Swiss Valley Valentine

Our neighbor Mike, who is a crazy, good skier, set us up with a sweet deal of room, ski lift, and rentals for the weekend, if we just drove up to Swiss Valley Ski Resort in Michigan. An offer we couldn't refuse.

Five out of six Hamby's turned out to be darn, fine skiers. The kids LOVED it. Already, Ike and Ava said that all they want for their birthday next year is to go skiing. This displays a great desire in a seven-year-old to forgo gifts to spend a day on the slopes. All four of the kids and Brant took to it like they'd done it before. They zipped through the bunny hill, moved on to the bumpy hill, passed the smaller, speed hill, AND then went on this huge, insane Triples slope. I could not believe my kids were zooming down this impossible looking hill after only one day. They were on such an adrenaline high and totally in love with skiing. Paige and Claire are already thinking of ways to earn money to get their own skies, boots, and helmets.

Did you catch the the fraction of 5/6ths of the Hamby family were good at this? Yeah, I'm that 1/6th that sucked it up. I fell three times in the first five minutes. The third fall (on the frickin' rope pull -- not even a good crash-and-burn story here) felt like someone smacked me in the back with a shovel making every fall after all the more painful and embarrassing. Oiy. And then when you fall, it's darn near impossible to get back up in skies. I wallered around on the ground like Randy from A Christmas Story ("I can't get up!). I haven't felt so handicapped since I was 9 months pregnant with twins.

100 Days of School Down and Then. . .

We hit the 100 Day at school, a huge, elementary landmark. The kids had a day of fun, crafts, and snacks. And then . . .
SNOW DAYS! We've been stuck here without much to do. The snow is really crusty from sleet, so you can't even sled on it. Bummer. We've already put together a 1,000 piece puzzle, made cookies, painted nails, and got out the trusty craft box. I'm running out of regular, snow day fun supplies. Hope this breaks soon or the crazies may take over this asylum!

Snowy Weekend

Here's how we spend a snowy weekend. We watched movies, read books, played PS3, and ground up a deer. I know. The first three were great. The last one was fun in it's own way. We stocked the down stairs freezer with ground deer, deer roasts and deer sausage. Brant added in some pork so it's not so deery. I'm excited to try out some soups and chilis with my man's kill.

We've had snow for weeks, but it's been too cold to make a snowball, let alone a snowman. Finally, today it warmed up enough to make a man. The kids made a Daddy and a baby. They are almost old enough it took minimal Mom-help this year. Sad.

Lucky Seven

Ike and Ava tuned seven. They're birthday always makes me a bit weepy. Surely they're not seven. I remember them being so small. *sniff*. Alas, seven brings on big stuff. Ava finally can have her ears pierced, which has to wait due to the date of her birthday. Isaak can whittle wood and Ivory soap with his very own pocket knife. There were many rules and stipulations with Ike's gift. An extra tube of Neosporin and some butterfly bandages are laying in waiting for any incidents that are sure to happen.

Ike an Ava always choose extreme food for their birthday feast. This year it was gingerbread waffles with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Top that all off with some chocolate cupcakes for one heck of a carbo-laden, sweet fest. It's great to be seven, and we're glad to have been blessed with them.

Merry Christmas!

Santa made it through the snow and mess. He surely used Rudolph this year. Isaak received a tank that rolls over men, shoots, and makes and insane amount of noise. He is so jazzed about the mayhem he can create.

Ava finally has a Lalaloopsy. For those of you who don't know, this is the hot toy for 1st grade girls. Crazy hard to find anywhere, including online. So glad Santa is an early planner.

Paige felt like there had been some Santa letter confusion. She had wanted an American Girl kitchen. But once she fiddled around with the nano, decided that it was WAY better.

Claire loved her nano. Anything to give her a leg up into big girl world. She is a teenager stuck in a fourth grade world.

Santa even managed a bit for mom and dad. It was a lovely, quiet, white Christmas around here. Lots of food and music.

Winter Wonderland

To get to church, we have to pass over the Wabash River on this antiquated, one-lane bridge. It's so neat. On rare lucky days in winter, the fog off the water will freeze to the trees by the river. Truly beautiful. It only occurs when the circumstances are just right: wind, temperature, precipitation. The other bonus, only early rises get to see this. It melts away as soon as the sun is up for more than an hour or so.

These pictures do little justice. In real life it is one of the sparkliest, natural events. It's breathtaking. Here's hoping you find some of your own Christmas miracles this year.

Ava was Right

As I tucked Ava in on Nov. 30, she informed me that Dec. 1 meant that it would snow. She said because it was December in the morning, we would wake up to lots of snow. I tried to inform here otherwise, but she wouldn't hear of it. She knew that it would snow. Well, guess who was right? Yeah. She always is.


We woke up to a good inch of snow on Wednesday. Today, we woke up to a perfect day for sledding and snowballs. My kids (Brant included) and the neighbors are whooping it up. I'm getting ready with cocoa and cookies. I have the best job out of the deal.


Of course, this snow did ruin today's plans of putting up the Griswald, outdoor, light festival. Darn. Scrooge is well pleased, but another Hamby is sad. I'm sipping coffee and humming under my breath, "I'm dreaming of a low, electric bill . . .". Cheap, I know. It's sad.