Tuesday, June 13, 2017

January/February 2017

These kids adore Penny.  It's common to hear Jack in high sweet voice say, "Penny is just sooo cute!"

Sasha requested a bowling party with all the girls from her class for her 9th birthday this year.  She also was given a little gift from God of a snow day (the only one of the year) on her actual birthday. 

Sasha had so much fun with all her girlfriends

She wanted a chocolate cake with raspberry filling that she saw in one of my cookbooks. 

Some of Sasha's favorite things at this age are reading Harry Potter books or any book for that matter, playing games (especially Barbie, Monopoly), scary movies, tennis (which she has been taking lessons in since last summer), Penny, hanging out with Jack and her best friends Katie, Lida, and Maya, baking delicious desserts, and going on vacations.

Jack got to bowl with his best buddy Liam whose sister is in Sasha's class.

Winter skies are so beautiful in Santa Fe!


Katie's birthday gift to Sasha was a Hatchimal which they somehow manage to play with for hours.

Jack, the lego master

A common scene:  Sasha reading book at the kitchen counter

Making Valentine boxes

The hot tub cake that Sasha saw a video of how to make on kids utube.  Turns out it is harder than it looks!

Still love reading to my babies every night before bed


Happy 42nd Birthday, Dad!

Sasha shocked the pants off us by wanting to be on the cheer squad this year.  She mostly enjoyed hanging out with Katie, but she also enjoyed cheering at all the basketball games.  I am trying to convince her to PLAY basketball next year!

For President's Day Weekend we rented a condo up in the Taos Ski Valley and enjoyed 2 great days of skiing.  The kids had a half day lesson to start and then we enjoyed skiing together the rest of the time.  The skiing highlight for me was hiking up to a wide open black diamond bowl and all of us skiing down together.  The daybed in the living room of the condo got a lot of use.

Jack and Sasha enjoy creating all kinds of structures with these Kapla blocks.  This is a game they invented similar to Jenga--it's really fun!

We have the best babysitter on the planet.  Shane babysits Sasha and Jack a couple times a month in the evenings and they adore her.  They whoop with joy when they know we are going out on a date.  Sasha loves Shane's stories, history lessons, and musings on life and Jack just says she is so fun.  She did this make-your-own plate set with them one night. 

Sunday, June 11, 2017

December 2016

Wrapping the first Christmas gifts

first snow

The kids take turns putting the angel on top of the tree.  I wonder how long Phil can continue to lift her up there!  We got the biggest tree on record since we are anticipating a special Christmas with Phil's entire family coming to our house.

The kids had their own photo shoot when we weren't looking.  Who knew Christmas trees could be cool?



Jack played Minuet 1 at his studio recital and did a great job!

Christmas Penny

A beautiful warm December afternoon at the dog park, a place we go a couple times a week.  Penny loves interacting with the other dogs and owners there.

Christmas morning.  Sasha and Jack received the Santa hats in their stockings and wore them all day every day for the rest of Christmas break.

Doing a God's eye from the new kit that Sasha gave him.

Jack's spiral staircase that he created from the new Kapla blocks.  He thought, and we agree, that it looks like the Michigan house stairs.

The gang is all here!  We had a great time. 

Advent wreath singing and story time before bed

Christmas Eve dinner at The Pink Adobe


The Canyon Road Farolito walk

Phil and his precious filet that he prepared for Christmas dinner

Christmas dinner complete with homemade crackers that Sasha and Jack made out of empty toilet paper rolls.  Each contained a piece of candy, a joke, and a fortune. 

All the kids enjoyed a pinata that Dolores made for us.  We also enjoyed a day of skiing but don't have the pictures to document it.  The only low point was when a sledder ran into Grandpa Jon and injured his shoulder.  He had to be in a sling and later have surgery when he got back to Indiana.