February

I think I'm finally about caught up!  Here are some more pictures of our adventures in February!  Thanks to all of you for checking in on us!

I went skiing with all of the 2nd graders to Meadowlark!  It was such a fun day and Maya had a great time skiing with her buddies!

A video that our friend, Kevin, shot of Maya (in the white coat) and his daughter (purple coat).

Jacob thought Valentine's Day was so fun.  His babysitter makes her kiddos feel extra special.  We are so thankful for her.

We had a small stretch of warm weather a week ago.  We braved the mud and hit the park.  Jacob loves it when his sisters act silly with him.

Our basketball hoop blew over in a windstorm.  Joe will be able to fix it once it warms up, but Jacob was determined that he could fix it.  He loves his tools and being a Mr. Fix-it like his Dad and Grandpas!

We went skiing at Snowy Range near Laramie last weekend.  Nicole was able to join us along with some of our friends from Colorado.  Maya and Gabi LOVED skiing with Nicole.  A fun day was had by all!  We were having so much fun we forgot to take pictures!  ;)

Wyoming Basketball Games

We were able to attend two Wyoming Basketball Games in Laramie this year.  One in December before the Mountain West Championship Football Game....

Maya & Nicole

Hanging out on the court with some buddies after the game

...and one in February with some of our other friends from Buffalo.  We were able to spot Pistol Pete during this game.  Jacob was so excited to go meet him, but then freaked out the closer we got.  Maya had to hold him to keep him from running away in this picture!

Watiki

We spent quite a bit of time at Watiki Water Park in Rapid City when we were there a couple of weeks ago.  Gabi's basketball games were played in the afternoon, so we were able to beat the crowds by swimming in the mornings.  This is by far the largest water park in a 500 mile radius and these kids ate it up!  They all loved the big slides.  Gabi and Maya could go down all of them by themselves.  Jacob is too little to go down the big slides by himself, so I went with him! I didn't mind a bit...a good excuse to have a little fun!  He is such a daredevil!

I didn't get any pics of the kids going down the big slides since I was going down as well, but here are a few of them on the smaller set of slides.  Gabi and Maya are such good big sisters and took Jacob with them.

Hiding in the tunnel during a bucket dump!

Adventures in Basketball

Gabi played on a basketball team of 3rd and 4th graders that did a little traveling to tournaments this winter.  She had a blast and improved so much.  We are so thankful to her coaches who volunteered their time and expertise to foster a love of basketball and sportsmanship in these girls.  Here are some photos from the tournamnets in Sturgis, SD, Gillette, WY, and Rapid City, SD.

Trying to clap while eating a ring pop.

Sturgis 4th Grade Girls Tournament Champions!!

Doesn't it look like Gabi's coach is pulling her ponytail!?

Rapid City 4th Grade Girls 3rd Place Team

Grandma Fern

Joe's Grandma Fern lives in an assisted living facility in Spearfish.  We were able to visit and take her out to lunch when we went to Sturgis for a basketball tournament in January.  She is in pretty good spirits and doing well for being 92 years old.  :)

Red Lodge

We spent a weekend in Red Lodge in mid-January.  Joe & the girls skied in the morning.  Jacob and I had fun at a great playground covered in snow!

Both girls are becoming great skiers.  I can hardly keep up with them, especially on my tele skis.  I may have to go back to alpine next year so I can go a little faster.  Gabi loves the mogels and has done several black diamond runs this year.

We did get Jacob up on skis in the afternoon.  He did great!  Red Lodge has a great bunny hill and magic carpet that makes learning a little easier.

Winter Fun

Here are some pictures from December and January.  These kiddos sure keep us busy, but we enjoy every minute we get to spend with them.

The Third Grade class did a Pirate Christmas program.  It was really cute.

Both girls are taking piano lessons this year and did such a great job at their Christmas Recital.  This is their teacher.  Yes, they have Cowboy tattoos on their cheeks...we had just returned from a game in Laramie...it was either the tattoo or a really big red spot on their cheek from lots of scrubbing.  :)

Jacob is such a snuggle bug...and such a mommy's boy.  :)

Both Gabi and Maya are taking gymnastics this year.  I can't believe how much strength they have built and how much they have improved over the year.

Maya

Jacob loves Rocky.  Rocky loves Jacob...most of the time.

Both girls sang in the choir during the Children's Christmas Mass at church. 

Maya has lots of friends who love to have playdates with American Girl Dolls.  :)

A picture Gabi's teacher sent me from when she had recess duty.  So glad my girls have solid friendships.

Gabi was nominated for Student of the Month for the key of "Committment."  She works very hard in school and is committed to helping others and being a great friend to all.

We had a New Year's Eve party.  These four had quite the time playing together inside...

...and sledding together outside...