Community

We live in such a great community.  One of our favorite traditions in the winter is to hit Cochrans on a Friday night for skiing and dinner.  It's so much fun to see the kids gain their independence and ride the t-bar with their friends.  Plus, John and I get to see our friends, ski with the kids, and eat dinner that we didn't have to cook.

We also get together to watch the Patriots, eat more good food and watch our kids develop relationships with a variety of little people who happen to be our favorite people's children.

Hazey banging on the drums at the First's home

Cally, Thompson and Hazey singing a song that they made up about the Patriot, that goes to the tune of  "This is My Fight Song" 

 One week, during the playoff's we hosted the crew:

We also managed to get over to the Cleary's in Jericho Center for a late Solstice burn.  This is always one of our  favorite events.  The folks that build these "installations" are so talented and then the fire performers are from another world.  It's nothing John nor I could ever build or do, but it's so cool to see.  Plus we run into so many people with whom we don't usually get to spend time.

The ways that our community stays healthy, plays, and supports one another makes me feel very fortunate to have settled here.  John and I have such a fun group of friends who have kids with whom our kids have built wonderful relationships. They all range in age, but hugs are always plentiful and disasters are always made!

January Hope!

We did finally get a little snow to ski as a family on New Years Weekend and made it out for some skiing as a family.

Even more fun, if that we had enough to cross country ski up Smugglers Notch.  I've done this so many times on my own or with the chariot, but to do it with Cally and her good friend Thompson and her mom was a dream come true!

The girls did such a great job.  It wasn't an easy ski up, but it was an even more difficult downhill.  But they did it!  With smiles on their faces, they did it.  

These two have known each other for six and a half years and it's been such a joy to see their friendship grow.  I can't wait to see the other adventures they go on and challenges they surmount.  Girl Power!

Wrapping up 2015

Upon our return to Vermont, the snow finally fell!  It was just what the doctor ordered for this family.  In the week after our return from Connecticut, we had a really relaxing and fun time with lots of family and friends:

Cousin sled run

Hazey wrestling with his teenage cousin!

       

throwing snowballs!

Milestone:  pulling his own sled up the hill! 

Building a snowman

We were thrilled to have the Davidson crew visit us from Bozeman.  Cal and Hazey loved having Rosie and Lucy here.  And we loved spending time with Deb and Gray.

2015 has been full of great times.  We have had so many fun adventures and the kids are changing in growing in ways that we never imagined.  We've reached milestones and stumbled a few times.  But mostly, we all have a stronger sense of what it means to be a part of our family, appreciating all that we have and all that our life allows us to do.

Christmas in Connecticut

Grandma and Bumpa have a great home for celebrating Christmas.  The big living room is an old barn with a huge hearth and it feels so warm with all the decorating that Grandma loves to do.  We haven't been down to Connecticut in years, but decided to rally and make it happen this year.

Cally going to Christmas Eve church service with Grandma

Hazey in the cozy living room

Climbing trees in the sunshine

opening presents

Pictionary "losers"

Pictionary winners

Christmas walk in Selleck Woods

The whole crew!

Shirtless baseball 

   

Walking at Cherry Lawn

Cousin Love

Flowers for Maggie's Memorial

Maggie's Memorial

While it was strange to have such warm weather at Christmas, it was a treat to be with family in a special place. The kids loved being with their grandparents, cousin, aunt, and uncle.  We all loved relaxing and being together.

Radio City!

This year, we decided to delay Cally's birthday party until June (at which point we will celebrate her 7.5 birthday) and instead decided to do something different and special.  We took the 9am train into Grand Central:

Checked out the windows at Sach's and the Lego Shop:

We also braved the crowds to see the tree at Rockefeller Center:

  

We made it to Radio City just as the doors were about to open for our 11am show:

We paid a visit to Santa clause before settling into our seats.  It was a truly magical experience!  These kids, grandparents, and parents were thoroughly entertained.  There was a 3-d movie, lots of singing, lots of dancing, even camels, donkeys, lambs, and an angle. 

The rain had started to fall, but we walked to Bryant Park to watch some more skaters and ride the carousel:

Then we had a delicious and fun lunch at the restaurant right behind the New York Public Library:

Before heading home on the train, we stopped by the Metro North Train Museum/store to see a really cool model train.

It was such a magical day!  Even though it was 55 degrees and raining and we had to stand on the 50 minute train ride back to CT, the kids were so thrilled to be in the city, feeling the electricity of all the people and spirit of Christmas!