Happy Valentines Day!

Well folks, I guess I'm not the best BLOGGER out there. SO much for even getting WEEKLY posts! Thanks for your inquiries - it has gotten me in the mood. I just had a VERY SCARRY WWW thing.. I was DONE with this LONG post - and the WWW service was interrupted. OMG - almost lost all of this! Whew - thank GOD for saving a draft!

It is VERY icy here. The driveway is almost impassable due to the birches that are laden with ice. They are so heavy that they block the way. Ingrid says it is like going thru a car wash. Indeed - Grace agrees! It has been a month - AND - what a month it's been. We've had TWO family birthdays, been skiing, had the sniffles and two cases of pneumonia. Mine is getting better - and David just started antibiotics yesterday. I've been busy with registering 300 kids for BEEP - an afterschool program. SO - that's the snapshot - keep going for some pictures of it all. MOST OF ALL - be in touch - let us know how YOU are and have a

VERY HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!





Here is Ingrid at the kitchen counter working on her project for Grandma's birthday. She likes to work here while I'm flitting about the kitchen making dinner. She really stuck to this. It was a pretty big project with lots of colors. She really stuck to it every day. WHAT A KID!








I think Grandma liked sharing her birthday with her Grandaughters and their creations! The cake was a bit TOO blue - but then it's her FAVORITE color!

Here is Grace working on her FIRST real sewing project EVER. She is beading a smily face. According to Grace - who ALWAYS has a mission - this is strictly for jewelry and make-up! It is for Grandma for her birthday!

Here is Grandma on her Birthday with Grace's creation. It has the smily face on it WITH googly eyes that she wanted. She is very proud.

Here we are playing DOG-GONE-IT. It is a fun - fast paced card game that NORMIE gave Grace for Christmas. I'm not sure who the winner was. I think all of us because we had a fun time together. Note - Grace is explaining it - and David is STILL reading the directions. HE HE HE. Guess we know who has the brains in this family huh?

OK - so I've been wanting to learn how to knit socks for three years. Whoo-hoo! Here they are. With the help of some patterns off the web and and good advice from my friend Lore (including an Italian magazine full of lace patterns) they are awesome! They are 80% wool and some nylon for good wear! I learned how to knit lace, socks, turn a heal with a funky reinforciing stitch I can't remember the name of, and do the kitcheneer stitch to weave the toe together. I must say - they are comfy, warm, wash well and totally awesome.

We are still skiing when we can! This was BEFORE the big January thaw. We haven't been in 3 weeks due to LACK-O-Snow. We're very sad about that - but with the new dump this week - should be back at it - once the pneumonia clears enough for David and I to breathe deeply again! We have two "family lessons" left. Conditions up the mountain are probably perfect. DARN THIS PNEUMONIA!

Oh - the scarry video as promised and a nice picture of the girls in the woods. Pineridge is a beautiful place. This is a very nice level trail that follows a creek. Love being out in the woods with the girls. The video is Ingrid's first HORRID wipe-out. We were near the end of our day, 1/4 mile from the lodge. David was taking video with the digital camera and caught this moment. She was being - will - a bit cocky! Listen for the UUh - click - Oh (or: gutteral impact - skis hit head - Mommy gasps). When she belly flops - the skis fly forward impacting her head and left a NASTY bump. She is a trooper tho. Didn't cry too much and skiied out. What a gal!