Good-bye 2017...

January.

February.

March.

April.

May.

June.

July.

August.

September.

October.

November.

December.

One more good year.

Each one better than the last.

New year's Eve!

We spent most of New Year's Eve dead and on the couch.

At least everybody else did.

I spent eight hours updating this blog to squeak in under the wire!

I did take a break to go out to dinner with the kids and then they went to bed and we woke them up at 11:50 to see the ball drop:

and to bring in the New Year in Style!

Ski Trip!

We loaded up and headed to Mt. Spokane for a couple days of skiing.

Getting ready in the parking lot:

It was snowy like crazy the whole day!  

We spent a couple hours getting use to skis again and then had an early lunch:

This is what the top of every run looked like and you sort of had to just take the plunge and hope you could make it!

I just love seeing the kids out there--Mt Spokane was small enough that we saw them often.

hot chocolate break.

Jemma and Henry ski together and they are so good to each other and watch out for each other the whole time.  Ava brought a friend so they spent most of the morning on the bunny hill and Ed and Jack took off so I got in a couple runs by myself.

but Jack and I did the last one together.

It was getting late and they turned on the lights which was awesome in the snow.

We checked into our hotel and showered for dinner and then met the Doane's at Red Robin and then hit the hotel pool and then conked out:

The next morning was freezing! And windy and foggy.

but we geared up

she's pretty cute.

And after lunch the sun came out and the wind died and it was just gorgeous:

The kids were able to spend the afternoon with their friends and it turned out to be a great day.

trying to get a picture

there we go!

This one is such a trooper!!

She takes such good care of Henry and she is so brave and willing to try anything and was eternally cheerful.  She's so busy skiing that I did not get a single picture so this was one a friend shot.

Rest days

 This year we kept the tree up for one last round of Christmas movies on Christmas night but bright and early on the 26th, Jack and I took it down:

And we spent the day looking at presents and trying to find homes for them, we used some coffee gift cards and Jemma had an Old Navy shopping spree:

we watched some Peppa Pig

and did a whole lot of sledding.

In fact, Henry was out one day from breakfast till dinner

and we watched more Hallmark movies.

It was some good, lazy days.

Merry Christmas!

Waiting (oh so) patiently to hear "Joy to the World"

So excited!

playing Santa

these faces.

hoping he gets a present too!

Yes!!

We cleaned up and headed to Lewiston for the next round of Christmas.

The rest of us ate some breakfast but this one waited patiently right here:

checking out new toys

the girls both help with dinner now

Yum!

And then we headed home to walk some of that off.

What a perfect Christmas day!