The Hike

On our last day in Colorado Mike decided we would go on a hike...

UP A MOUNTAIN!

I agreed to go, as did Jonathan and Costa.

We bundled up really well, wearing lots of layers and snow boots, and took off to climb a mountain. (Just a small mountain - according to Mike.)

It didn't take long to realize that we were seriously out of shape and unprepared for what was ahead of us. The snow on the ground came up to our knees in some places.

It stuck to our pants, freezing them solid. It was slippery too, making it even harder to walk through.

It took us most of the day, but we made it.

I say that as though it was no big deal, but I should admit to being in tears at the top of the mountain. As we were climbing over the boulders, I was hoping I wouldn't slip and fall to my death right then! I should also mention that Jonathan's feet got so cold he had to take drastic measures and warm them up on Aunt Costa's belly. We all wanted to quit at some point in the day...except Mike.

When we started our hike, Mike assured us that when someone wanted to turn around and go back he would do it. Yeah, right. He kept pushing us a little longer and a little higher. Until we just couldn't go any further. In hindsight, I'm glad because it was very pretty up there.

Great for taking pictures!

Sledding

There was just enough snow to go sledding when we were in Colorado. And what better place than the side of a mountain? I was too chicken to go down the hill, but the kids and Mike and Costa had a blast barreling down the hill on the blow-up tube. Crash landing all covered in snow most of the time.

Candid shots

Colorado.

December.

Keeping warm inside.

Cute kids.

Gorgeous lighting.

Why not snap a few pictures?

All dressed up...

Monkey Suits.
That's what Costa calls them.
Whatever they are, they sure did keep us warm.
And make us look silly.

After Christmas dinner Costa and I decided to take a walk in the snow in the subzero weather. Mike helped us get all bundled up. Long underwear, hats, scarves, gloves, and monkey suits. It was worth it for a little fresh air that night.

And it made for a great picture, so why not?!?

Road Kill

Mike and the kids will tell you - I am definitely a nervous passenger in the car when Mike is driving. I do trust him and know he has been driving forever, but I am constantly afraid we are going to rear-end someone or run over something or drive off the road. While these fears are (for the most part) unfounded, it certainly doesn't stop me form being ultra-paranoid in certain situations.

Take, for example, our recent drive to Colorado.
It was late at might. I had maybe slept for an hour or two total that night. We were on back roads, winding through the mountains in the pitch black, snow was on the ground, and I was sure that an animal had run across the road in front of our car. Knowing better than to yell out when Mike is driving, I simply (and very innocently I might add) inhaled quickly and braced myself for the collision.

Mike slammed on the brakes and demanded to know what my problem was.

You see, when I react like that, he gets nervous and thinks it's something dangerous. It bugs him, but I truly thought I had seen something run in front of us. I explained this to him and he was less than amused.

You see, what had actually "run" in front of our car was a tumbleweed. Yeah, like the ones in the cartoons on TV. I really thought it was an animal, I tried to explain. He laughed and told me that animals have eyes that glow in the headlights and legs. Tumbleweed has no eyes and no legs. ok, I know that, but still. Is it alright to run anything without eyes and legs over with our car? Pretty much, Mike told me. Besides, he continued, didn't you feel the impact from that weed we just hit?

Har, har, har.
He's such a comedian.
And I ended up being the brunt of the jokes for a while after that.
I guess I deserved it...this time.

"Gingerbread" Houses

Yep, it was messy.
Yep, it was fun.
Yep, it was the second time that day I had created gingerbread houses.
Yep, it was way more exciting the second time around.

Sammy posed for an exceptionally silly picture with her partially decorated gingerbread house. She worked very hard to decorate it without knocking anything off. This house was a collaborative effort between Sammy and Mommy.

Jonathan had a plan. He and Daddy worked hard to get his gingerbread house to look the way he wanted it to. Very colorful.

Without a doubt, my favorite part of the gingerbread houses was watching Mike and Jonathan try to create an overhang with the graham crackers. Too bad the frosting was too soft to really hold it. That's OK. Jonathan settled for the next best thing...a torture chamber for teddy grahams. That's my boy. Ha ha.