Saint Nicholas visits PreK

The Tree

Ella and Dave are setting up the old train to go around the base of our Christmas tree.

The Annual Christmas Party at the Hubert's

So we finally got to have the party at Christmas time again!!! Last year we didn't have the party at all because Jack was just a few weeks old. The year before that, Ella was in the hospital at the end of November so we postponed it to February. So, it was fun to decorate the house and get everything ready for the Christmas party.

The spread before everyone added their snacks to share - in addition to what's here, we had Artichoke Dip and Blarney Dip and more cookies and all kinds of other yummy snacks!

Meg and Ella were very excited for the party this year! This is the first year that they got to be hostesses - they helped greet people at the door and take their coats upstairs out of the way. They did a very good job!!! I think their favorite part was getting all dressed up!

Jack is ready to party!!!

Theresa, Amy, Julie and Duncan

Jim and Tammy, Lynette, Jodi, and Sierra

Jack hanging out with Miss Larissa

Meg, Erin, Ella and Annie, and Megan

Ciara, Blaine behind her, Lyza, Annie, Ella, Meg and Megan

Thanks to Sam for sharing the pictures he took at our party!!! :)

The Annual Tree Hunt

We headed up the mountain on Saturday to get our tree. We stopped a third of the way up the mountain as we just had the van. It was also very foggy and we weren't sure the conditions were going to be very good for very long so we hopped out and started hiking down the road to find the perfect tree!

Brook still loves playing in the snow. She still chases snowballs deep into the piles of snow and then will find sticks to flop at you until you throw them. She then romps through the snow to find the sticks.

Dave finds a tree that he likes! We all trudged up the hill to check it out.

Even though its needles are a little longer than I usually prefer, it is a pretty tree and because it was growing up against these rocks, it was nice and full.

And the girls enjoyed the built-in slide on the rocks!

Ella loves to eat the snow!!!

Meg and Ella were very helpful in hauling the tree back up to the van. Jack and I went the long way around, back the way we came, to pick up the sled.

Our van with Steamboat Rock in the background and tree successfully loaded on top! I think I'll send this photo to Honda - maybe they can use it for some marketing this Christmas season -- well except that they'd have to PhotoShop it to make the van all sparkling and clean!

Thanksgiving in Casper

Well first I must advise you to visit Jodi's blog here for lots of fun pictures of our Thanksgiving celebration in Casper. We had such a great time and the amazing weather was part of the experience! Most of us walked over to the local elementary school and played on the playground. It was so nice to be outside and enjoy the warm sun on Thanksgiving.

WATIKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dear friend Michelle moved to Colorado with her family this past summer. Her daughters, Madeline and Sophia are both just 2 weeks younger than Meg and Ella so we all hung out together a lot. Her parents live in Rapid City and she was there for Thanksgiving week so we headed on over with another friend, Julie and her two kiddos. I believe a good time was had by all!!! My only complaint: leaving Sheridan at 3:30pm on Tuesday and heading back to Sheridan on Wednesday at about 5 pm is not enough time. We hope to make it a tradition and to add more time to our stay in Rapid City!!!

The crowd: back row, R to L:Missi holding Jack, Michelle and Julie; front row R to L: Madeline, Ella, Meg, Sophia, Morgan, and Ethan who was very glad that Jack was there so he wasn't the only boy!!!
THE TOILET BOWL!!!
Madeline

Meg enjoying the toilet bowl experience...


My opinion is that the toilet bowl at Watiki is much gentler than the one in Denver's Water World... first of all, you get to ride the tube so you don't get torn up by the seams and second of all, it ends just like a regular water slide instead of dropping straight into the water and making one feel completely disoriented like I did in Denver!!!

Bird's Eye view of Ella and Sophia climbing into their tubes to brave the lazy river -- nothing to brave, by the way... nice and relaxing...


Bird's eye view of Julie and Michelle in deep conversation while Jack napped nearby in his little tent --- he is such a good little boy!!!

Jack's favorite spot was this trough of water - he could splash and splash and not be affected by the huge bucket of water that dumped periodically!

Doesn't he look so tiny standing there???

That's Meg floating by...

Ella

Missi and Jack

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Rapid City to see Michelle and the girls -- we also squeezed in a tiny bit of shopping and a yummy pizza dinner at Boston's.

We miss you Michelle, Madeline and Sophia - oh and Aaron too!!! :)