Hope for a better year ahead!

Well, FINALLY 2010 has arrived and I don't mind telling you...I am sincerely hoping that 2010 is WAY better than 2009 was! Eeeks! When I think back on all the BS I went through in 09...well, really, there is nowhere to go but up! The girls informed me that they were going to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve...and wouldn't you know it, they actually did! Although, you can readily tell from the picture below that they were WELL past the point of actually functioning normally! But they made some noise old school style with some pots and wooden spoons at the stroke of midnight! And then were promptly put to bed within 15 minutes of this picture being taken!


We took a trip to Canada to visit Dean's grandmother where she resides in a nursing home. She is 92 years young, and though her memory is failing, she enjoyed her visit very much. Especially since Luci was quite the entertainer for a large number of residents! As we were putting our coats on in preparation to leave, she turned around with a bright smile and said, "Bye everybody!" in her loudest voice. There were lots of giggles and smiles all around!

We never did get those ballet shoes hung on their wall yet, and the girls took advantage of that while watching a new ballet movie they got for Xmas. So I stuffed the toes with poly stuffing and secured their feet as best I could and away they tiptoed with the greatest of ease! Luci insisted on wearing a ballet dress!

January 1st was a beautiful mild day loaded with nice packy snowman snow...so we got dressed and got busy out in the front yard making this snow family. From left, Daddy, Mommy, Drew, Luci, Papa, and three dogs which we neglected to designate names. Note how much Papa Snowman is leaning...that'll come into play in a few more pictures...

Dean dug out the sled and had some more fun!

Remeber the leaning Papa? Well, he didn't last so long!

The girls love getting dragged by the four wheeler, but the snow in the face of the first rider is always a bit much!

Good thing they have face masks! Luci makes a face!

Drew!

Last Saturday, the girls and Daddy donned their ice skates for the first time in about 2 years to go skating with the area Girl Scouts.

Just like riding a bike, Drew gets back to doing some of her old tricks from when she took lessons.

Luci had only about 1.5 hours worth of ice time 2 years ago, so she wasn't as steady as Drew on the ice. But she managed for a while before finally grabbing a free "helper".

Even after a fall, she's still good-natured! Though she has her moments occassionally, she always comes back happy, which is a huge relief! If she were a major whiner I think I'd pull my hair out!

Luci grabs a "helper" and finds out that even using this she can do a trick or two!

Drew and Dean chase one another on the ice!

Today's quote:

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph! ~Thomas Paine

I am triumphant and victory is sweet! (also rather amusing! Ha ha!!) :-)