Happy 8th Birthday, Kade!

Kade turned 8 years old on March 20. We celebrated with his very first official friend birthday party on Sunday, March 21. We went for a "winter" theme, since we have had so much snow here this year, so we took him, plus several friends and family ice skating in WF. They all had a wonderful time and he received a lot of great gifts!

Party Table

Snowmen Cupcakes.  The kids loved the candy decorations!  Layton liked it so much he would just eat that part, plus the icing and leave the cake part.

Kade & Layton on the ice.

Most of them started off ice skating this way--hugging the wall!

Kade

All of the kiddos in the penalty box.  Some are trying to act all bad!

Layton dressed as Spiderman the first part of the party--that kid has some imagination.  He is currently not Layton, he is Peter Parker.  Clint is holding him and Skye is skating beside him.

Tyler was really good at skating, so he skated with Layton a lot.

Clint made one round with ice skates on--hugging the wall, as you can tell!

I can't believe Kade is 8!

Everyone enjoying the break and their cupcakes.

I didn't get any pictures with my still camera of Kade opening gifts, but he got some cool ones!  Thanks everyone for attending and giving/sending a gift.

Ski Daredevils

There were several kids from around our hometown area in Keystone, so one day we all skied together. They were quite the daredevils, I must say. Here is a short video I put together of four of the kiddos.

Keystone Ski Resort Day 4

We packed so many activities in Day 4, our last day, that it may take you awhile to get through this post!

Clint, Kade and Skye started the morning off skiing. I decided not to ski, so Layton and I took my skis back. Around 10:30 Kassie, Layton and myself went on a Geo Cache Treasure Hunt. There was an activity office in the ski village that would give you the coordinates to three treasures. So, we headed out with Clint's GPS Garmin looking for treasure. It was a beautiful day for walking, so that part was great. It was a little harder than we thought it would be to find the treasure, though. We stopped after the first pair of coordinates. We think we found the treasure, but were not completely sure. The funniest thing, though, is on our way back to the walking trail we cut through the snow and Layton found a real treasure box buried in the snow under a tree--nothing was in it and it was no where near the one we were looking for.

What a beautiful walking trail!

Layton reading our "treasure map"--upside down!

Our find. You have to look close, but there are two wind chimes and two dog collars. We either found the treasure or the burial site of two little puppy dogs!

The skiers came in for lunch, so after a quick bite I took Kade and Layton back down into the village so that they could make some cool crafts (there was a huge, heated tent set up with activities for kids). The boys made a bracelet that changes colors in the sun, a shamrock and a tube of snow (really cool!).

Color changing bracelets.

Layton and his shamrock. He looks like a little leprechaun.

Kade making snow.

Layton making snow.

After lunch the skiers went back up on the mountain and skied a few more hours. Kassie, Layton and myself met them around 4:00, so that the boys could play on a snow fort that was constructed at the top of the mountain. It was really neat! There was also a movie being filmed at the top, so we saw some movie stars (Clint was the only one who knew who they were--shows he watches way too much television!). The movie will be out this Christmas and is called something like "The Dog Who Saved Christmas Vacation". Supposedly it is a sequel to one that was out this last holiday called something like "The Dog Who Saved Christmas."

Layton at the entrance of the snow fort.

Kade on top of one of the towers.

Layton on top of a tower.

Layton played and played and then cried himself to sleep, because his feet were cold. Don't worry, I warmed his feet up and wrapped his lower half up in a blanket.

This is one of the movie stars. His name is Dean Cain. He played Superman in the t.v. series.

We ended the day by going tubing at the top of the mountain. Skye, Kade and myself were the only ones who could do it (Kassie couldn't b/c of her wrist, Layton was not tall enough, and Clint watched Layton for me). We had a blast! I don't know how fast we would get going, but I'm guessing around 60 mph.

Here goes Skye....

Coming back up the "magic carpet".

Here goes Kade...

Clint & Layton chillin'

Sunday & Kade

Skye & Kassie

Kade

Here is a video of us tubing. (If you received this post via email, you will probably need to visit our actual blog to play it.)

We had a wonderful Spring Break vacation and are already looking forward to next year.

Keystone Ski Resort Day 3

Today's weather was absolutely beautiful--the kind of weather that makes snow skiing so much fun. This morning Clint, Skye and Kade went out while Layton, Kassie and I ran to town and did a few things. Then I went back skiing with Kade at lunch and Clint, Skye and Anna met up with us about 2:00. We all had a lot of fun skiing--the youngsters had Clint and I going through the trees, trying jumps and other stupid stuff we don't need to be doing! Kassie was sweet enough to keep Layton for me. She took him to play on a little kiddie area they have here and even bought him ice cream. He had a lot of fun.

Kade wanted to ride the "magic carpet" in this tunnel, so I let him. I rode it too and I have to admit, it was fun!

Kade gettin' brave!

Here at Keystone there are Adventure Zones for the kids. This was one of the adventures--you went through this wooden tunnel. I tried to get a picture of the tunnel's name. It was "Lone Mine."

Clint, Skye, Anna & Kade stopped midway through the tunnel, so that I could get their picture.

Clint, Sunday & Kade

Kade, Anna & Skye

Here is the play center where Layton played.

Layton cheesin'

Another video of Kade skiing down the mountain at the end of the day. (if you receive this post notice through email, you will need to go to my actual blog to play the video)

Keystone Ski Resort Day 2

Well, the weather today was not the best. It snowed off and on, plus the wind was blowing (so much that the Gondola was closed all day). So, it was cold! I don't do cold, but Kade wanted to ski the green trails, so Clint and I took him after lunch. I only lasted two runs and had to go to the room, but they skied until almost 6 p.m. Kade is doing so good!

I worked some more with Layton, but ended up just taking his skis back to where we rented them from. He is not liking this skiing. I think I will wait a year or two and put him in ski lessons.

Here is a quick video of Kade skiing.

Keystone Ski Resort Day 1

We arrived in Keystone, Colorado, this afternoon around 3 p.m.  We rented our skis, got night lift tickets and headed to the slopes.  Keystone is famous for their night skiing--you can ski until 8 p.m. Wed-Sat.  Clint, Skye, Kade and Kassie (a friend of Skye's) headed for the big boy slopes, while Layton and I went to the magic carpet and practiced.  Layton is having a lot of trouble, because he can't keep his skis together while snow plowing, so we are going to try to find a band in the morning that will keep them together.  He just kept telling me, "Let's just ski, I don't want to practice!"  I kept telling him to make a pizza so that he could learn to stop.  By the time we finished an hour later he told me he didn't even like pizza!  He did really good, except for the stopping.

I didn't get any pictures of anyone else.  They were all still skiing when Layton and I finished up.  Kassie ended up getting hurt and breaking her wrist, so Layton and I spent some time with her in the Medical Center.

Tune in tomorrow for more.....

Layton resting after a hard hour's work!

Night skiing at Keystone

Kassie and Keystone Paramedic

K & L Funnies

I love it when moms post funny things that their kids say.  I want to start doing this, so that we can look back on them when they're little and laugh.

Kade:
Last night Clint and I were watching The Boy in the Striped Pajamas.  The movie is about The Holocaust.  Kade watched a little bit of it with us before he fell asleep (he did not see any of the sad stuff).  However, before he fell asleep one of the scenes showed a concentration/work camp.  He asked us, "Is that a focus camp?".

I don't mean to make fun at all, because The Holocaust is such a sad event in our world's history.  I would have never thought to mix up focus with concentration, though.

Layton:
Layton usually spends one night during the week with my parents.  My mom keeps him one day a week and if he stays the night with her she doesn't have to make the 30 minute trip to town early in the morning.  So, last week my dad was eating some sardines for supper (he claims that they are good for preventing Alzheimer's, dementia, etc.).  Layton was completely shocked and told Pa-Paw that he was eating cat and dolphin food.  We have laughed and laughed about this!

The Creek Crossing

We had another good rain this past Sunday evening on in to Monday morning. It was enough that our creek has been flowing good for three days now. The boys think it is the coolest thing and would love to get out and play in it. Secretly, I would too, if it were a little warmer. (I, of course, took a moment to scare them into never playing around water alone--they must always have an adult present). I snapped a picture and a video of the flowing creek, thinking it would be nice to capture the sound. I don't think I shut up enough in the video for you to hear the sound of the water, though! Sorry.