and Wyatt's age.  Their mom Erin is adamant they keep swimming regularly even here.  She has managed to borrow passes from various homeowners to get us into the local resort pool.  We are trying to go once a week.  We have made three trips in three weeks so we are doing well so far!

  

Wyatt had quite the get-up on one afternoon so I had to get a picture.  We went swimming right after their last day of school before the break.  Their teacher made them scarves with their names on them. Wyatt is wearing his new scarf.  And his swim trunks.  And his Sorel boots.  The other thing I notice in this picture is Jack's jacket.  We bought that two years ago at a ski swap and it was enormous on him.  We had to roll up the sleeves all last winter.  And I just noticed they look slightly short!  

It is even more fun because you can still see snow outside the windows of the pool and I always feel like I am on a vacation at a resort when we go there.   This picture is hilarious to me.  All the kids (but Avery) took a hot tub break and they look like teenagers to me.  The funny part.  If you look carefully there is a man in the hot tub - poor guy - he's probably on vacation…he's just trying to relax in the hot tub…and then there are six kids staring at you.  

    This little one LOVES it.  She starts jumping up and down saying "poohll"  "poohl"  or "I swim" "I  
    swim".