Little Tiger.
Henry watches the carving.
Nora consulting on the fine points of the design.
Nora's "Mama Pumpkin" and Henry's "Daddy Pumpkin."
Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween
Trick-or-treating at the businesses downtown.
Little Tiger.
Henry watches the carving.
Nora consulting on the fine points of the design.
Nora's "Mama Pumpkin" and Henry's "Daddy Pumpkin."
Little Tiger.Henry watches the carving.Nora consulting on the fine points of the design.Nora's "Mama Pumpkin" and Henry's "Daddy Pumpkin."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Life these days
After putting on her pajamas last week Nora galloped around the living room chanting "Fred-die Mac, Fan-nie Mae, Fred-die Mac, Fan-nie Mae."
She has a toy cell phone that Mark bought on one of his business trips. It makes the noise of a camera shutter when you press a button and she likes to "take pictures." The funny thing is that she also shows you the pictures. "See this one of Helena, her mouth is closed. Oh, this one is cute. Oh, here's Henry playing with the forklift."
She dressed as a ladybug today for ballet class.
Helena's first tooth has appeared.
She has a toy cell phone that Mark bought on one of his business trips. It makes the noise of a camera shutter when you press a button and she likes to "take pictures." The funny thing is that she also shows you the pictures. "See this one of Helena, her mouth is closed. Oh, this one is cute. Oh, here's Henry playing with the forklift."
She dressed as a ladybug today for ballet class.
Helena's first tooth has appeared.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Pumpkin Patch
We took a field trip with friends to a local pumpkin patch today. The kids: went on a hayride (pulled by a tractor, very exciting for Henry), picked a pumpkin, ran through a straw bale maze, climbed a straw bale pyramid, petted some farm animals (but not the cranky pony) and had a cookie and some punch.
Yellowstone National Park
Most of Mark's family met at West Yellowstone and took some day trips into the park. We were expecting better weather for this time of year, but were hit with an early winter storm. Some of us drove up on Friday morning and got to town about noon. It was snowing so we found a shelter to eat our picnic lunch. The Visitors' Center recommended a "warming hut" used by skiers but this early in the season it wasn't heated so we hurried to finish. It cleared up some when we drove into the park and we saw some elk and bison.
Our plan was to see the Old Faithful geyser and maybe walk around a little. We got to Old Faithful and bundled the kids into their winter gear. It was about an hour before the next predicted eruption and snowing so we stayed in the visitors' center and watched Yellowstone videos until 10 minutes before it was supposed to erupt.
It was snowing and the wind was blowing the snow into our faces as we looked at the geyser, so everyone in the crowd had their back to it, with occasional glances to see if anything was happening yet. It was cold and Henry especially was miserable and kept asking to go back to the car and "the man's house" which was what we called the cabin we were renting. Mark kept trying to drum up enthusiasm for the national landmark, but was not getting very far. Nora fell on the slick walkway and was covered in snow. 
Finally Old Faithful erupted. We couldn't see it. The snow drifting toward us and the steam combined to make a large white mass. We could hear the geyser, but there was nothing to see.
On Saturday we had sunny weather for a little while in the park but then it started snowing. We saw deer and a large elk with his harem and a bison walking in the other lane of the road. We wanted to leave the park early before the roads got too slick, but got stuck at a roadblock for an hour anyway while they cleared up an accident (someone overturned in the river, the ambulance that had come to the scene slid off the road and needed a tow truck, another ambulance had to come...). Our family spent a quiet afternoon and evening at the cabin while the rest of our relations drove back via Bozeman, MT because they closed the interior roads in Yellowstone.
The kids had fun playing together and we celebrated Cindy's birthday a little early since we were together. Our cabin was perfect, plenty of space for everyone. It was a fun weekend.
Dan, Mark, Cindy, and Becky and all of the grandchildren so far.
Our plan was to see the Old Faithful geyser and maybe walk around a little. We got to Old Faithful and bundled the kids into their winter gear. It was about an hour before the next predicted eruption and snowing so we stayed in the visitors' center and watched Yellowstone videos until 10 minutes before it was supposed to erupt.
It was snowing and the wind was blowing the snow into our faces as we looked at the geyser, so everyone in the crowd had their back to it, with occasional glances to see if anything was happening yet. It was cold and Henry especially was miserable and kept asking to go back to the car and "the man's house" which was what we called the cabin we were renting. Mark kept trying to drum up enthusiasm for the national landmark, but was not getting very far. Nora fell on the slick walkway and was covered in snow. 
Finally Old Faithful erupted. We couldn't see it. The snow drifting toward us and the steam combined to make a large white mass. We could hear the geyser, but there was nothing to see.On Saturday we had sunny weather for a little while in the park but then it started snowing. We saw deer and a large elk with his harem and a bison walking in the other lane of the road. We wanted to leave the park early before the roads got too slick, but got stuck at a roadblock for an hour anyway while they cleared up an accident (someone overturned in the river, the ambulance that had come to the scene slid off the road and needed a tow truck, another ambulance had to come...). Our family spent a quiet afternoon and evening at the cabin while the rest of our relations drove back via Bozeman, MT because they closed the interior roads in Yellowstone.
The kids had fun playing together and we celebrated Cindy's birthday a little early since we were together. Our cabin was perfect, plenty of space for everyone. It was a fun weekend.
Dan, Mark, Cindy, and Becky and all of the grandchildren so far.Sunday, October 19, 2008
Trip to Idaho
We got back last week from our trip to Idaho to visit family. Everyone had a good time, but we have some rest to catch up on. It is a long day of driving, but we break it up with dinner at Grandma Irene's house.
Nora and her cousin Emily had a great time together and compiled a list of all they have in common: they are both four, they have similar haircuts, they like dancing...
We went to story time at the library together.
Uncle Mike took this picture of the girls.
We rented a cabin for the weekend in West Yellowstone with Grandma and Grandpa, and the aunts, uncles and cousins in the area. There were 18 of us, 9 adults and 9 kids. It was the first time Nora, Henry, Helena and I had been to our first National Park. Mark was almost the same age as Helena is now for his first visit.
Nora and her cousin Emily had a great time together and compiled a list of all they have in common: they are both four, they have similar haircuts, they like dancing...
We went to story time at the library together.
Uncle Mike took this picture of the girls.We rented a cabin for the weekend in West Yellowstone with Grandma and Grandpa, and the aunts, uncles and cousins in the area. There were 18 of us, 9 adults and 9 kids. It was the first time Nora, Henry, Helena and I had been to our first National Park. Mark was almost the same age as Helena is now for his first visit.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Chocolate cake
Last weekend was the first time we were all together to celebrate the September birthdays. Liisa requested a chocolate layer cake. Anja brought the Chinese lantern flowers.
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