Winter Activities

We've settled back into our normal routine the last few weeks. The last two weekends we've taken advantage of all the snow we've had this year and gone cross-country skiing. Claire lasts about an hour in the backpack, though the part she dislikes the most is getting all bundled up!

Yesterday we skied at Mount Haggin ski trails, about 1 1/2 hours from our house. We love going here for the uncrowded trails, great conditions, and "The Soup Shack" located across the road. They've expanded to more of a "Soup Lodge" this year, but the amazing soup and desserts haven't changed...it's pretty easy to talk myself into a piece of pie after skiing (and all the effort it takes to get ready to ski with a toddler!).

After we did a loop with Claire, Nate skiied some more while I pulled Claire in the sled.

Brief Trip Summary

It's hard to summarize all the adventures of the trip to Puerto Rico--starting with being stranded at the Bozeman airport for 8 hours before we'd even left, missing all our connections, and having to stay overnight in Atlanta! Once we finally got there, we certainly enjoyed the tropical weather, beautiful scenery, change in culture, and time with Nate's family. We stayed at a beautiful, small hotel right on the beach in close proximity to Old San Juan, the more fast-paced Condado strip, and Nate's extended family--the Marvels. Some of the highlights included a trip on a catamaran out to some small islands for swimming/snorkeling, sightseeing in Old San Juan, big dinners with the Marvels, eating some authentic Puerto Rican food at Bebo's restaurant, Nate's fishing trip for tarpon, our daily rum drinks/happy hour on the patio, and a quiet day at the beach called Pinones (known to Nate's family as the "Crazy Lady Beach" from trips there when he was growing up and a crazy lady would wander around hitting herself on the head with a stick--she wasn't there this time.) Claire loved the extra attention of her cousins, Tia and Bruce, and Nema. Seeing the cousins play together was a highlight everyday.

Claire handled all the new situations well. She thrives on new adventures, places, and people. The hardest part is actually reigning her in. She wants to race around the airport, climb ladders on boats, jump into swimming pools, race into the street, run right into the ocean--all regardless of whether we're with her or not. On the days we actually tried to schedule a nap, she couldn't even settle down enough to sleep and would just lay in the pack and play jabbering away. Of course, the fact that her diet seemed to largely consist of lollipops, candy canes, and raisins probably didn't help matters.

We commented this morning that in 2008 we'd visited the Pacific Ocean in Washington, Atlantic Ocean at Cape Cod, and now the Caribbean...wonder what adventures 2009 will hold? Happy New Year!

Slideshow Puerto Rico

Anticipating Puerto Rico...Early Christma

It's been a long week of too much work, planning, organizing and frigid temps (a few days of -25 below when I left for work). This makes the fact that we're leaving Tuesday for a week in Puerto Rico all the more appealing. I was trying to visualize myself on the beach below (the one right outside our hotel!) while getting dressed this morning in long underwear, hat, gloves, scarf, and heavy coat to go to church. It's hard to imagine that we'll be in such a different climate and might even be swimming on Christmas Day! Since most of the country is having nasty winter weather right now, I know you're all jealous! : )

We opened a few presents we're not bring with us this afternoon. Claire loved her box of musical instruments from us and the musical storybook from Grandma and Grandpa. Of course, in short time she decided all the packaging was just as much fun!

Fashionista?

Claire found her way to the dryer this afternoon, managed to find two matching socks, and put them on herself. Of course, they had to be the one pair of patterned socks I own, which makes the picture even cuter.

Winter arrives with a vengence

As I type, it's -1 degrees outside and the wind is blowing 20-30 miles per hour, as it has been doing since 4 AM this morning. It's the kind of day that makes us thankful for a warm and secure home. We're stuck inside as it's not the kind of weather we like to be out on the roads in, even Hem has no desire to be outside. Good thing I have an enormous stack of papers to work on grading this weekend. Yeah, right. I do have to admit, it is a bit cozy as Nate has a pot of venison chili in the crock pot, and the Christmas tree adds cheer to the living room. Plus, it makes the fact that we'll be in Puerto Rico in a little over a week that much more appealing!

Below are a few pictures from the week. Just this morning I learned what happens when I leave Claire alone with a box of Cheerios while trying to read email during breakfast.


Nate spent a morning hunting ducks this week on the Madison River.

He also managed to combine a trip to get our Christmas tree with a little pheasant hunting...how convenient : )

Thanksgiving Weekend

Somehow the week has passed without my posting pictures from Thanksgiving weekend. That must be because Claire got sick this week with a fever, and a sick child and working parents makes for major stress. Anyway, we spend Thanksgiving night in West Yellowstone on a mini-road trip. While we intended to cross-country ski while there, snow conditions and mild weather thought otherwise. We made the best of it by visiting the Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center, going to the park to swing (one of Claire's all time favorite activities at the moment), and swimming in the resort's indoor pools. The Wolf and Grizzly Discovery Center takes bears and wolves that would otherwise face euthanasia and gives them a home, which they use for a basis for education and fundraising. Claire loved seeing live Grizzlies and wolves, and we had a treat of hearing the wolves join in quite a chorus of howling as we left. We had a nice night away--well, minus the fact that Claire was up at 3 AM jumping on the bed yelling "Wolf, wolf"--and a scenic drive there and back through the Madison and Gallatin River valleys. We wished for our fishing gear though; it was that mild!