Dan is Married to a Funny Girl

To come home with this message on the counter made from alphabet crackers...... Happy Valentines Day, Lover Boy!
Hehehe. Don't I look like a bombshell!

The Best 34 years of my Parent's Life

Adorable baby girl. Everything my parents ever wanted in a baby. I'm pretty positive I was a dream baby.
The sweetest 4 year old in the country. My mom made this dress for me. When I twirled around fast it floated up to my waist. Loved it! I remember topping it off with black church shoes and white anklets with lace.
Who couldn't ask for their first perm in the 4th grade and pull it off like that? You can't get any more stylish...except for the suspenders. And yes, still a charming daughter.

I rocked this hairstyle in the 6th grade. Justin Murray, a dreamer, even asked for one of my pictures. I loved my slightly acid washed jeans I wore with this picture because they had zippers in the back by the ankles with little bows at the top. My parents couldn't get enough of my personality.

What parent couldn't ask for a more confident daughter than this 8th grader? Not too many people can pull off a wild shirt with giant shoulder pads and over sized cow earrings.
And now the hormones are done (pretty sure) and the curls are a permanent fixture. What is there not too love about this animated, care-free 11th grader that should have thought twice about a flower choker?

Yep. Pretty sure it's been the best 34 years for all of my family and friends.

Skiier's Lane

Dan is now a member of the Ski Patrol for the nearby resort. He had to pass an outdoor emergency care class and a performance ski test. The patrol is ran by volunteers. But each patrol person gets 2 free passes every time they volunteer their time. See why we became interested in this gig? Sorry Dan. I'll try to get a better picture of you in your "uniform" and maybe even your face.
So now we (I like to be included) can teach the kiddos to ski for free! Koen, surprisingly, struggles with snowplowing too much. He is usually the one for the need for speed. But he caught on great. The first time down the hill he said that he wants to give his snowboard away because skiing is so much funner. Sorry, Kelly.

Holy cow! Daradie has been rockin' the slopes. She can't wait to earn "sticks" (poles) once she's able to get on and off the lift by herself and ski a bit more confidently. We had a ski teacher (yes, I included myself in that lesson claiming he needed another adult to help with the lift part) and the kids improved immensely with him. They listened and never yelled back or whined when they were with him.

And I on the other hand....oh, poor Dan. I know he would dream of a wife that was a bit more coordinated. Granted I have been a total of 5 times before the kiddos were born and that was 12 years ago. So not a lot of depth of talent. This winter, after 15 times off the lift, one would think that an adult would be able to figure out how to remain standing instead of get spit out in a heap praying that body parts will remain intact. Both children refuse to ride the lift with their mother. The loser of paper-rock-scissors gets stuck riding with me on the lift. And I am currently working towards the next advancement: earning "sticks."

Ohhhh, the Joys of a Mom....

Daradie: Oh! Look at that huge house! I want a house like that! When I'm a mom I'm living in that big house.
Me: The bigger the house, the more you have to clean.
Koen: Mom loves to clean.
Daradie: My room is going to be in the tower! Maybe I'll even grow my hair out longer and I can paint in my room and it will be just like Rapunzel. But no lizards.
Me: Wait. Who said I like to clean?
Koen: You only have two kids. You should have had more kids so you don't have to clean so much.
Me: I don't really like to clean. Just something you have to do.
Koen: Why do you do it every day then?
Daradie: I'm going to have 11 kids to clean my big house!
Me: Eleven kids, huh? Sounds exciting.
Koen: My wife will have 18 kids! And I'll drive a school bus!