"Come live with me and be my love,/ And we will all the pleasures prove,/ That valleys, groves, hills and fields,/ Woods or steepy mountains yields." --Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wonderful Week with Nema

We've been into the full swing of things around here, enjoying a festive week with Nate's mom, "Nema," visiting from Massachusetts. Claire loved every minute and all the spoiling. While I was at school each morning she had one-on-one time with Nema that included trips to museums in Bozeman, reading lots of books, and singing Christmas songs. We also took a weekend trip to West Yellowstone which included some cross-country skiing, a visit to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center, a night out "on the town" for Nate and I (meaning choosing between one of two open bars in town), and a trip to the Imax Theater for Nate and Nema. Thanks for coming out and ALL the spoiling Nema!

Here's our group shot on early Christmas.
Claire showing off her beautiful Christmas dress, a gift from a family friend, Dot O'Connor.
It didn't take long for Claire to get into the spirit of ripping open the presents. Here she's in awe of her new princess castle.
Susan gave Claire her own tent; one of the things we love about her is that she really gets down to Claire's level to play. Of course Claire darted out of this picture right before I snapped it!
Claire skied with us the first day, but on the second day she was pretty frazzled. Nema kindly stayed with her while Nate and I skied again. For Nate, that meant being free of 30+ pounds on his back.
Claire watching some of the wolves at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center. These are all animals that would have to be euthanized without this sanctuary, and they will never be reintroduced to the wild. Notice the wolf checking out the raven in the background. It's quite amazing to watch the wolves as the run, play, dig, and eat.

2 comments:

SarahC said...

Love the pictures. We want to see the wolves too someday! Claire is gorgeous in the dress!

Sara said...

I am glad that you put a caption under that wolf picture, as for a slight moment I panicked and thought that maybe that was outside your window! I was about to say, "time to move!"
Have a great trip home celebrating Christmas with your family!