President Day

 This Saturday the sun was shining so we decided to see if we could make it to the top of Striped Peak.  We have tried to make it to the top for the past seven years.  We have been trying to figure out why we can never make it to the top because the hike isn't too long (5 miles) and it isn't too steep.  We have done much harder hikes and made it.  So we brought Maggie to see if she could make it to the top.

 Here we go!!!!

 

Well, the boys (and Maggie) made it to the top (and then ran down the mountain). 

Lizzy decided she was tired so we turned around about 30 minutes from the top.  She was sick the day before so I figure she was actually tired but within 10 minutes of turning around she started running down the mountain and didn't stop til we got to the playground.  Man, she is one fast girl.

Lizzy burned her thumb Sunday with a hot glue gun making sock puppets.  The burn looks like a jellybean.  She has been a pretty good sport about it and has learned her lesson about not touching when her mother tells her not to touch.

 Today, I was sitting by myself enjoying embroidering when one by one my children came to sit by me. 

They still love me.

The best of all. . . .

I finished my curtains (well the first one out of four).  I got the fabric in August or September and have looked at it since then.  Chris made the box above the curtains last month.  Then I got the itch to sew the curtains.  Well, I sewed and sewed and I think I did a pretty good job.  I ordered my other curtain rods for my windows and cannot wait to make the other three curtains. 

Beaver Lake

The boys went to Beaver Lake a couple of weeks ago and went fly fishing.

(Lizzy and I stayed home because we were sick.)

Okay, so the pictures are out of order. . . .

So, the boys are trying to figure out how to get to a little island (that is not the right word because it is connected to the land but you had to go through water to get to the spot they wanted) to fish at.  

 This is a great picture of Thomas. 

 Thomas trying to get the perfect spot while trying not to get wet.

 Here goes Henry!!!!

 I love this picture of Henry fly fishing.

Henry walking out to the perfect fishing spot.  (YEAH, it February and he is walking through the water to catch a fish----a true fisherman).

No fish yet (but one of our friends caught a 20 lb steelhead today---so they are out there).

Fly Fishing

 Okay, this picture isn't of fly fishing but I thought it was really cute. 

Lizzy was so tired on Friday (and so was Maggie) after a day with the boys home.

They are both totally out of it.

 Henry and I have been taking a fly fishing class for the last three weeks.  It was a great class.  It is what I needed to know the basics of fly fishing so I will not get so frustrated when I take the kids out.  I know all about the knots, what type of line is on the pole, how to use the rod and most importantly, Ron showed us where there are some good fishing places around the peninsula.  You know what we will be doing this summer.   

This past week our teacher (Ron Links) took so out to fish Port Williamson for Cutthroat.  (He says he also gets salmon fishing there also but we were trying for Cutthroat!!!!)

 We went when the tides were changing from high to low pretty quickly. 

We fished were there was a stream in the ocean.  It was cool to see the stream go the opposite way the other water was going.  It is where the fish are getting all their food.  Anyway, we hiked about 20 to 30 minutes along the coast to where the river came from the mountains.  I know there are fish there because the bald eagles were circling.   

 So, here is the class fishing.  Yes, we were probably the youngest by 20 years (That is me, Henry on the other hand add another 30 years.)

Practice, practice, practice. 

No we didn't get any fish (nor did anyone else) 

It was a great class.  There is fishing all year long here (and we know where some places are even now!!!!).  Some places you don't even need an license (like the National Park).  YEAH!!!!!

Achievements

 This week has been great!!!!

Thomas can now jump and hit the ceiling as he "walks" by.

I don't know why boys like to run and jump and see how high they can jump but they do.

Everywhere we go, Thomas is jumping and seeing if he can hit the sign, tree branches, etc. I cannot say if Thomas is jumping higher or if he grew that inch that was needed to reach that height.  

Lizzy has slept through the night for 15 nights.  We have been working on this since before Thanksgiving.  YEAH!!!!  She even slept for two nights in a row this week.  The only problem now, is Maggie gets up in the middle of the night and sits by her door shakes her collar until Lizzy wakes up.  Needless to say, we have put up a gate so Maggie cannot go upstairs at night. 

Winter Vacation

I have been having problems downloading pictures onto my blog her a couple of weeks now.  Finally, I remember to ask Chris when he was home to help me.  So, I am backtracking and you get to see what we have been doing for winter vacation......

 My traditional picture in front of the tree with Santa hats.

Christmas day!!!!! 

Thomas got a sleeping bag.

(The pictures are out of order.  Don't know why...anyway.....)

I thought this was a funny picture of our dog guarding the stash during the night.  

She slept there quite awhile and then came in our room.

 Henry's pocketknife.  (He had band-aids all over his fingers) 

 I always need to capture Lizzy's excitement.  She has picture like this for each Christmas.  

Lizzy got a bike.

What we did during the break.

 We went on a couple of bike rides on the waterfront trail (even in her PJ's)

 Thomas put together and took apart this clock.  Over and over and over and over and over.

 We played Just Dance.  Lizzy's favorite is a Hanna Montana song called Hoedown.  She had decided she wants to be a cowgirl.  She is so into horses right now.

Henry got a water gun for Christmas.  Maggie loved it.  She ran and ran and ran and Henry would shot at her.  Maggie would be drenched and tired!!!! 

 Henry whittling.  He has made a envelope opener and a sling shot.
We had a great time playing with our new toys.
We built horse stables with blocks Brad sent us, and other creations. I cut on my new cutting boards.  SO FUN to use when it is beautiful.  And many other things!!!!!!  

For New Years Eve, 

We played Just Dance for hours (even the boys, they would not get their pictures taken), had Sundaes with Bananas, then around 11 pm Lizzy make a tent to sleep in that night and the boys played the Lord of the Rings Lego game, Chris slept (long day at work) and I read.  It was a great night.

The next day the kids decided they were going to do the Polar Dip!!!!!

Crazy but not as crazy if we were somewhere actually really cold.  

 They are going in and coming out.  Didn't get them dipping under the water.  They were too fast. 

 Afterwards,  hanging out watching other crazy people.  

I was surprise Lizzy didn't go all the way under, just put to her knees.  She is my cold water girl.  (even yesterday she wanted to put on her swimming suit and play in the water outside.)

Books and Dogs

Lizzy and I have been reading a lot of books about different dogs.  Lizzy loves Martha books.  

(Martha is a dog that can talk human because her family feeds her alphabet soup everyday.  If Martha doesn't get alphabet soup during the day, she goes back talking dog instead of human.  

So, Lizzy decided Maggie needed to try alphabet soup to see if she could talk human.   

 What can you say, it didn't work, but it was worth a try.

 Lizzy found this book.  Man, those pictures are so Maggie.  David Catrow totally captured our dog.

I had to take pictures of the book and show you all.

 Maggie on a walk

 Maggie with the kids

 Maggie personality.  She loves life and food.

 We love our dog!!!!!

Maggie finally likes water (which is good but also bad when she gets in the tub with Lizzy!!!!)

I think we are ready for Christmas. 

We have. . . .

 frosted sugar cookies

 hung candy canes with care,

 visited Santa Claus,

 made snowflakes,

 and made more snowflakes

 and more snowflakes

 and more snowflakes (about 75 snowflakes in the last 24 hours),

(we are a little jealous of everyone else getting snow.  So we decided to make our own.)

plus the big box came.