I'll Be Home For Christmas

We are already 10 days into the new year and you are probably concerned for my well being since there haven't been any new posts. I appreciate your concern (even though I know it's only for the lack of pictures), but I'm sure you'll understand the delay. After all, this post spans decades! So without any further delay...
Christmas, home, family, friends, snow, skies, snowshoes, airplanes... and no work! Could the week be any better?!?
What a fine looking bunch...
...and by fine looking, I mean...
Top: Joe, Mom, Josh
Bottom: Joy (wins the prize for funniest funny expression), Charity, Faith
As a tradition, I try to get a small, random gift for everyone. Knowing nobody would appreciate a genuine raw Idaho potato, a coworker recommended these Idaho Spud candy bars, "...everyone's favorite since 1901". In a rush to pack and fly out, it was easy enough to grab a box at Walmart and head home. Turns out, Idahoians better stick to real potatoes as only one of the 24 I brought home got eaten! Yes, they were that bad.
Here's that good looking crew again with Dad at Joy's house - a stark contrast to last Christmas when we tore out a few ceilings and made a grand mess of her house just for fun!
You can only hold the pose so long before somebody makes a funny!

I really miss the piano always playing in the background... maybe I should have practiced when I was taking lessons!
I'm not convinced we're old enough to be having high school reunions, but Amy organized one anyways.

One beautiful scene...

...and one pitiful scene while XC-skiing near Sandy Creek. Joy tried to sympathize by saying I probably wasn't used to the skies. Unfortunately, I was hardly even moving and just wiped out without an excuse.
Breaking trail is worth the extra work when you get to enjoy the scenery.

Joy practices for the...
...synchronized headstands! Now, while the blood drains from our heads...

A sampling of Grandma's handiwork.
Every time you visit Grandma, there's always new quilt patterns and pieces adorning everything!
What's this?

4 friends XC-skiing on New Year's Eve.

What's this?

Joe right after he took a picture of 4 "friends" XC-skiing New Year's Eve. Dylan seemed to take exception to his picture being taken and subsequently tackled me.
Unfortunately for Dylan, I got the last laugh.
After a great night of skiing in near perfect conditions...

...the girls thought it would be hilarious to push the guys out of the picture. And, it was.
I love how Charity is the only one with both arms raised.

Uh-oh, did the camera just catch Dylan cheating? (I'm sure he wasn't.)

Mar's famous last words: "I am NOT going to fall today." ...this couldn't have been more then a few minutes into our morning ski.
Dylan, Mar, Joy and I stayed over in Rockwood in anticipation of some more great skiing conditions. Unfortunately, it warmed up and the snow was much slower. Of course, that didn't take away from the adventure.

Dylan successfully rounds "Wipeout Corner" at the bottom of a long hill. You can see his tracks in the foreground from the night before when he took out a few saplings at a high rate of speed.
But things quickly got out of hand...

but I have to give him credit because it is difficult to know what to do when your left foot goes right and your right foot goes left!
Looks like he figured it out.

Look Mom - No hands!
That just looks painful... painfully funny. I won't post the whole progression of pictures, but it provided for some good entertainment as he had to fall again before he could get his legs twisted back around.

Mar thought this setting would be perfect for a group picture. Have you ever tried to stand on a ball?
While attempting to get on the log, Dylan manages to get one ski under the log...

...Mar goes down trying to help and Joy can't save her...
...Dylan doesn't last long (while Mar laughs)...

...now they're both down (while Joy watches in laughter)...
...and now if you look close, you'll see Dylan's left ski under the log! Good thing he's got long legs!

But alas, we found success!
Careful Joy!

Back at home, it was time to try out the new snowshoes at Thatcher Park.
A pretty view of the creek.

Amy practices her headstand...
...before I join in.

It was a great vacation, despite the extended trip back to Idaho. Not pictured were grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and those from Church that I had the privilege to spend time with over the break. But now I must scurry along and get working on a post from this weekend!