Snowboarding fun

This past year for Bradley's Birthday and Christmas, he received some snowboarding gear and has been eagerly waiting to go and test it out. I took Bradley up to Brighton Ski Resort a couple weeks ago and put him in a lesson so that he could learn the basics(and I could have a couple hours to go off by myself). It was a little sketchy at first, he saw the people on skis and thought it would be easier since they get to carry poles to help them balance. I convinced him to keep trying the snowboard and after a while he was able to balance and go down some of the straight runs without falling. We had a lot of fun with this, and came back up the next week to give it another shot. Bradley is pretty quick to catch on and is always willing to keep trying. We even got off the "bunny hill" and went up one of the lifts that takes you halfway up the mountain.

What a Year!

This year we are bringing in the New Year quietly with a small family gathering. My mom and Heather, Ivy, Jeff and Kelsey and our family are having a fondue party. This is actually the third year we have had a fondue party, including cheese, meat and of course chocolate! It has been a great little tradition.

This last year has flown right by. My baby turned 5! Bradley is too smart for his own good. Richard has worked wonders not only at work but at home too. My job has challenged me more than I thought was possible. Great things has happened, it has been stressful, fun and and exciting.

I can't wait to see what this New Year holds. 2011 is already promising to be a great year. I am turning 30, Richard and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary, Olivia will be starting kindergarten and Bradley... Well Bradley will continue to be too smart for his own good, or maybe mine.

Candy Land Birthday

For Olivia's 5th Birthday we did a Candy Land themed party. We got all the candy that is found on the Candy Land game and set it out.... Then we thought about 20 little kids hopped up on all that candy, NOPE. We decided to put some of the candy up on a shelf and then send the rest of it home with the kids.

Olivia loved all her presents. She was really in the assemble line mode of opening presents. But she got a lot of fun toys and cute clothes, oh and a new bike.

MMMmmm cupcake cones.

And what is a Candy Land Party with out a life size board game? Okay, It didn't quite go as planned, there was always a HUGE traffic jam, but for the most part the kids had fun and they got to take their candy home with them.

The night before.......

Olivia chose to spend her birthday dinner at the Mayan. She loves to watch the dive show. She gets so into the show, she bangs her hands when they are drumming, puts her hands in the dive position and cheers for the divers.

Snow Fun

So this year we have already made three snowman. Pictured here is the one that the children did not destroy. Bradley and Olivia love to build them and then karate them into the ground. Richard has them make two, so I get a chance to see their (his) hard work when I get home from work.

This year they also made a baby snowman for Kelsey that sat on our porch until it melted,(No picture of that one either).

While we had all that snow, Richard made the kids a sled hill in the back yard, but it did not compare to the sled hill we went a few weeks ago.

I hope this video works for you. Bradley gets some very good air in the middle of the hill, then flips under the sled at the bottom of the hill. He thought this ride was SWEEEET!!! No injuries thankfully.

There was two hills, this large one and a smaller one. Both were really fast.

Olivia was scared to ride on either one by herself, after she was the first one to go down the small one. But she absolutely loved going down both hills with her dad.

I finally went down the small one twice, once with Olivia and once by myself. That was more than enough for me.

Hot chocolate was in order after this cold day. That and some shopping!

Olivia's school picture

Isn't she a Doll??