Here's to a Fantastic 2009!

We can't believe that it's been a year since we brought home the best Christmas present EVER! How much everything can change in a year:

• Last year, we had my parents, my sister, and her new husband up to Vermont.

• This year we had my parents, my sister, her husband, and their new son, Will (almost six months). All of whom Cally adores.

• We were in our home this year! With a working fireplace and wood burning stove.
  

• Last year we were able to spend the holidays up at High Meadow-- a place we will always hold dear in our hearts. The gorgeous spot where Cally lived for the first six weeks of her life.
  

• Cally was walking and talking this year

• Last year, she'd hardly figured out how to nurse and pretty much only cried or slept.
  

• We were all able to ski this year (last year I could hardly walk and it poured rain on Christmas day)

• Our animal roster now includes a cat and an dog with a reconstructed achille's tendon

• Last year Zephy was just a puppy and Lobster wasn't in the equation

If every year is more and more fun than the last, we are in for a pretty amazing 2010!

Happy Birthday, Dear Peanut!

We can't believe it was a year ago that I was willing to do just about anything to meet you. We must have known that a really special person lurked beneath my belly. You were ten days past your due date and a Nor'easter was cranking through Vermont (not like this year where it hit places that can't even take advantage of it). We wanted you to come when you were ready, but we also didn't want to have your special day compete with Christmas.


Alas, you decided to join us on December 22nd. The day after the longest night of the year (that was the longest night of our lives, last year!). The day that lightness starts to increase for the first time in six months. The day the earth is starting to tilt a little closer to the sun.


How symbolic! Because your arrival has brought nothing but light to our lives. Your smile really can light up a room, your laugh can brighten any foul mood, and your simple curiosity is so much fun to watch everyday.


And so, to celebrate all the joy that you've brought to us, we decided to throw you a party last Sunday. We wanted to thank all our friends for their support over the past year and bring folks together for a Holiday/Solstice/Birthday gathering. We spent days cleaning the house, cooking cupcakes and gingerbread men and buying provisions. It was the least we could do for our little girl that brings us so much joy, each and every day.

You didn't really know what to think about the whole affair. First came the presents.....

and then the flaming cupcakes:


You weren't really sure what to do with those brown squishy mounds with candles in them:


And then when you were given one of your own, you wondered if this was supposed to be a tactile sensory experience or sweet taste sensation.


Once you got the hang of it, you seemed to really like those homemade chocolate cupcakes with butter cream frosting.


We didn't get any pictures of the insanity of this party that we threw for you, because it was all a big blur for us. But we did get a shot of the kids settling down to watch a little Charlie Brown's Christmas. In total, we hosted over 20 kids under the age of 8 and more than 50 adults! I think there was a period of time when all of us were roaming the house at once...


Happy 1st Birthday to our beautiful daughter Macalister Jane! Everyday on the planet with you is a gift. We can't wait to celebrate all of your birthday's to come...

Winters Late Arrival

Winter was slow to arrive up here in Vermont. Most years, by this time, John and I would have already put ten days in on the skis. However, the snow gods haven't been on our side this year. So, last weekend, we decided to take advantage of the "down time" and head out on a Christmas tree hunt.

It turns out, there is a Christmas tree farm less than a mile from our house. And, part of the proceeds from the sales go to the cure, hense the name "Cut for the Cure". So, last Saturday morning, we hunted, cut, and were home in less than 30 minutes-- which is my kind of Christmas tree hunt.

And by last Sunday, this is how our living room looked. This is the kind of stuff you can get done when you don't have the distraction of the local mountains.


Even without snow, it's beautiful here. These are pictures from a post decorating hike that we went on:


But our life gets so much more enriched by the white stuff that allows us to slide upon it. On Tuesday, the snow began to fly and John and I couldn't get Cally out onto the snow fast enough. So, we both rushed home from work on Wednesday, packed up the newly acquired ski adaptation that our friend Sandy MADE for the Chariot (instead of buying the kit for $270, he fashioned the entire thing out of an old pair of skis, a bungee cord, lots of metal piping, a wrestling belt, and several cotter pins). This amazing contraption has already blown open a whole new world for the Abbott Family. As you can see, Cally loves it.




And we LOVE it too. Since Wednesday, we've been out three times. Cally hunkers down with her cozy "bundle me" bag and a down snow suit and we get to shoosh across the snow and Zephy the dog frolics with us.

Yesterday, my dear friend Mary, (aka, the homesteading hussy-- http://thehomesteadinghussy.blogspot.com) offered to watch Cally for the day so that John and I could ski. She claimed she really wanted to spend some time with her and would be offended if we didn't take her up on her offer. It turns out that Mad River Glen, that ski area that hardly makes snow and didn't seem like it would open for a while, decided to open on Saturday at 10am. Perfect! We wouldn't have to have an alpine start, we could drop Cally off at a reasonable hour with Mary and her amazing spawn (seven year old Claire and five year old twins, Auggie and Timmy), and the mountain is only about 25 minutes from their house.

Mad River is reknown for having long lines on the weekend (one of the two lifts they usually operate is a single chair) and it can be kind of a scene. We also didn't really believe that they had the snow that they claimed to have gotten. After all, the accumulation at both our house and Mary's was maybe two inches. Surprised, we were! We arrived to Mad River to find absolutely no liftlines and gobbs of untracked powder-- at least a foot or more. It's hard to believe how quickly the weather went from a balmy fall to a winter wonderland


And, it was a gorgous day! John and I had an amazing time. We were like college students, ducking ropes, greedy for the freshies every run. In the past year, riding a lift and/or skiing together down the slopes has been a rare treat (last winter we usually swapped off duties in the lodge with occasional offers by friends to watch Cal for a run). So, to take eight whole runs together was just plain fantastic.

We were back to Mary's homestead by three to an amazingly content little girl. We were exhausted, exhilerated and so appreciative of the Ganz Clan. Cally doesn't have older siblings, but the Ganz kids treat her like their little sister. In fact, they are trying to convince Mary to have another.


Today, we went up to Underhill State Park with our friend Adam for a tour. He teaches with me. He's hardly 30, in a relationship but not married, and puts in almost as many days as we used to put in on the mountains. Cally took a nap for the entire hour of the ski up the hill, but awoke for the "exciting 15 minute down hill (on an unplowed road-- not a mountain by any sense). At the end of the adventure Adam said to me, "this is great, you guys demonstrate to me that this kind of life doesn't have to end when you bring kids into the equation". He's absolutely right on! Cally has only made us more motivated than ever to get out in the mountains. We know how happy being on the snow has made us, so we can only hope that she gets half of the enjoyment that we have gotten from being out in the fresh air, feeling the snow beneath our skis.