Beautiful day for a picnic!

First Snowshoeing of the Season

We're a little late this year.  Busy schedules and lack of snow are to blame.  But we did finally get out to snowshoe on MLK Day. 

 

In our trench for a major snowball fight.

Our destination.

Happy 5th Birthday, Sweet Nathan!

Within three weeks of turning 4, Nathan learned to ride his bike without training wheels, learned to write his name without any coaching, and was swimming like a fish--all because he had decided that those were things that 4 year olds do.  We can't wait to see what happens in the next three weeks! 

 

Sunny (Mostly) San Diego

We were in San Diego for what some locals told us was the coldest week of the year.  But we bundled up (sometimes in all of our clothes at once) and had a great trip with Oma and Grandpa Al.

 

Legoland

Mom and Dad's anniversary hike at Torres Pines State Reserve while we went to the San Diego Safari with Oma and Grandpa Al.

SeaWorld

 

San Diego Zoo - This gorilla baby is only 4 days old!

 

 USS Midway

 

Balboa Park

 

 

Point Loma Tide Pools

The Rest of December

Telling Santa what we want for Christmas.  Another benefit of our small town - Santa spent at least 10 minutes with these two.  It may have been a little longer.

 

Hanging out with Cody the Reindeer.  By far, Nathan's favorite part of this day was racing the reindeer back to the finish line at the end of the race.

 

Almost ready to race.

And they're off!

 

Making cookies for Santa.

Could this day get any better?!

Mom is late posting these pictures, but we haven't gotten over the excitement of one of the best days a kid (and maybe the parents) can have!  Thanks to Dad for setting it all up!

 

First stop: McChord Field Control Tower

We got to touch and try just about everything!  We even got to watch them bring in a C17.  What a unique experience!

Next stop: Airport Fire Station

The crash rescue vehicles are HUGE!  We got to see them drive and spray and we got to get into the front and back of the cab! 

I'm going to be a firefighter when I grow up.

 

Turning off the hose after spraying down some cones. 

Next stop: An hour in a C17!

The pilots (a couple of my friends' dads) and two crew members left nothing out of this experience.  We had the whole plane to our Cub Scout den (about 8 kids on this outing) and we got to try out everything.  Nathan even got to check out the landing gear and see how to put it down from inside the plane.  (Hint: you have to stick your hand out of the plane while it's in flight.)  Here I am wearing a parachute pack.

 

We got to put the ramp up and down several times.  Can you imagine a tank driving up here?

 

If this plane looks huge, that's because it IS!

 

In case of an emergency, don this gear.  It even has a place for a headset so that the crew and pilots can talk to each other throughout the emergency situation.

 

Seriously, we got to touch everything!

Family cockpit time

 

Did we say this day was amazing?