Family Time

We finally had time as a family to go sledding.

It has been getting harder with kids growing older.

I cherish the time we can spend together as a family.

 There was a lot of goofiness going on.....

I love that we can spend fun times together. I just wish I hadn't gotten cold.

One of these times I will get me some snow pants.

Kaleb always reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes 

when he sleds down a hill on a saucer.

Woo Hoo Daphne! Catchin' Air

I'm glad Jared isn't too cool to go sledding with his Mom and Dad!

 They finally put the heavy one in the front. The other times 

Victoria was in the front and Jared swung around to the front like 

crack the whip. They spun around backwards. 

It made me nervous but they of course, loved it.

 It only lasts so long....

This proves that even at 50 you can still roll!

Friday Outing

I love our Friday outings.

What better way to learn....in the great outdoors.

We have been discussing winter survival and what the animals

 as well as humans do to survive in freezing temperatures.

We have also been keeping out eyes out for animal tracks.

We saw where deer slept at night and where a deer mouse skittered across 

the trail and into it's hiding place.

 Whenever we head out, I can always count on my Eagle Scout

 to have everything we need if we get stranded out on the mountain.

Even though we were only in Green Canyon it was good knowing that 

we probably had everything that we needed in his day pack.

 The fun part about Fridays is we bring Nana with us. She keeps us entertained.

This was her first time out on snowshoes. 

She went to step around a lady and three dogs on the trail, 

stepped on her own snowshoe and fell over.

We spent the next ten minutes laughing our heads off trying to get her back upright.

It was pretty funny. I can still laugh about it even now thinking about it.

 Every time I turned around Victoria was eating.

 Where Kaleb is standing the snow was actually a couple feet deep. If he hadn't been wearing snowshoes he would have sunk up to his knees. 

It was absolutely beautiful. 

Recess!

The Joys of Homeschooling....

When it's recess, you get to pull goats on sleds!

Good to the last crumb!

This is what you get when you mix boys with dogs....

Sammy licking the inside of a chip bag.

(Don't you just love the duck tape on the floor? 

We bought the house that way....aren't you jealous?)

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

A little late....it is after Kaleb's birthday now,

Oh well,

better late than never?

This was the first time in 25 years that we were all together for 

Christmas on the Thomas side of the family. Actually, if you count Christmas, 

then it has been 38 years!!

We were missing a few grown kids though.

But for the most part, we were all together.

It was amazing!

My sister Kim and her guy Erik came for a surprise visit

 along with Aunt Carol, Kathy, Troy, Blue and Rich! 

It was so fun to be together for the whole day.

 I didn't want it to end.

I have to laugh...Jared looks the same in all the pictures.

That is so Jared. Even Blue made a face!

 Victoria pulled one over on the boys....this year both of THEM received huge,

 gigantic, chunks of COAL from Santa! She had an "in" with the 

big guy and from the help of a family friend who still had coal 

in her basement from the 1900's.

And Kaleb is in seventh heaven with his new Safety Sweatshirt.

Don't ask me why this was on his list....he just loves it.

Rather than Victoria receiving coal in her stocking this year 

she received a hand made butt whacker by Jared with aerodynamic holes.

 I guess this is what you do when you have spare time in the wood shop.

This is me before I fell on my backside....Ouch!

These guys are a huge part of our family. We are their pack.

They look so innocent....don't they?

A New Friend

Headbutt

Jacks.....I'll show you who's the boss!