Mt. Avalon

Dad and I went for a winter hike up in Crawford Notch last weekend. We climbed Mount Avalon. We ended up with a beautiful day. It was pretty cold, but the skies were nice and clear. The view from the top was amazing - the view of the Mt. Washington weather station was crystal clear. The last quarter-mile was incredibly steep, and without crampons I backslid a half-step for every step forward. But on the way down, the steepness was an advantage. I sat on my butt, and slid for a hundred yards at a shot halfway down the mountain. Next time, I'm going to bring a little saucer-style sled!

Lazy Sunny Morning

Aren't these pictures so sweet? Carter came to find Sadie. She was lying in the sunny spot in the kitchen, and Carter laid down beside her. There were lots of cute little moments between the two of them. It's so nice that the kids have finally started to take an interest in the dogs. It took five years, but it's finally happening.

Snowshoes

The kids got snowshoes for Christmas, and we tried them out last weekend. Carter tired of them quickly - I think it was because they are so big compared to her feet, that she had trouble walking without them overlapping. But Sean loved them. When he would struggle with them a little, I would check with him to ask if he wanted me to take them off. And every time he said no, and kept going. He and I went exploring out in the woods, and did great. I should try taking him on a short hike with those snowshoes. He might love it.

Goofiness

Just a goofy picture of Carter. Lori asked her to make a silly face, and this is what she came up with. I love her eyes - sometimes the blue of her eyes looks so pale, it's almost gray. Sometimes when she's just playing around, she'll make these eyes and just stare me down until I bust out laughing.

Gymnastics

Last Friday night, Ryan slept over and Lori took the kids to gymnastics. I still can't get over how cool that foam block pit is. Wouldn't you love to just dive right in there?!? It's all I can do to restrain myself on the rare occasion when I get to go with Lori and the kids.

Goofin’ Off

This one is just a pic of the kids being silly. They were laying upside-down on the couch, with their heads on the floor. They they'd raise their legs over their head, and put their feet on the ground, stand up, and do it all over again.

Another Paper Portrait

Another paper portrait - this one was a gift for my mom for her 50th birthday. It's from a photo of her, her brother, and her sister when they were all kids. Mom is the one on the right. This was by far the most complicated one I've done so far, and also the largest. It took a lot longer than the others, but it was a lot of fun to do.

Pledge of Allegiance

Sean tried to recite the pledge of allegiance to me from memory last night. Here's how it went:

"I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the amerit states of America, and to the repumbic for which it stands, one nation, under guard, ini-visible, for May, June, and July!"

I made him recite it several times, so I could write it down to share with all of you. Lori and I were cracking up.

Birthday T-shirts

I got a screenprinting kit for Christmas (thanks, Mom!), and tried it out by making t-shirts for Sean's birthday party. I got some clearance t-shirts at Wally's for only a couple of bucks apiece, and made some Mario-themed shirts for the kids' goodie-boxes. I forgot to take a picture of a finished shirt, but I'll do that soon. Here are a few pictures of the screen itself, that I used to print the shirts.