My first time skiing...

More to come...

Front yard skiing...

This is Saturday afternoon in our front yard.

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The run is short, but it is convenient.

We got 4-6 inches of snow yesterday, and another 4 today.

Side Note:

I slipped and fell going down our front steps to get in the car for church. I hit my head on the bottom step, but luckily not hard. It produced a few tears and a bump on the back of my head, but no lasting damage. I got in the car, went to church and taught 3 year-olds like usual. Next Sunday I am definitely going through the garage to get to the car.

On this next Friday, I am going to give the skiing thing a shot. This is the question: If I can't stand up without falling down without skis on, what are my chances of being able to make it down the ski hill right side up? Just something I've been pondering...

Snowflake upon snowflake...

This morning we woke to beautiful, huge white flakes pouring down onto our Eastern Idaho soil.

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It is easy to complain about the cold and the slick roads, but it is beautiful to see and wonderful to behold, and certainly needed. Plus we have taken up a new pasttime...

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Confession...

Madi really did want me to post something...but I was the one who picked the chicken joke. She just thought that it was about time for me to do a little blogging. But it was I who was less than mature. (Hope you at least smiled a little!)

Special Request...

Madi wants me to post something. So here it goes...

Why did the hen cross the road ?
To prove she wasn't chicken !

Off to BYU...

It was Friday night. Boxes lay, some open, some shut and full, around the living room--a maze amid the left-over Christmas clutter.

"Mom, will you give me a haircut?" This is the final step of preparation. Seth is going to BYU-I in the morning.

His dark curls hit the floor sporadically, his will bent to comply. This is a chore that has been repeated for 18 years, over and over again. In the past couple of years it has been less often, leaving his mass of dark, unruly curls to find their own place.

After sister-hugs, the morning led us into a crisp Eastern Idaho, down a well-traveled highway. 15 minutes later we drove down the University exit.

At the end of the day, I returned alone.

Yes, he is only 20 minutes from home; a hop in the car away. He reminds me that it is easy to ride his bike there.

But, he is not here. He has taken one more step away from us. One more step towards "all grown up."

Happy 21st Birthday, Bethany!

She is now completely legal! And it is fun to have her here in Rigby on her special day! We love you, Bethany!

Challenge...

Calling all those who received Reindeer Limbo for Christmas! Watch this video and feel amazed! (Or competitive!) We don't have Reindeer Limbo--only the original one! ( I can only do 2 blocks down--I'm not the flexible one around here! Taylor did almost down to the floor tonight, too!)

Happy New Year's Eve!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

And it is here!

The ultimate snow day...


And a long winter's nap.

Shhhh--hope your holiday is wonderful!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

This is a little video of our family and our friends, The Saathoffs, enjoying Christmas Eve together. (Make sure you turn off our blog music before you start the video--or you might get a music overload!) More to come as soon as I have another minute...


continued...We planned for a Mexican dinner for Christmas Eve, and we got a little carried away--the girls made homemade tamales, beans, rice, 7-layer dip, and tres leches for desert (along with peppermint candy and vanilla ice cream--and homemade chocolate sauce!),

Taylor demonstrates how to construct a tamale

First you spread out your wet corn husk...
Then you put on some masa...
And you spread it out..And shape it into a rectangle.Then you put some filling down the middle of the masa (this tamale is chicken!)...

Add a little sauce (this one has tomatillo salsa)...

And tie it up into a little package!Now they are ready to be steamed! (The ones with white string are pork; the ones with pink string are chicken) MMM, MMM!

and so it gave us a really good excuse to invite friends to share with us! They brought over some juice, a great salad and little Smokies (Taylor was ecstatic!), and also their chimes. We had dinner, and after, while the adults visited, the kids prepared the Nativity play for us.


Mary (Olivia Saathoff), Joseph (Taylor Hull) & baby Jesus (Bitty Baby)Then we played the chimes and sang carols together. After the Saathoffs headed for home (got to get in bed so Santa can come!), we opened one present each (new jammies for the whole crew!) and then played Apples to Apples.
This is a summary of our
first Christmas Eve in Rigby, ID!