7canzers

Shedding X-country ski gear, but not the poly-pro, the kids decided they were going to pool their lego and create together.  Ahhhh……I love how well they create and play together.  It makes my heart happy.

All ends well!

We have never been able to build a snow cave here.  The snow is just not very often “right” for making blocks.  But it was pretty awesome that while our friends were here, it was perfection.  With around-about 10 people it made the process pretty quick.  Some were making the blocks…..Some were placing them….Some were just having a lark…..One was just having to watch because he broke his LEG! the first day skiing 🙁Me?  Well I pretty much did nothing to help.  Except using my camera so we remember that this actually happened 🙂We made quick progress – it took about 3 1/2 hours to get to this point.And soon after it was closed in!!It was all rather exciting.  Got to snap a couple of pic’s inside the cave.
Over the next couple of days the entrance got changed.  It was pretty grand!!The 4 bigger girls spend a night out there even!!!And it got decorated too!!!

It survived the whole winter and finally disintegrated sometime in March.

Our friends have come here via a 6 month stint in Switzerland, and they made us this traditional Swiss meal.  The Dad’s put together an improvised system to keep the cheese warm – big nails pounded into plywood to suspend the pot and cut down aluminum cans filled with meths. Perfection!

My summer-turned-winter baby is having a birthday!Some money from Grandma and Grandad!Our kids like to close their eyes when they are opening presents.  I think it makes the surprize that much more exciting.I love the siblings are genuinely excited for their brother,
And that they all played with his one gift!  It was sweet to watch.We are having a birthday party later in the month, so for now it was an apple pie “cake”.This goofy girl wears a beanie any chance she can get, even at pie time.

Every year, Kent hides the kids stockings.  They are eagerly awaiting the word ‘go’ to take off on the treasure hunt.
Sunglasses, just because.And being very excited with what she found inside her stocking!Some present opening, just one gift before breakfast.Our breakfast feast, with everyone in the frame. bar the cook/photographer.
And now fully into the presents!  Kent got a speaker, which he was very happy about.Sequoia made me the most amazing scrapbook.  I was super touched by her thoughfulness.  She couldn’t have given me a better gift.Grandma knitted Chelise the coolest doll.Pretty happy with her book,I got a new backpack!A little reading,more presents (we are so spoiled!)New ski’s for this one.And then sometime later in the day we headed out for a walk / sled.

We were on our own this year, and we enjoyed a day of it just being us and our agenda 🙂