Snowmobiling

As you may have read below, we got the chance to go snowmobiling with Lauren's dad. It was a really cool experience for Lauren, who had never been on a snowmobile before, and it reminded Bob how much fun snowmobiling can be. Here's Lauren all bundled up on her snowmobile.

Walt, Bob, and Lauren posing for a pic halfway through the tour.

Bob & Lauren

Walt & Lauren

It was a blast! We also got the chance to go skiing with Walt, Chris, Rene, and Kate; but, we didn't get any pictures. Bob opted not to go since he didn't have a very good first-timers experience the last time he went. It was Kate's first time to go skiing, and she did really well. Chris spent the day teaching Kate while Lauren got the chance to hit the slopes with her dad and Rene. She even decided to hit a couple extra runs solo. It's amazing how nice it is to ski on good snow, and Keystone is a great place to go. We hope everyone else had a safe and happy Christmas!

Christmas Trip

We spent Christmas in Dillon, Colorado with Grandma, Gramps, Uncle Chris, Aunt Katie, Craig & Rene (Lauren's uncle & aunt) and their two children (Lauren's cousins), Kate & Paige. On the trip down, we spent the night in Cheyenne, WY. Thank goodness...both Bob and Lauren were ready for the break after having to deal with snowy/icy roads in the dark. The drive into Dillon was much better though. The house that we stayed at was absolutely wonderful, and it even had a Christmas tree!

We had a really nice visit, and Santa even stopped by to fill the kids' stockings. Lauren's mom brought the famous holiday Chex Mix, and we even got our "Grandpa Bags" - a Kramer Christmas tradition (Lauren's mom's side of the family). Grandma, Kate, and Paige helped Blake empty her stocking.

Look at Blake's stash!!!

Here's Blake posing with Kate & Paige.

Grandma and Gramps were very helpful in taking care of Blake. Lauren and Bob got a chance to get away from the little one to go shopping, skiing, and snowmobiling. THANKS!!! I'm sure all of you who have kids remember how nice it is to get a chance to get away every once in a while. We don't have the luxury of having family very close, so it was REALLY nice to be able to get away without having to worry about Blake. Unfortunately, Blake is a northerner; so sharing a house with Oklahomans/Texans was a little warmer than what she is used to. She isn't wearing pants in almost every picture we have from the week...too funny! Here's a picture of our baby hangin' with her grandparents.

And, here's a picture of just Blake & Gramps.

Blake got the cutest Christmas jammies. Here's a pic of her showing off her jammies with Grandma.Blake didn't really sleep very well while we were in Colorado, so Lauren and Bob ended up swapping time sleeping with her on the living room floor in the wee hours of the morning so the other one could sleep; but, overall, it was a wonderful vacation.We have also enjoyed all of the nice Christmas cards and letters that we recieved this holiday season. We are so blessed to have such caring family and friends! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

Little Santa

Poor little Blake had to be dressed up for a cute Christmas picture...we just couldn't resist. Thank you to Grandma and Tudy for picking out the most adorable little Santa suit!

Older Video

Here's the video we last promised. Lauren forgot to post it before we left town for Christmas...OOPS! So, these are some of Blake's older noises; but, they are still cute!

Cold, Cold, Cold...

Well, it hasn't really warmed up much; so, we've spent most of our time indoors...and the little bit we do spend outdoors requires us to bundle up. Here's a picture of our baby all warm and cozy in her car seat.

Being indoors has given Blake plenty of time to play in her new toy. She has even started to grab and hold some of the toys. Here's a cute picture of her showing off her new ability.We've also had time to cuddle, play peek-a-boo, practice trying to roll, and all sorts of other fun stuff. So, of course, we had to get pictures.We also got some video footage, so I'll post that later on this weekend some time. Hopefully, everyone is staying warm and is looking forward to a wonderful holiday season.

Tummy Time

Blake got some quality "tummy time" this weekend. She doesn't really like being on her tummy, but she does okay for a couple minutes before she starts getting ticked off. So, Lauren caught the pleasant part on film for you to see. We also filmed one of her half-rolls. She constantly rolls over on her side, but she doesn't quite make it all the way over all the time. There is also some more footage of her playing in her bouncer. She just started leaning on the piano keys that cause the music to play. She doesn't quite understand that you are supposed to push them...she usually just accidentally leans on them and then gets excited when the music and lights start up. Well, this should be the last post for the weekend...it's back to the daily grind tomorrow. The temperature is already back down to -14 degrees. Let's just hope the pickup starts up without too much trouble in the morning.

Lazy Day

It was -14 degrees this morning, so we decided to just hang out inside again today. When we let Copa out this morning, she didn't even make it to the grass...she stopped to pee right in the middle of the driveway (which was covered with snow) and then ran right back inside. It was hilarious! Lauren was pretty bored, so she got some pictures of the dogs. Here's Copa...

...and here's Maddie.

It did actually warm up to -3 degrees later in the afternoon, so Lauren shoveled the drive and the side walks. Copa loves to jump at and chase the snow that gets kicked up when you shovel, so she joined Lauren for about 5 minutes. She almost immediately started favoring one paw and then another (her feet were just getting too cold), so Lauren made her watch the "fun" through the sliding glass door. Maddie does not like being cooped up in the house. She would much prefer running around in the back yard, but she finally got comfortable on the couch. She kept taking really deep breaths and sighing...like it was so rough to have to stay inside.

Blake got plenty of attention, and she got to spend quite a bit of time playing with her new toy. She really gets to bouncing and squealing...it's pretty funny. She also really keeps an eye on the dogs as they walk by.