Pond Hockey Tournament

The 6th Annual Pond Hockey Tournament! This is a tournament Sam looks forward to every year. I love watching it. I've gone since Nate was a baby, carrying him on my back. Hockey in an arena is cool...but hockey on a pond is awesome! Four guys play the whole time, the surface is smoothed by shovels...no zamboni, so the puck isn't quite as predictable, the goal is now just a couple holes in a board, and you're in the great outdoors. The great outdoors being Beaver Meadows near Red Feather Lakes where it is windy 360 days out of the year! Today was no surprise, nice and calm until we were about 2 minutes from our destination, then windy and snowy. Here's some pics.


Sam's in the white getting ready to shoot the puck.




Go Sam Go! This year they added nets behind the goals. Good idea, we've almost been drilled with a few pucks before these were installed.


Chloe and Mac playing in the snow. The kids did awesome! It was very cold and they played out in the snow for 3 hours! Only had one 20 minute break when I coaxed them into the van for snacks. Of course it helped having they're good friends the Kershner kids there to play with them!


Quick stop! I love seeing them change direction on a dime. Probably something they don't think twice about, but for someone who tries to do this and falls every time...I like seeing the snow spray!


And finally, the zambonis. The guys are tired after playing 20 minute halves without a break, yet they then shovel the ice to get it ready for the next teams.

Sam played two games today, will play some tomorrow, and will end with the finals on Sunday. We're hoping to go up on Sunday again to see him play some more. Maybe it'll be one of the days that it's not windy...not likely :)

Enjoying some warm weather...yesterday.

Yesterday was around 60, so we took advantage of this nice day in Winter and cleaned up the backyard. Sam was blowing leaves out of our rock border, and with any leaf action...piles are made.

The boys worked together to make a good pile

Elly was also eager to help

And when the pile reached a height of satisfaction...the jumping began!

This was our weather yesterday, today was very cold and icy...and tomorrow school is already cancelled. Our high is supposed to be -4. That's right our high is -4. Burr!

Nate's New 'Do!

So for about a year now...Nate has been into long hair. It's kind of funny because Nate has never cared much about style except his hair. Sam and I really don't care, as long as he doesn't look too shaggy and keeps it out of his face.

But lately with the dry air, it's gone from looking Keith Urbanish...to shaggy in a hurry! So we encouraged him to cut the locks...and he finally let us do it without a fight.

What a handsome little fella! He's not convinced that short hair is the way to go, but we're hoping all the compliments keep coming and he keeps it short for a while. At least until there's a little more humidity in the air, so he's not sporting a head of straw!

Highlights since Christmas

Sam and I started P90X right after Thanksgiving, and that's going to be my excuse for getting so behind in my blogging! :) When the 90 days of this workout are over (we're on day 51), I'll be sure to take some stuff from it, but definately can not keep up with working out 1 hour 5 days a week. I am seeing muscles though that I haven't seen in a while, so there's definately some bonuses! We've also been repainting our kitchen cabinets, which has turned into more of a process then I had planned. I'm excited how they're turning out though. Once they're done, I'll definatley have to post some of my home improvement projects. Anyway...to the pics!


Sam and the boys got a day of skiing in.


We all went for a hike to Arthur's Rock. There was only a little complaining...


The boys did great most of the way, just getting tired towards the top, until...


...some bouldering came into play!


Yay! We made it!!!


Grandma and Papa Eliason came into town. Mac even got Papa on the sled with him!


Thanks for the help Elly!


It was very cold when we went sledding. We only lasted about 20 minutes before my fingers and toes were cold. Mac could have kept going all night and did stay longer with a friend while the rest of us called 20 minutes of sledding good!


The Ballards also came into town for a bit.


Grandma brought her violin to practice.


Mac, our music kid, loved trying to play the violin. He now wants one. We're checking into getting him into piano lessons with a friend.


He's excited to start a guitar program at well at his school, but that doesn't start until he's in third grade.


We also hit the Children's museum in Denver.


Elly danced and dressed up.


Nate could have jumped trying to pop the ginormous bubbles all day long, and pretty much did.


Mac tried to pull up this bubble over himself, Sam and Elly


Mac also liked this huge magnetic white board and tried to make a story.


Our last highlight was going to a Nuggets game. Lizzy and Ben got us family tickets to the game.


the boys loved it! Mac won a t-shirt and Nate a hat at a game before the game. They also got pizza and their own soda, which was huge!


Nate was fixed on the game the whole time, and we had great seats, so could really see what was going on. Thanks Lizzy and Ben!

Hopefully, my posts will get less sporadic! We'll see...

Go Seahawks!

Hoping for a big win today!


I love it when Elly where's sports clothes...cute little tomboy


Last night was our weekly "pizza and movie night." Fridays are very low-key after a week of school. The boys are tired.


The day before the kids worked on a snowman.


Nice teamwork!


We have a winter storm warning for tomorrow...so may have a whole snow family shortly!

Christmas 2010

We had a nice, quiet Christmas. Elly was getting over the stomach flu, so we kept to ourselves. It was nice staying in our PJs most of the day. :)


Santa got us a toothbrush!


We checked out our stocking gifts first...then had an eggs and sausage breakfast before opening the rest of our gifts.


The boys were superexcited to give everyone the presents they bought at the Christmas store at our church. Here Elly's opening a Care Bear that Mac bought her. Mac got me a very "nice" vase. Still not sure where I'm going to hide...I mean place that one. :)


Do you like the hat Nate got Sam? It fits him nicely...


The directions specifically said to "not shoot arrows inside", however, we rarely keep those silly safety rules in the Eliason household (we will with the real deal). Thanks Grandma and Papa Eliason!


Thanks for the zhu zhu pet Grandma and Papa Glaser! Mac loves these things!


Nate trying out his skateboard ramp from Santa. Might need to get some better knee and elbow pads when we try this on concrete...not sure yet when we'll let him try this on a surface where he could actually break a bone (eeks!).


Elly loved all her new doll stuff. I love watching how she takes care of her dollies. I'm sure she gets her sweet, nurturing, patient ways from watching her mama (yeah right!) I do my best. :)


We got the boys battleship. It's been fun playing with them.


This was our big gift for the boys. It's one of those 15 in 1 game tables. Got it for deal....$30 off Craig's list.


Nate's been into pool the most. They both love playing the pop-a-shot.


Elly got to play a little.


I got Sam a "man basket" that I bid on at an auction. It had a poker set, beer, soda, lots of snacks and a unlimited topping large pizza coupon. Perfect for a guys night. Sam's looking forward to having a poker night with some friends.

We had a great Christmas. It was quiet. Elly ended up coming down with a bad cold starting on Christmas, after recovering from the stomach bug, so we've continued to lay low. She's doing good now...we'll try not to wear the poor kid out the rest of Christmas break. :)