Girl's Ski Weekend

we got a last minute invite on thursday for Isa and I to head over to the Tetons for a (mama and big) girls ski weekend. it was a great idea and perfect timing so we packed out bags and got ready for a little getaway. we had been planning a ski weekend for the following weeks, but this trip seemed like too much fun to pass up. and isa and i haven't had a fun getaway, just the two of us, since before sylvi was born. it was definitely overdue.

the entire trip was a blast! the girls really enjoyed themselves and ate up every minute of the fun and distraction and general getaway of it all. we headed out early saturday morning and made our way over Togwotee Pass and into Jackson. after some thrift shopping adventure (thrift stores in jackson are like no other!) we headed to Snow King to play on the tow rope/bunny hill. this proved to be alot more work and alot less adventure than we had in mind. wrangling little ones on a not so steep (i.e. slow) slope and a fast tow rope is more work than it's worth! so after some slogging back up the bunny hill for a lackluster ski down, we decided it was time to hit the lifts. this wasn't exactly in the plan, but it was more than worth it! it was isa's first time on the ski lift and she couldn't have been more thrilled-- the lift ride itself was enough adventure to keep her happy! Snow King isn't the most ideal place for young beginners, but it was still great. isa did awesome on her first big girl run down hill, and even though it was tough at times, we both had a blast. i am guessing this will be the last year that she needs any help from us to make her way down. to no one's surprise, she was pretty fearless and i was glad to be able to keep her in check (actually, in a ski harness for some parts)!

as with most getaways, the hotel and hot tub proved to be just as enticing as the actual skiing. after a really long day, it was nice to settle in, go for a soak, eat some "big city" food and pass out by 8 pm! suffice it to say that there were three completely exhausted little girls that night!

on sunday, we took our time getting up and going and enjoyed the morning around town. there isn't a ton to do in jackson on a sunday (winter) morning, but we found plenty in the time we had! we were pleased to find that the roads were much better on the way home, which helped with two exhausted little girls who really wanted to get back to see their daddies and sisters. all in all, it was a near perfect ski weekend and we hope to be able to do it again soon! as for phil and sylvi, they had their own fun here at home-- including a trip to the pool, pizza with friends, and ice cream too :)

p.s. the big camera wasn't included on the trip up the lift, but stacy took hers and got some action shots, so we will post those when we get them!

who needs tv?

the deer are providing us with alot of entertainment these days. it's the same family that has been hanging out in the front and side yards all winter, but now they've made themselves at home around back. there are anywhere from 3 to 6 at a given time-- two babies, a few does, and a spike with broken antlers. they are usually hanging out in the backyard every morning and it looks like they must be bedding down there are night. so far they are keeping their distance, which is how we'd like to keep it (with the exception of coming up on the front porch and eating the plants!). occasionally we've had to run them off from the yard when the girls want to play on the swingset, but it's nice that they provide good entertainment for two sleepy heads each morning!

outtakes

i haven't been spending much time taking photos for the shop lately. partly because it's winter and the girls are getting older (i.e. harder to wrangle) and partly because the light in the new house is challenging. the recent pictures for the shop have been uninspired at best. here's hoping spring and more sunshine changes that? if not we may be in trouble.

anyway, i made this little elephant set and really loved it, as did sylvi. so we took advantage of what little light we had and tried to get some decent shots. this was not without interference however, as isa was really disappointed not to be in the shots herself. nevermind the fact that is gets to model plenty of clothes around here. but aside from that, the photos went ok, atleast for our recently lowered/poor light standards... until i told sylvi that the clothes had to be taken off and were not for her to keep. oh my. that's when all h-e-l-l broke lose. suffice it to say that i will be making sylvi her own elephant set here in the very near future, lest her little pink-loving heart be broken forever.

ski day

we had grand plans to head out to Beaver Creek this afternoon to ski around on the fresh snow, but it just so happens all that snow (and wind) closed the highway. so, we had to improvise! emily suggested we head out to her parent's place instead, which wasn't a hard sell at all. to sweeten the deal, there was birthday cake and hot chocolate waiting for us when we got back! we intended to soak in the hot tub for a while, but by the time we got back and sugared up, it was getting a little too close to dinner and bedtime.

the skiing was great though and everyone really enjoyed themselves. we rented a real pair of cross-country skis for isa and she really did well with them. emily (who used to teach skiing at Teton Village) said she thinks she is definitely ready for some downhill skiing. woohoo! the little ones were totally content to hang out in the sleds and stayed toasty warm wrapped up blankets and extra clothes, with a few hot water bottles sitting around them. they got a kick out of taking in the scenery (we saw dozens of deer) and watching the dogs run around and about all over the place. i think it's safe to say that the adults had an equally good time too!

we hope to head over to the "local" ski hill, White Pine, in a week or so to get isa on some downhill skis and have a family ski weekend. of course having the Pinedale pool right there doesn't hurt either!

is it summer yet?

there's something about february that makes me wish it was summer... maybe it's the illusion of the shortest month of the year (that makes it feel like the longest?) or the ice everywhere or the overhwhelming urge to toss out the jackets and mittens. or it could be that we seem be planning our summer as the new year rolls in? who knows, but i am wishing for long days with warm sun.

part of that summer planning involves applying for summer shows and art fairs for the biz. the (big!) Art Fair Jackson Hole applications are due next week, so i've been trying to get my act together for that. after some thought, i decided to only apply for the july show this year. this is a bit of a gamble, as the july show gets more applications, but after seeing the sales last year (july vs. august), i'd rather take the chance and hope i get in to the one i really want most. not to mention that by the time the end of august rolls around, i am more than ready to be done for the season.

we also have alot of other fun things planned for august this year, which makes the decision easier. there's the family reunion in colorado in early august, as well as a llama trip in the Winds towards the middle of the month. yes, that's correct... we're packing llamas into the Winds! w00t. with a llama company here in town, it wasn't a very hard decision. the fact that two llamas can easily carry enough gear and food for the entire family make it seem pretty awesome as well. that's right, no schlepping of heavy packs and small children this year! we've got pack animals!

finally friday.

that pretty much sums it up. it's friday and we are happy about it. short, sweet, to the point. happy weekend y'all!

24/7

whatta weekend.

holy cow. what a weekend! a good weekend, mind you... but a busy one none the less. two birthday parties in one weekend is quite a treat, though i think it may take a few days to recover from the pool, the travel, two days of cake, two parties and two little girls with head colds. phew. i don't know if i am really looking forward to monday, but it might feel considerably slower then the past few days. these pictures are a few outtakes from miss charlotte's fourth birthday party this afternoon. we were very happy to celebrate with her-- happy birthday charlotte!

happy birthday oliver!

there was a very fun birthday party today for a very special one year old-- happy birthday oliver! his parents had the great idea of having a party over at the Pinedale Aquatic Center. it was awesome! people who don't live in such remote places probably think it's nuts to drive 4.5 hours round trip to go swimming. but if you live around here and you've ever seen the Pinedale pool... you know that some things are well worth the drive! we've raved about this pool before and we never pass up an opportunity to swim there. today it was even more fun because a dozen or so friends went along too! isa and sylvi swim until their little bodies just couldn't take any more. they both seemed to go big today and spent lots of time pushing themselves to swim and jump and hold their breath. it really is cool to see how quickly they develop new skills and push their limits. we most definitely have two little fish on our hands.

friday morning dance party (two)

to no one's surprise, sylvi was not going to be left out of any dancing. sylvi loves to play ballet (pronounced "bah-way") and gets her game face on for her moves. this usually entails pursed lips and a far away gaze, with her hands delicately pointed together over her head (check out that top photo). she spent a few minutes doing what one can only assume was an interpretive piece with a washcloth as well. it's pretty fun to watch, to say the least. once she was given a headband however, she loosened up a little and joined in on her sister's laid back style (hence the gangsta rap pose in the bottom photo). need less to say, sylvi is very, very excited about taking her own dance class this fall.

friday morning dance party (one)

sometimes, you just gotta dance-- and this friday morning was perfect for that! there was some cleaning to be done around the house *groan* so i cranked up the itunes for the sake of motivation. of course this triggered isa's mustdancerightnow impulse and the rest was history. she's really quite serious about her dancing, as you can see. she came up with that outfit on her own as well and insisted that the headband must be worn like that, no other way would do! maybe it was the attire or the choice of music, but she broke out of her normal formal ballet routine and busted some serious moves.

thursday morning salvation

we woke up to another morning of below zero temps today. sad but true. at this point in the winter it's pretty expected, but that realization doesn't make actually getting up and out any easier really. but we needed to get out regardless, so we put on our big girl panties and rallied the best we could. unfortunately this wasn't without the frustrations of frozen car doors and little old ladies who really, really should not be allowed to drive. about the car doors-- apparently this is a common problem with minivans but it's also a really annoying one. both sliding doors refused to open for the first few hours of the morning, despite doing everything i could to get them to open... maybe including a minor hissy fit out of sheer desperation in the shadowy, cold driveway. ahem. anyway, the part about the little old lady was far less amusing and suffice it to say that we escaped without injury. but it did involve a serious near-miss involving four cars, very slicks roads, a little lady who obviously couldn't see over the steering wheel, and lots of honking and overall exasperation. phew. glad that's over with and hope that lady retires her keys in the near future.

sooooo, now that i got that all out of the way... the salvation to such a morning was an unexpected and spontaneous trip to the Children's Museum! *waves to stefani* thank goodness for such a place this morning. it was just what we needed. and since we hadn't been in a while, we were well entertained by the new exhibits and playspaces. hooray for that! and maybe for a nap too, which might be a part of the salvation as well :)