Omaha Fun

 We finally got to hang out longer than a few hours with the VanMeeteren family.  We joined them in Omaha for a quick getaway.  We were at the zoo, enjoyed swimming at the pool, and hanging at the hotel. 

 It was a cold day at the zoo but we saw a lot of animals in their indoor enclosures.

The kids did great with a lot of walking and of course a few snacks.

 Seeing these kids together is so heartwarming for me.  Molly and Bryant are in some of my first memories of childhood so seeing our kids play and be silly together is so dang fun.  

The best part of the trip was having a few hours of uninterrupted time with Molly. 

Wine, talking till your throat hurts, and your best friend is about the most perfect thing ever. 

 ...this crew is pretty darn special too. 

The next week was career week at Brooks' school. Andy and I both talked about our jobs and then Brooks got to dress as his future career: Zoologist!

winter of basketball

 

Bennett and Marie both played Y basketball again this winter.  Each one did well and they worked so hard and improved so much through the season.  We love watching them enjoy activities and learn how to be a good teammate to their friends and follow the coach's advice (dad).

 

 Following their last game, we packed up the kids and headed to a USD womens and mens basketball game in Vermillion. 

We love going back as much as we can and our kids are really enjoying every trip too. 

This time we got to take along our new niece, Delaney. She and her mom are joining Chris' family with his girls and we are so happy to have them.

 

So many snow days

 This winter has definitely been an active one when it comes to weather, no school days, and adventures around the area.  This is how we have been staying busy:

 Baking, eating, baking, eating, baking, eating on repeat!

 The school has a special day called Winter Blast - Marie got to learn about archery. 

 Winter Games was cold but fun with cousins.

 Valentine parties for the kids. I was able to help at Bennett's - I love watching him with his friends and teachers in the class.

 Our first adventure with ice fishing was a hit!  The heated hut helped.

Swimming at the Y is always a nice option when we are getting stir crazy.

 Sledding down a great hill at the nature center. 

Building forts, climbing on hills, and eating icicles.

 Plenty of board games, puzzles, and cards to pass the cold temps.

Andy is busy coaching ball for Bennett and Marie through the Y.  It is so fun to see them grow and get better at their game. Andy enjoys it and always finds time for this even with his busy schedule.

 much of our snow has been fluffy and dry but we finally had some heavy wet snow for building.

Cosmic Yoga - thanks youtube!  Trying to stay active during one of our many snow days.

Black Hills Winter Vacation

We were so anxious to take a little time away as a family this winter in one of our favorite places - South Dakota. 

We decided to stay at Spearfish Canyon Lodge and enjoy all things winter - snowshoeing, hiking, skiing, and hot tubbing with cocoa. 

We started our journey on Thursday night, stayed in Rapid City, and spent some time sight seeing on our way to Spearfish on Friday. 

We saw Mount Rushmore through some fog and also drove the scenic route on the wildlife loop in Custer State Park. 

At first during the loop, we were not seeing many animals. We were beginning to think it was a bust.  Then we turned onto a side road where there was a whole herd of buffalo waiting for us.  We drove slowly up the hill and soon our van was surrounded.  They looked a bit intimidating at first but then they all started licking the road salt off our van!  This continued on for several minutes. We were all laughing and having so much fun seeing the buffalo up close and personal! 

The next day we were up bright and early for skiing lessons at Terry Peak.  All three kids had 2 hour lessons while Andy & I had a date re-learning how to ski together. The views atop those hills were breathtaking. 

 

Although the kids didn't love lessons, they loved being able to independently go down the hills when they saw us later.  

 

We were all pretty tired so we decided to grab lunch and head back to the hotel for some rest. 

That afternoon we all strapped on snowshoes and set out to find the frozen waterfall. It took some time getting used to the snow shoes but the spikes really helped us climb up and down the hills on the trails. Next we soaked in the hot tub on the roof of our lodge and enjoyed the scenery.  

We were so tired that night from our activities I'm pretty sure we were all sound asleep by 8:30. 

The next day we went back to Terry Peak for day 2 of skiing.  The kids were so impressive - Marie and Bennett were completely independent on their skis.  Brooks took a little time adjusting again but he got the hang of it before long. 

Our final night we enjoyed a meal in Spearfish and early to bed again after a final soak in the hot tub. 

This was such an adventurous and fun trip for our family - definitely one we want to do again!

Winter Concerts

We had a busy December with all things Christmas, Brooks' birthday, and 4 concerts.

Marie has started piano lessons and her first recital was a hit. 

She played "Silent Night" with her friend, Kaitlyn.  

Piano is fun for Marie and she enjoys playing on the keyboard and learning more each week.

Bennett and Marie both had concerts with their school music class as well. 

They do a good job each year and this year they both had special parts - Marie sang a duet and Bennett spoke.

Brooks was so excited for his first concert too! 

He had a speaking part and sang many Christmas songs with his classmates.