December cheer

Happy holidays.  I'm not sure where the month has gone, but I know we've been doing something?  Josh lost his front tooth, love the toothless grin.  Dan returned from his trip to NZ (I should steal his phone and share the photos here).  I did a crazy giveaway on the Outside Inn's blog, below is the photo we staged for the winner's post.  We started ski season!  Oh the joy.  I'll admit our first day was not the smoothest, but we've since recovered our a-game and got our act a bit more together.   Photos from some sunny and not-so-sunny ski days. We celebrated family togetherness in Tahoe with Miles, Lisa, Peg, Mom, Dieter, Emme and us.  Love the vintage photo from a prior family trip to Tahoe (circa April 1982).  We've spent some time hanging out with Nora and despite what her parents think we're not at all phased by short periods of screaming.  We do feel bad that she gets the hiccups when she's been crying too hard, but nothing was permanent.  On a whole it's been a lovely month... the boys both declared this year's Christmas "the best ever,"  I like the photo of Josh and Dan playing with Josh's new toy, who do you think is more excited?   We enjoyed our walk to the Deer Creek Tribute Trail with David, Pam and Tavish and a meet up with Peg & Mom in the middle of Christmas.  And we're ready to ring in the new year, "only 6 more sleeps till my birthday" exclaims the youngest member of the family.  Merry Christmas.

November blessings

These two trouble makers....  this photo is an outtake from our Christmas card photo shoot with my friend Georgette.  I think Josh's expression says a lot.  I talk a lot about blog agendas and I often mention about how consistency is important.  And while I've been actively blogging on the family front for the longest, it's the blog I update the least, but my personal goal is twice a month (whereas the motel blog is a 2-3 time a week agenda).  So on the eve of the last day of the month here are a few random November tid bits...  

We're currently all missing Dan, who's in New Zealand.  He'll be back on Wednesday, but 2 weeks is a long time for the rest of us.  Josh keeps saying how he "really, really, really, really loves Dad" and loves him a lot and needs 10 snuggles a day to help him cope.  I'm currently suffering from the chronic over achiever syndrome.  Ben has had a few moments, but on a whole I'd say we're all coping.       

We went to Tahoe for Thanksgiving and got to hang out with Megan, Dan and the adorable Nora.  I took a new head shot for Megan.  Hopefully the family photos will work for their holiday card?

A photo of us on a family walk before Thanksgiving dinner.  

Playing the game of Life.

Reading "Dummies for Mine Craft" while walking through a parking lot.

And another teaser from our holiday photos....  Excited about what December brings...

Camping and Cabot Science Museum

We went for a final camping adventure for the year.  Thanks to the Clarkes for inviting us to join them at the Anthony Chabot Regional Park.  Before we went camping we spent the afternoon at the Cabot Space and Science Museum. 

Ben & Josh, fall colors

The tree in my mother's yard is at its peak fall color prime, so somehow I convinced the boys to take "only 3 photos" (laughing, because obviously I got in a few bonus shots).  We have used this same set up/shot for many Christmas cards (click here or here).  

Inn Town Campground

A photo of us from earlier this year taken by my friend Kat Alves.  The Inn Town Campground was approved for our use permit yesterday.  Here's a link to the Outside Inn blog post I wrote about it.  We have so much work ahead of us... but we're excited!!!!  

A trip to Tahoe

A perfect fall day... it started with skipping my normal 5:45am workout and puttering in my craft room, making Dan some coffee and going to the gym with all 4 of us together.  (I can barely move, Dan is a hard workout buddy).  I dragged the boys to Smith Vineyard to take some photos for today's Outside Inn blog post, love the photo of Ben running throught the vineyard above.  We also picked some pumpkins from their pumpkin patch.

Then Ben, Josh and I drove to Tahoe to spend some quality time with little Nora.  Her parents went for a mountain bike ride and we did some story time, a walk to the pond and hung out.  The photo of Ben reading to Nora and Josh truly made my day.

I got Ben to capture this photo of Nora passed out on the walk, precious little person.  So glad to be an auntie, she woke up and cried and we gave her back to her parents.  Dan joined us later for a relaxed evening in Tahoe, today's fun included Monopoly, a trip to buy some skis for Ben, another walk to the pond and a nap!  Love a mini vacation... now I'm home and those dishes and piles of laundry are still waiting for me...   

Post Hike-a-thon and wedding photos

The boys went to the Camp Marin Sierra for a Cub Scout campout and this is the photo of the two of them post the hike-a-thon, where they both walk 10 loops, roughly equalivalent to 10 miles.  And we went to our friends Sasha & Evan's wedding in town, so while I didn't take many photos of the wedding, couldn't pass on an opportunity to show us dressed up.

Congrats Sasha & Evan!