PowWow

We went to a PowWow here on campus last week and had a great time! It was in a huge gymnasium, so imagine the deafening sound of at least eight drum circles. The kids were a bit nervous about all the warriors walking around, but by the time we had finished our Navajo taco's, they were ready to check things out.

This sure was a far cry from the PowWow's in Wisconsin. I remember mom taking me to one when I was in high school. It seems like we drove out of the city quite a way and ended up in the middle of the woods where there were tons of Native Americans gathered dancing, singing, selling their jewelry and other wares. It certainly felt like we'd traveled in time. Thanks for taking me Mom, I loved it!

We tried to take pictures of the dancers, but the men move so fast that most of our shots look like a big feather blur. It was fun though.


I love this shot. What a cut little girl, she's probably 4 yrs old. And, ckeck out the little boy, he thought it was a bit loud too.



This little guy was having a blast! It was sure fun to watch the boys dance!

Aebleskivers

So I made my first attempt at aebleskivers. The lemon zest added just a hint of something different and the kids loved them (no, Kory was not brave enough to vary from his classic pancakes). I was a little leary about turning them, that pan is a bit intimidating,but it worked out. The recipe (we used the classic Danish recipe from Sarah's booklet) made a lot and the I think Gray had them for breakfast over the next week. I'm pretty sure we'll keep making them. Thanks for the Christmas gift Ben and Sarah!

Grand Central Stood Still

Here's a fun video to watch. This would have been so crazy to come across. It's probably the first time people have stopped to pay attention to what was going on at Grand Central Station. I love the papers strewn across the floor.

Snowshoeing

The kids and I strapped on snowshoes a few Saturdays ago and hit the Bonneville Shoreline trail. We didn't make it very far, but we had fun. Gray was all over the place blazing trails and jumping into snow drifts. When we were done, Naomi admitted that she would have rather been in the bike trailer (using the ski attachments instead of wheels) with the drinks and snacks. That's how her previous snowshoeing trip had been, Kory pulling her while she was bundled up with blankets enjoying the scenery.

It's so much fun to have my kids reach an age where we can go out and do stuff like this.

First XC Ski Adventure

I took Gray out cross country skiing a few weekends ago and we had a blast. It was his first time to strap on skis of any sort and he did great. No, it's not snowboarding, but it's still great fun and you don't have to buy a lift ticket. This winter has been excellent for snow and we've been able to go right up Green Canyon which is only a few minutes away from home.

Um, how do I get out of the powder??

Under the Weather

Naomi has been battling the Flu for the last nine days. This picture was a highlight though. Naomi got bubble bath for Christmas so we filled the tub with warm water and bubbles. She eased in to the water and soaked everything she possibly could for quite a long time (she definitely reached the raisin stage). Her little face was the only thing visible and she looked so happy and relaxed that I had to snap a shot.


She's starting to get back to her usual spunky self, but it sure is hard to know your kids feel miserable and there's not much you can do to help.

Aaah, a Week of Leisure

Our holiday season was great this year. We were able to see lots of family and even took a vacation! It's been a while since we were all able to get away together (aside from Interbike, but I don't really count that as a family vacation -- that was work).

It was great to get back to Arizona. I can't believe two years had slipped by since our last trip down there. Steph was a gracious hostess as we crashed at her place for ten days. I'm pretty sure we got in everything on our agenda: read books, swim, relax, bike, hike, shop (ah, what a beautiful DSW sale) and Changing Hands bookstore. And yes, the glass bottle of blueberry juice from Trader Joes did make it home intact after a grueling 14 hours in the bed of the truck.

Kory and Graysen goofing around at the restaurant in Tortilla Flat. Notice all the dollar bills? The place is covered in them.

We spent one day doing the Tortilla Flat/Roosevelt Dam loop. Here's a shot at the Goldfield ghost town.

A trip to the Bass Pro Shop provided a Gray Bear encounter. Hehe, get it? Gray... Bear?

Check out the lizards sunning themselves at South Mountain.

Naomi and the manatee discussing the finer points of Naomi's new Barbie laptop.

It's 10pm and I'm thinking that leaving for work tomorrow morning at 6:45am is going to be tough after two weeks of sleeping in. I'll write more later, but for now, thank you for all your wonderful gifts and holiday wishes. We love you all and hope you have a great new year!