(S)Now you see it (s)now you don't

Ski School First Day was on Friday. They will have four lessons this year.

Ben and Makayla

Mindy, Kayla, Mandy (friend), Mackensey, Ben

Mindy is learning how to snowboard this year. Our family's rule is that you have to be 12 in order to snowboard and Mindy was soooo excited to try it out! She was in a large class of four boys (ages 9-10) and four girls around Mindy's age. The teacher took the boys and the assistant took the girls. After the 1 1/2 hour class time the assistant felt that the girls were ready to go up the lift and snowboard down the bunny hill. The class was over, but she did it on her own time. Mindy jumped at the chance and basically got extra one-on-one instruction. She said that she went from being the worst in the class and now she thinks that she might be the best. She says that when skiing she could look around and enjoy the view. But when snowboarding she kept going toward the trees and falling in the powder until the teacher said, "Mindy, you have to look where you want to go because that is where the board goes!" After she figured that out she wasn't falling so much.

Maddy made this guitar holder for me in woodshop as a Christmas present. I love it! I couldn't get her to stand next to it for the picture, so I got Mackensey and Makayla to stand next to their guitars.

It snowed every day for three days before ski lessons. Then we got a warm wind Friday night and by Saturday morning 90 percent of the snow was gone! We made homemade pizza for lunch on Saturday and ate it outside on the back deck. It was a warm 40 degrees. 

For activity days this week Mackensey and Makayla learned a technique called arm knitting. Mackensey made this scarf in just one day! I told her she looks like a college student today. 

Barry took Mindy and Maddy to the temple yesterday, it was Mindy's first time of doing baptisms for the dead. Barry was able to do the baptizing. It was a great week for us!

Christmas Traditions, Old and New

With candy saved from Halloween we started a new tradition of making gingerbread houses.

Barry looked up a recipe for Royal frosting. It was nice and stiff so the houses did not crumble.

Maddy made a gluten free gingerbread house.

We ALL had fun and I think we'll do it again next year!

Yum, Yum!

We made the houses on Christmas eve.

We demolished them and ate them the week after Christmas.

Christmas Eve pajamas we exciting this year with the addition of toe socks!

And they all came tumbling down...

The kids got Mario Kart for the wii and 3 steering wheels. So fun!

Mackensey had gotten a bow and arrow set with her own money a few months ago. She has had so much fun shooting it and teaching her siblings how. For Christmas she got a few more arrows and Barry made a stand out of 2 hay bales stacked up to attach her targets on. Here they are on Christmas day. 

As part of an old tradition we had hot chocolate and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We added egg nog as a new tradition. Not all the kids liked it, so there was more for those who did! Marianne is being silly to make us laugh. 

Hangin' out. We had a nice long Christmas break this year. Last years break was only 10 days, so we are enjoying the full two weeks off. Barry and I were even able to get away for a night to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary on Dec 27th. 

Took the kids skiing for night skiing on both Saturdays of break. Last night it was really cold so we didn't stay the whole time. We also took the kids to dinner and a movie the day after Christmas. We went to see Frozen and everyone loved it. We don't go out to the movie theater very often and this was a fun day. We went to see it in Colville because the tickets were $2 cheaper per person. It was a small theater and our family took up the entire middle row (there were 8 seats). Maddy spent a lot of time over Christmas break with her close friend Bessie who moved to Alaska this fall and was here with her family over the break. 

Have a great week!