Pint Size Ski Racers

Yesterday the boys (and Erin) enjoyed a couple hours on the mountain. Here are a few videos so you can see how good the boys are getting. Will is in the black helmet, Jack is in the white helmet and Doug is commentating. It's amazing that this is their first year of skiing and already they are so good!

Messy Faces

Here's a clear shot of Annemarie's bottom teeth. Aren't they cute? She also has four on the top.

Look! She even has a small tuft of hair.

Jack and his chocolate milk moustache and goatee.

Broken Bone

I had every intention of posting a family picture of Doug and I at the mountain with the boys from last weekend, but that's not quite how things worked out. I have no pictures to prove I was actually up there. Instead, I have a broken collarbone. After enjoying a quick lunch with the boys and then sending them off to their lessons Doug and I headed up the mountain for what would be my first and only run of the season. I have nothing dramatic or exceptional to report on how my injury occurred. Just that I caught an edge, flipped around and while trying to catch my balance I fell really hard on my left shoulder. Recovery time should be around six weeks. I go in for another x-ray the beginning of April and they'll be able to tell if the bone is starting to heal.

So, I'm almost completely worthless. I absolutely cannot hold or change Annemarie which has been very sad (for me), but she is getting lots of attention and time with Doug and Aunt Erin. This past week I've spent most of it in bed sleeping or reading (I've finished four books this week and am half way through another). I've stopped taking pain medication which has helped, I'm more alert and able to drive. Erin has been helping us SO MUCH and Doug's taken time off of work. Mom is coming to stay in another week and we're all looking forward to her visit.

So, I've come to accept things like this happen. No matter how inconvenient this is (for everyone involved) I am so thankful for the health, love and outpouring of support from our friends and family. On the bright side I get to catch up on my reading!

The Boys

So, I was all set to show these dramatic before and after pictures of the boys. They had their hair cut the other day, can you even tell? It had been almost four months since the last cuts and Jack had enough hair for a small ponytail. If you cannot tell, that's okay, but trust me, in person they look much better. Oh, the lives of Jack and Will. What can you say? It's got to be a blessing and at times a pain to have a brother so close in age. They play well at times and fight like mortal enemies the rest of the time. They have many similarities but are also so different. I'm very curious to see what is in store for them. I really believe they are going to be the greatest of friends and have so many wonderful experiences together.

Another Milestone

Check it out, our little girl is pulling up and standing. However, she still needs to hold on to something and I'm not in a rush for the next step (literally). I know what comes next, do you think she'll start walking soon? (The boys didn't start walking until 14 months.)

Will Goes Dogsledding

Another Montana first...On Sunday Erin invited Will to join her and her friend Holly for a dog sled ride. He of course and was very excited about the whole event. Here he is standing with the dogs. There's a place outside of Whitefish that offers dog sled rides. Erin said it was so much fun and the guide was really great. They have about 100 dogs, which to me isn't even imaginable. We're hoping to get the whole family out there next year. Thanks Holly for all the great pictures!

Holly, Erin and Will, bundled up and ready to ride. The dogs all lined up and ready to go.
The view from the sled.
Will getting ready to drive the sled...

...he looks like a professional!

Phew, what a ride!

Thank you Aunt Erin!

Play Time

Here are some recent pictures of Jack and Annemarie playing with the work bench. Jack was so good with her, letting her wear the hat and even hold some of the tools.

"No, I think I want the one you have."

A Sweater for Lil' Larkin

Here's my favorite project I've completed so far. A baby sweater for Tyler Larkin. At times it was challenging, there was even a major mishap where I thought I may need to scrap the whole thing, but in the end everything worked out. The great thing about making something like this is it gave me the opportunity to really think about who I was making it for. And since I started it before his was born I thought a lot about what he'd look like and what his name would be. After he was born (and I was still working on the sweater) I was able to think about how thrilled Scott and Stef were and what a wonderful addition he his to their family. I greatly look forward to watching him grow.

This is a pattern from The second little Sublime hand knit book. I also used Sublime yarn, though I cannot remember the name of the color, it's a nice greenish/khaki color.

I love the raglan detailing and the working buttons. Much easier for putting on and taking off a baby.

Let's Bowl!

" We're ready to bowl!"
"Look at those funky shoes!"
Jack lining up his shot...thank goodness for the ramp

A couple of Fridays ago Jack and I met friends at the local bowling alley. We had so much fun. Aside from having the whole place to ourselves (10:30a on Friday - good time to bowl) the kids enjoyed chasing each other around, pushing all the buttons on the vending machines and even bowled a full game. Will was at school and Annemarie was in Portland with Doug, so for a few hours Jack got me all to himself.

Trip to Portland

All packed and ready to go!

I was going through our pictures and realized I forgot this very important post. Doug and Annemarie made a quick trip to Portland in mid-February. Sadly, Doug's grandmother passed away and he went back to Portland for the service. As a surprise for family members Doug decided to take Annemarie with him - after all her plane ticket was free. Annemarie was an absolute angel on the flights even sleeping a bit. This was a great father daughter bonding opportunity. Turns out Annemarie wasn't too interested in visiting with everyone, she just wanted Doug to hold her the entire trip. Thankfully when they returned home she let me hold her though I think she prefers Doug.

Litte Girl in a Pink Hat

(sorry this picture is a little out of focus)

Another knitted creation. This one didn't take quite as long as the sweater. It's a perfect design since Annemarie has been pulling all her hats off. This one buttons under the chin so it's a little harder for her to remove. I cannot believe she's almost 11 months. The days seems to be flying by!