This was a trip to Aubrey Watzek Scout lodge at the base of Mt. Hood. We went as a group of Venture Scouts, spent the night and did some downhill runs with inner tubes. It was a great time.

Here are some pictures from Christmas that I hadn't put up yet. I thought they were pretty cute!!! Caitlin helped make dinner which was really very delicious!!! Potatoe soup in bread bowls! On Christmas eve Mom and Ian played a duet of Away in a Manger. It was a really fun Christmas eve and Christmas!

New Shoes and Haircuts

This week Caitlin and Haley both got new haircuts. Caitlin probably hadn't cut her hair since she was 5 so she had 10 inches taken off. Haley just had a few inches off but they both look very cute! As for the shoes, Abbie's friend Scott came home from school during winter break with these really cool toe shoes called Vibram 5 fingers. Dad and Chase just think they are the coolest things ever so of course they had to order some for themselves. They are supposed to be just like going bearfoot, and help with your posture and all sorts of other things. Although all the girls think they're ugly, form meets function and they're VERY comfortable, so who cares what they think!

This video is a little experiement. It seems to have worked out well, so you'll be able to enjoy more movies from our brilliant little family!

Snow Time Fun

Today we were snowed in even more than yesterday because of all of the ice on top of the snow!! The news said this is the biggest snow storm the Northwest has seen since the early 90's! The girls made snow chairs today and Chase, Ian, and Abbie went out tonight to play around a bit in the snow!! Chase decided to wear a pair of old boots Great grandpa Parker gave him which was perfect because the soles of the shoe were completely smooth...ideal for sliding!! Just watch the video to see how well that turned out!!! (You can't really see very well but it was hilarious!!) We all are really enjoying the snow because after this winter we won't see it again for another 5 years!

Snow and Decorating for Christmas

Today it is officially winter! We got our first (and hopefully not last) dusting of snow. We also decorated our Christmas Tree today. It looks really good! We got a lot of new ornaments to put on to it this year. Dad decided to get new lights for the tree. I think this is the first year we've ever had colored lights instead of the regular white ones. They look really pretty! We're all really excited for Christmas!

Ian's Wrestling Tournament

Ian went to a wrestling match yesterday. He wrestled five people and took 3rd place in the tournament. It was really exciting to watch him do so well. He made varsity last year, and this year we hope he continues to improve his skill.