Ski Trip #2

This year we decided we were going to figure out how to ski twice with the kids so they could finally have some muscle memory, and maybe be faster to remember that it's not scary and that they enjoy it.  Our plan was to ski this weekend with Betsy and Pat and Jamie/Zach.  But, the weather had other plans.  Friday evening it started to snow heavily around 3 or 4 pm, just as everyone was loading up and hitting the road to make their way to Apple Canyon for the weekend.  

By around 6pm we got a call from Betsy that she and Pat were turning around and heading back home.  The roads were too bad, the snow was coming down too hard and it had taken them 2 hours to go only maybe 45 miles.  It was such a bummer that they couldn't join us too.  I was so looking forward to a weekend away with them.  But, one thing we know is that traveling with Jamie and family is SUPER easy for us.  Jamie and I have been traveling together for 30 years and we're good at it.

It took the kids a little longer than I expected to get settled into being comfortable doing the bigger runs or us leaving the littles so the adults could go on runs other than Rookies Ridge but we got there eventually!  

These four kids are so great together, actually, that applies to us adults too - LOL!  It's always low stress, low drama, tons of fun and we always leave with great memories.  We spent way longer than I expected on the ski hill that day.  Admittedly, I was fully done skiing around 3pm but Lucy had finally found her stride and was ready to try the real hills.  I couldn't quit at that point, but believe me, I was getting the the whining phase where I was cold and tired and ready for a cocktail.  We made it til around 5pm and finally called it quits.

We were short on dinner plans because Betsy and family was in charge of dinner for Saturday so we ended up at a bar and I felt warm for the first time all day.  We ordered mini-tacos, french fries, wing, beers, old fashioneds (two for me....shhhhhh!).  Why are those things notable?  Well, Jamie and I have been on a pretty restrictive diet/workout plan since January and it was the first cheat  - and I don't regret a MOMENT of it.  

Sunday it was cold!  Cold and very windy.  Zach and Ryan got up early with the bigs and took them ice fishing.  They didn't catch anything, but the kids had fun regardless.  After breakfast we did a quick run of sledding before heading home.  All in all, minus being down one family, the weekend was a success!

1 Family x 12 (Feb)

 

You know what I forget?  That I need to go outside, to be in the sun and fresh air for 10-15 minutes a day and when I do that, I'm a happier, kinder, more hopeful person.  I tend to forget, when it's 20 degrees outside, but every time I get outside and do it...I remember it's really the best thing I can do to get through the winter months.  Super bowl weekend it was warm, sunny and we knew we were going to spend the afternoon/evening sitting on the couch like potatoes watching the game so we opted for a family hike before the game started.  It was such a good idea and a great use of an hour of our Sunday.  Plus we snagged this cute family photo for February - that even features Copper!  He so rarely makes it into the photos.  Thanks Dan for being the photographer on this one for me :)

Ice Hogs Concert

 

This photo from dinner before the Ice Hogs game just cracks me up!  We made a last minute reservation at Prairie Street Brewery for dinner before the game and there was some confusion or overbooking so they sat us in the "private dining room" - aka the Board Meeting room.  

Annoyingly the school section was entirely across the arena from where the choir sang, so I got exactly zero photos of Abby on the ice or signing, but thankfully Zach grabbed this group shot of everyone that put their lives on hold and made the trip to Rockford to come and support Abby singing.  She was so grateful for the showing of love and I'm so thankful for every single person in this photo.  These are my people!  The ones who keep my world going around.

Norge Ski Jump

 

Last winter Uncle Tim and Aunt Lynda went to this event and they talked it up so much that I figured out when the event was scheduled for 2025, blocked our calendar and made a plan for us to go.  This event was nothing like what I expected it to be.  It felt akin to a college tailgate - just in January.  I could not believe how many people were there, how over-served everyone seemed or how much fun the kids had!  I thought for sure they'd be bored or cold but I think the combo of having RoRo join us, and just getting out of the house doing something new worked for us.  The girls were in a great mood and were asking if we could go back again as we walked back to our car.

I'm not convinced that this is a "must do" every single year, but we learned a lot going this year and we'd do some things differently to make it more fun if we go again.  Its certainly something you organize a big group for, and, if you do it right, you can make a day out of it.  The fact that it was sunny and relatively warm helped too.  I opted to not bring snow pants which, in hindsight was a small mistake.  I survived, but I could have been more comfortable if I had one more layer of clothes.

All in all, super interesting and a fun and different way to spend a Saturday in the winter.  It got us outside and maybe the best part of it was that we got to spend the day with Chris and Ro!  It was so fun to have them meet us out there.  

1 Family x 12 (Jan)

 

Technically this was from the last few days of December, but I'm counting it as our Jan family photo!  First ski trip of the 2024/2025 winter is in the books and we're so ready for real snow around here.

New Years Eve 2024

After spending the day skiing the day before NYE, we figured everyone would be happy for a day of sleeping in and just bumming around the house.  We spent New Years Eve with the boys being in charge of the smoker, the kids wanting to try to ice skate and hide some rocks they painted on the ATV tails and Jamie and I found ourselves at the cutest little store (on the way back from a quick trip to Sullivans for the last minute things we forgot).

Jamie found this tiny little crystal store in the middle of nowhere and it was the most wonderful way to prep for the New Year.  We picked out crystals that leaned into our intentions for the year ahead.  My picks included finding inner peace, feeling confident and comfortable in the changes I've set in motion and there were quite a few that focused on relieving stress and finding balance - things I'm ALWAYS striving for.  We picked out one rock for each kid too and figured the men would just make fun of us and didn't need some of their own.  I would 1000% recommend, and will 100000% be making a return trip whenever we're out this way.  It was so unexpected and fun.

As I'd hoped, the kids loved having other kids around to hang out with and we had a great time playing games and just doing less with Jamie and Zach.  We hang out with them often...nearly every week, but we realized we don't often vacation just the 8 of us!  We camp together and vacation together, but we're often in much bigger groups.  

We played Sevens and Jamie and I knit.  We caught up on blog posts to finish off the year and generally spent time just listening to music and playing with the kids.

On top of that, I organized hourly games for the kids on NYE starting around 4pm.  We did a game each hour until 11pm when we celebrated New Years on Eastern time with the kids and then got them in bed.  In fairness, I had these planned for Christmas Day and we sort of forgot about them.  So it was an easy pivot to NYE.

The games were a great add.  It kept the evening moving, kept the kids (and adults) entertained and gave us something to do.  

Oh!  I nearly forgot.  I didn't get any photos of it, but the adults even played flip cup.  Ryan and I were the champions, winning 2 out of three of the games.  I haven't played flip in a LONG time - I'm not nearly cool enough, or good enough to play it often.  But it was really fun.

The final activity of the night was for each kid to decorate a paper lantern that we'd send up into the night's sky.  

I am SO glad I grabbed a few photos of the kids wishes for 2025.  There are some real gems in here!

The boys managed lantern lighting on the back deck - and while I'm glad we did it...I have to say it wasn't our best lift off on the lanterns.  We were slightly worried they'd burn something - they barely left the deck and one even got stuck in the tree right next to the porch.

The kids were fully tapped by 11pm so I'm glad we didn't let them stay up til real mid-night.  Jamie and I made it to mid-night but I was fully asleep by 12:45.  The boys on the other hand...they had other plans.  And may have regretted it the next day...but they both contend that that's what NYE is meant for.  

One of the best New Years Eve's we've had in year, in my opinion!!

Christmas Crafts

 

You've seen all of these quilts before as I pieced them together and got them ready to send to the quilter, but they are back, with quilting, binding and labels ready to be gifted!  Now that Christmas is over and they've all been gifted, I can finally post them.

Up first, Baby River's quilt - this one was for Wes and Taylor's new baby.  He was born in early December and I was really hoping they'd be at Murphy Christmas but understandably they opted to stay home (and likely to stay away from all the germs...I get it!).

I actually made two of these while I was at it...well, that and the pattern was written wrong so I had to order extra fabric and I had enough to make two so I've got a back up boy quilt for a future baby (and the quilting on that one is mustaches and I can't wait to show you all that one!).

Up next, a quilt for cousin Ann.  She was there at new Erin McGrath's wedding shower earlier this spring and was so kind and sweet about the quilt I have Erin that I immediately added her to my quilt list for 2024.  I was so excited to gift this to her on Christmas Eve.  She had a few tears in her eyes when she opened it, and that's exactly what I was going for!

Last but not least, a quilt for Jamie.  About a year ago she mentioned that she wanted to get on the Sadie quilt list...so, I was on the search for the perfect fabric/pattern combo.  I immediately loved this one because it's a little different.  Not often do you see quilting fabric in black and peach.  

Randomly the kids decided they wanted to do a homemade/handmade gift exchange for the Brackemyer/McGrath families.  Ryan drew Jamie, but I made him trade with me, because, how could I NOT gift this as part of that!?