Woods

When I was in Jr. High and took some aptitude test for a future career choice, my top contenders were engineer and forest ranger.  So I now get to sort of play-out my fantasy of being a forest ranger, without giving up my engineer salary.  Since everyone is sick of hearing me talk about my woods all the time, how about some pictures for context?

Here's our little stream we have running through the yard.  I've been trying to clean it out a bunch: it was pretty much covered with sticks and fallen trees, and it looks much nicer and is much more accessible this way.

Ryan from our ward came out and showed me how to use a chainsaw.  While he was here, we started work on a bridge over the main stream, but I just haven't finished it yet.

Finally, once we got some rain and the water table got a bit higher, a stream popped up in the middle of my trail.  So the boys and I dug out a trench, put a drainage pipe in it, filled it with big rocks, and put dirt on top.  It is a bit mucky still, but at least there is no standing water on the trail.

The weather has been pretty mild, so I have still had a bit of time to work in the woods here and there.

A few "goings-on"

"Little Red Riding Hood" coat from Mike and Bärbel

 Nice new clothes from Mike and Bärbel

Timmy at Dale's Baptism

Aaron age 7

Cora Hiking with Daddy

 

Baby Shower given by Kirsti and Tracey for our new little guy

Bubblebaths in the new house are fun!

The binky fairy left Cora a prize for hanging all her binky's on the tree!   It's been 2 months and she still begs for her binky back a few times a week.

The Princess on her birthday, right before the binky purge.

The last bike ride I took at 7 months pregnant. :)

 Fun times with the Sacuto-Jones family, our old pals from Northwood!

Cora started taking little 30 Minute Toddler Ballet/Tap/Dance/Yoga Classes twice a week this month (January)  It has been SO fun for her and she is darling wearing her yellow tutu and tap shoes. :)

Christmas Check-List

We made a Christmas list a few days before the Christmas Break to make sure that we all got to do a few things that we "dreamed" we would do over the short 10-day Christmas break that the boys got from school. (That is only 7 school days free)

This was our list, and it turned out that we did every single item, except one:

Make a Christmas Treat  - I ended up making Grandmother Parker's Orange Tea Rolls

Swimming/Rock Climbing at the Gym
Sledding
Get Aaron bigger ski boots, and get everyone a Ski Pass for Christmas. (We went to Gunstock)

Play with Sphero & do programming on Sphero
Time on the computer to play prodigy & do coding
Legos
Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth  (we did an historic home tour, and had deli sandwiches on New Years Eve)

Nesmith Library - attended a Christmas Magic Show
See Star Wars Rogue One in the theatre

Attend Kirsti's musical Christmas party
Attend the work Christmas party
Attend the Christmas Eve party at the Painters

Attend church Christmas service, and Katie sing in the choir
Drink hot cocoa and read Christmas stories

Play board games (especially "Life" says Aaron)
Skype with family
Hiking - the boys and I went on a very memorable hike on the frozen Beaver Pond.  It was beautiful!

The one item we didn't quite complete was Scott's goal of finishing 2 papers during the break.  Sorry darlin'!

Sphero

I got the boys a Sphero robot (and they pooled their $ together and bought themselves another one).  I've done my best to keep it from being just another remote-controlled toy.  So we made an obstacle course and had the challenge to get the Sphero to make it through the course.  Fist they had to find a relationship between the distance it traveled and length the motor ran for a certain speed, then write the code to make it go through.  This video is one of the failed attempts, and I can't find the video for a successful attempt: but you get the idea.  I had to really walk them through this.  I'd like to just give them a challenge and let them take it away, but I haven't been able to make a challenge that they care about enough yet to not just do it with the remote-control option.  Darn remote-control option!

Christmas stuff from Scott's phone

Historic downtown Portsmouth:

Covered bridge near Gunstock, NH while waiting for the boys to finish skiing...

 Snowshoeing while the boys and KT are skiing

 Christmas pajamas from Macha

 Cute clothes from Bärbel and Mike

 Breakfast Christmas morning