Our Cowboy

When Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake sent Charlie his first horse for Christmas, the problem was that it was too big for Charlie to climb onto and get off himself. Auntie Cake assured us that once he could handle it himself, he'd be on it all the time. Well, first he figured out how to slide off the horse a couple of months ago. The other day, I was doing dishes in the kitchen. Charlie was asking to ride his horse, and I told him he had to wait until I was done doing the dishes. This apparently wasn't good enough, so Charlie tried it himself. Of course he was successful, so now he can ride his horse whenever he wants! Here he is in action!

Mastering the Drums

As some of you may recall, Auntie BB and Uncle JB, from California, sent Charlie a drum set for Christmas. It intrigued him a bit in the beginning, but now he is totally into it! He's finally figured out how to put it around his neck and be a true drummer! Please, please, please... Auntie BB & Uncle JB... don't ever send a real drum set! This one is just perfect!

Last of the Colorado Pics!

Kelly sent me here pics from Colorado, and she had some good ones, so here they are!

UP200 Dog Sled Races

Last night we headed to a restaurant called Upfront to watch the UP200 Dog Sled Races. We met up with some friends who also have kids around Charlie's age to hang out for the evening. There was a bar, a buffet of pizza, a band, and a dance floor. The dance floor was quickly taken over by all the kids. They were dancing, running, hitting a balloon... you name it. Charlie had a blast chasing around with the other kids, and it was amazing how nice the older kids were to him. They made sure he was able to hold the balloon, and they always helped him up if he fell down. Once the dog sled races started, we were able to go out on the balcony to see them run right in front of the restaurant. A musher and his dogs would come by every 3-5 minutes or so, and there were 15 mushers in the race. Charlie loved watching the dogs, and he kept saying, "Go! Go! Go!" and "Go, Dogs, Go!" It was pretty cute. When it got too cold to stand out there, we went back in to get warm. It was such a nice evening. The kids all occupied one another, and that allowed the adults to stand around drinking beers. We mingled with out friends, watched the kiddos have a blast, and enjoyed some great music. The only bad part was that I forgot my camera, so I had to rely on my phone for pictures, and they didn't turn out the best. Other than that, it was a great evening!

This girl was my friend's niece. She really took a liking to Charlie, and he really liked her back!

Here's a video I took of the race with my camera.

Hiking Around Presque Isle

Today is a beautiful day in Marquette! It was 45 degrees out, so when my friend, Shannon, called to take the kiddos for a hike, I was all for it! There's nothing better than fresh air and exercise for Charlie in the middle of the winter! We headed out to Presque Isle with the intention to walk around it. We maybe made it half way, but did pretty good considering we had a 3-year-old, 2-year-old, and a 1-year-old in tow. There was a fascination with rocks, and Anna kept wanting to make a dash for the woods with the deeper snow. Overall, it was a great outing, and it felt so good to get outside in the sunshine. Payton even laid out on the porch this afternoon to do some sunbathing!

Charlie has a fascination for snowmobiles since we saw them at the hotel in Wisconsin, so when he saw one at Shannon's house, he was psyched! He and Joe went for an imaginary ride!

A quick shot of the kiddos on our walk: Charlie, Joe, and Anna.

Payton enjoying the sunshine.

More Colorado . . .

A few more pictures from Colorado that Pete's mom sent to me.

By far my favorite picture yet! This will totally be in all of his future slide shows!

Wearing Grandpa's ski boots.

I love this picture! Looks like Charlie tooted and Drew is just starting to realize it!

And again... Charlie playing with the goggles.

Winter Park & Charlie's First Time Skiing!

Last week we were in Winter Park, CO visiting Pete's parents. They go out there for 4 months in the winter time to ski. We have been going out to visit for the past 3 years, and it's become a yearly tradition! We left Marquette on Friday morning, met up with Kelly & Drew in Detroit, and then continued on to Colorado together. Pete, Kelly, and Drew stayed until Monday morning, and Charlie and I stayed through Wednesday. To top this year's trip off, Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake were there too! Kathy's daughter, Mallory, lives in Denver, so they were able to kill two birds with one stone and visit Mallory & Dan... and us also! Pete, Charlie, and I visited with the California gang Friday night for a bit when they got to Winter Park. Saturday morning, Kathy joined Pete's mom to watch the boys as the rest of us headed out skiing. They came to the mountain at lunchtime to meet up with us. We took Charlie out to the bunny hill to ride the magic carpet and have Pete's dad take him down the hill. He LOVED it! On Sunday, we all skied again, and then met up at lunch. It was a pretty cold day, and Super Bowl Sunday, so we headed home early for naps and the preparing of dinner. We spent the evening with the Hamilton's eating dinner, watching the game, and just enjoying our time together. Monday morning Pete, Kelly, and Drew left. Charlie and I headed over to the Hamilton's condo to hang out with them until they left after breakfast. We had a nice little meal together, and then said our goodbyes. It was just as hard saying goodbye this time as it was when we left California, but fortunately for us, Kathy and Randy are coming to Michigan this summer, so it won't be too long until we see them again. On Tuesday, Pete's dad and I headed out skiing in the morning, and Pete's mom brought Charlie to the mountain for lunch. We put Charlie in boots and skis and took him back to the bunny hill. Again, he LOVED it! He can't do ski school until he's 3, so we'll just keep working with him ourselves this year and get him into lessons next year. We had a wonderful time with Pete's parents, and a special thank you to them for everything they did for us. This trip is always one we look forward to, and I know we will create a ton of wonderful memories from each trip! It was also great to spend the weekend with Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake. They mean so much to Charlie, and us, and it's so nice to know that we won't lose touch with them. Charlie loves you both so much, and it's so great to see his eyes light up when he spends time with you. We love you guys and miss you every day!

Riding the tram at Detroit Metro.

Charlie eating his muffin at the airport.

Charlie loved trying on the different ski helmets. This one had monsters all over it!

Charlie with some pretty great people.

Special time with Uncle Randy and Auntie Cake.

Petey had a frozen beard after skiing. My own Iceman.

Eating cereal with Grandpa.

Charlie loved wearing the ski goggles around the condo.

U.R. and A.C. surviving the cold. Randy informed us it was 70 degrees in Lodi!

Riding the magic carpet for the first time.

Love this woman more than she'll ever know!

Getting ready for the Super Bowl with Uncle Randy.

Two of Charlie's favorites... Auntie Cake and hummus!

Pete joining Charlie in his "smile for the camera" face.

First time on skis!

Skiing with Grandpa.

Trying him on his own.

Skiing with Mom.

Riding the magic carpet with Grandpa and Grandma.

Watch out! Next year he'll be bombing the slopes!

Mallory cooked spaghetti and meatballs for Super Bowl. When she tested the noodles to see if they were done, I told her to throw them at the wall. We thought it would be fun to teach Charlie how to do it!