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Once again we had a blast at the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race the largest sled dog race in the lower 48 states. We are of course pulling for our local team with musher Jerry Bath. This is a world renowned 8 day race and we had teams from all over the world: Canada, Sweden, Jamaica, and more.

The kids and I stood at the day 2 start line and counted down before each team raced by. The kids would have stayed until every last dog was gone. We hope to make this an annual fun family event. You can go to the link above and see a map of the race, see more pictures and follow along as the race progresses. We sure will.

Update: you have got to check out day 2 pictures here. i want to be a musher!!

lander's little secret

So it has been wonderful here the last few weeks in the 40's!! Yesterday it was almost 50 degrees. I keep hearing folks say how unusual that is for us in Lander, but from my last 6 years here, it seems pretty normal. November and December are bone chilling cold, but then temps get tolerable. Maybe its global warming but I'll take it.
We have been able to get out lots, running around, playing tag and just being silly outside. The kids and I love to talk about vitamin D from the sun; they reach up and try to grab more. We also love seeing animal tracks and trying to figure out who made them.
I think warm winters are Lander's little secret :)

#1 sign

The number one sign that I should mop more often:

Scene: me in the dirty, dirt on the floor, dishes in the sink, crumbs on the counter kitchen with a sponge mop and a mop bucket scrubbing away.

Enter 4 year-old with attitude: What are you doing?

Yep, pretty sure if she doesn't know what I am doing, I don't do this often enough.

A great day for a spontaneous playdate in the park. We have had at least 4 days in a row of almost 50 degrees!! We headed over to the park to go ice skating, but the rink was closed since it has been so warm. Luckily we found some friends, the Rudd's, at the park in the same situation. A great remedy for the mid-winter crazys.

pom poms

This weekend the kids and I made tissue pom poms from MS instructions on her site. They turned out great!! And were the perfect decor for the kids room, with their new curtains from Ikea.
The kids helped me lay out all the same colors together. MS suggests using 8 sheets of paper, but I found they looked much better with 12-16 sheets depending on the size of the ball.
Then we folded them accordion style.
We put a pipe cleaner (color of their choosing) in the middle, trimmed the ends (semi circle for a puff balls look,and triangle for a dahlias look) and started pulling them apart.
Here's Timmy hiding from the camera :)
Then the kids lost interest and went outside to shovel and sled with their Papa, while I continued puffing out pom poms.
Then the hanging (picture compliments of Charlotte).
Viola!!! Fun decor for the kids room. I couldn't believe how easy these were to make. I have been thinking of buying them on Etsy for a year, just because I did not want to deal with making them. I am so glad I made them instead!! They are pretty hearty as well, the kids really handled them before they got hung up, and they withstood it all.

happy 2011

:

Happy New Year.
Baby, it is cold outside. I am not sure if if rose above zero today. On winter days this year, here is what you will find us doing.

Last night we took the kids to see Tangled at the movie theater. It was their first movie experience. They were full of popcorn, a few twizlers, a few sips of 7-up, and ready for the full screen experience. The were mezmerized. I kept looking at them frozen in their seats for the first 30 minutes. Reid and I were like little kids filled with excitement for hours before we left for the theater, I am not sure if I was more excited to take them or to see a feature on the big screen for the first time in at least a year. Afterward, we headed out for mexican and on the way home the kids were in the back seat giggling away and saying "Feliz Anyo Nuevo..hehehe.....Feliz Anyo Potato... hehehe...Feliz Anyo Tomato...hehehe". It was a great end to the night hearing them giggle and roar together.

I hope this finds everyone looking forward to a great new year.