Daddy Time!

Gordon & Grayson love spending time with Gary!

Here they are enjoying some sunshine and sledding up at the cabins.
Gary & Gordon had a great time sledding down the slippery driveway.

Time for Tinker Toys!

Wrapping up the day with some good story books.

Gordy & Grayson LOVE their Daddy...and so do I.

Kirkham Hot Springs

Boy, did we have a grand adventure yesterday! A spontaneous idea led us to Kirkham Hot Springs by Lowman, Idaho. While packing up all the towels, swimsuits, extra clothes, lunches, and books and toys (in case the boys weren't interested), I started wondering just how this whole endeavor might go with two little "newbie" hot springers...but I'm happy to report that every last one of us, even our dog Abi, had a fantastic time!

Here we are arriving at our destination. There was a little hike down to the hot springs, and on the way, we spotted elk grazing on the ridge above us -- very cool!

What a beautiful winter day! Here, Grayson and I muster up the courage to take off our warm coats and peel down to our swimsuits. On the right, the icy cold south fork of the Payette River.


Such a stunning place! Though we didn't find blue skies and sunshine up above the fog and clouds we've been having in Boise, we were surrounded by steep mountain peaks, lovely pine trees, and the beauty of Idaho. Toward the end of our soak, the sun peaked out to shine some orange and pink sunset light on the mountain tops.

The boys warming up in ultra relaxing, warm water -- Kirkham Hot Springs.

These two photos of the boys show them in one of the warm soaking pools, with the cold river running in the background.

What a fabulous idea!

This was the boys' first experience with Idaho's natural hot springs. It also marked the return to our enjoyment of hiking into these mountain spa delights since having kids, for Gary and me.

After soaking for a couple hours, watching elk graze on the ridge up above us, and hiking back up to our vehicle, we drove into Garden Valley to share a Cobb salad and delicious pizza.

The perfect end to a perfect day!

With their tummies full, both boys were so soothed and warmed by the hot springs, they slept soundly on the drive home and didn't wake at all during the transition from car seats to their cozy beds.

What a wonderful, winter day together!

January in the Mountains

We've enjoyed the previous two weekends at our cabins, relishing the abundance of snow, sunshine, and serenity....

Gary and the boys returning from some play time in the snow....
Looks like Gordy's used up all of his energy.
He's up...and on the go again.

Winter Outings

This photo below was taken on January 8th, Gordon's "Share Day" for this month at preschool. Gordon sat in the "share chair" and showed Miss Tara and all his friends his new backhoe/front loader toy which he got for Christmas. (Incidentally, he's wearing the same shirt he insists on wearing nearly every day. It's his favorite; he refers to it as his "Beatles shirt.")

Below you'll see Grayson enjoying a puzzle at the library this past Tuesday. He loves spending time there with all the books, puzzles, and puppets while Gordon is at school.

Grayson and I take full advantage of the proximity of Ann Morrison Park and Kathryn Albertson Park to Gordon's preschool. We often take long walks on the greenbelt and enjoy beautiful scenery, fresh air, and exercise.

Grayson's ABCs

This is just too cute! You might want to press 'pause' on the Music Box before pressing play on the video below so you can hear Grayson.

He has been singing the ABCs now for the past month or so, and does surprisingly well. I've heard him sing the entire song, but it figures -- as soon as I get the camera out, he gets distracted. In this video, he starts out well, but then notices a spaghetti squash in our produce basket and thinks it's a giant egg. I love it!

Brothers...& Buddies

It's ironic. All that effort I put into trying to get a nice photo of the boys together for our Christmas cards...it seemed futile. Now look at the sweet pictures of them together, perfectly in frame, all in one week --right after Christmas is over. It figures. :)

Both Gordy & Grayson love building with the new Tinker Toys Auntie Lassa bought for them.

Here they are in the windowsill, enjoying a radiant sunset reflecting off the snow in the foothills. This was taken just before we left for "Walking with Dinosaurs" last Wednesday.

Gordy's reading one of his library books, one about Curious George. Grayson is perusing the new magazine that Dave & Myra ordered for the boys, "Your Big Backyard."

I'm so happy that they both love books and reading so much.

Walking with Dinosaurs!

We lucked out again! Gary got 2 free tickets to "Walking with Dinosaurs," which was sponsored by Channel 7. So on Wednesday night we enjoyed another spectacular show at the Idaho Center.

What a cool show! The special effects, music, and lights were amazing!
Gary and Gordy had really great seats, fifth row back, right in front. My photo of Gary didn't turn out well.
Grayson and I shared the seat we purchased on our own, in the top section--quite a distance back, partly because these seats are more affordable, and also so Grayson would be a 'safe distance' from the dinosaurs. We weren't sure what he'd think of the giant, life-like dinosaurs...but he LOVED them! He didn't squirm once for the entire first half, pointing at the dinosaurs and saying, "Dinos...more!" His expression in this picture is his captivated look. This was taken just as intermission started, so he was probably wondering why the lights came on and the dinosaurs left the stage.

After the 20-minute intermission, Grayson was starting to get sleepy ~ it was his bedtime. He wasn't quite as content to sit on my lap, so we walked around a little bit, still able to watch the show. It wasn't long before he was asking, "Milk? Blankie?" And soon he requested, "Carseat." He was ready to wrap up the day, have a sippy cup of milk, hug his blankie, and fall asleep on the ride home. Gordy's comment right after the show ended, was that he'd like to go again tomorrow. Pretty big dinosaur fans!
We all had a very fun night ~ thanks, Channel 7!

Snow Survey at More's Creek Summit

There was a time when I was able to tag along on many of Gary's story assignments for work. Since having kids, that opportunity has been rare, and I've missed that time together and the insightful new experiences.

Last week, thanks to my family watching Gordon & Grayson, I was able to participate in this season's first snow survey with Gary. The NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) treks out into the mountain snow several times each winter to measure snow depth and water content to help predict water levels throughout the year.

http://www.id.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/

Gary and I hung out in Idaho City for awhile, waiting to meet up with the snow surveyor, a Forest Service employee, and a few others.

We suited up in our winter gear and snowshoes for the hike.

What a workout! The snowpack consisted of powder on the bottom, topped with heavy wet snow, all quite deep, adding some extra challenge to our snowshoeing efforts.

It actually felt good to work up a little sweat and get the heart rate going, after enjoying Christmas dinner and many holiday treats for the past week!

Here's my handsome hubby, documenting the story. Carrying that big camera added even more challenge in trudging through the deep, sticky snow.

There was a total of eight of us on this excursion; though I thought I would just be an observer, I actually got to participate in the survey by taking notes during the first two tests while the other notetaker helped move our vehicles for the snowplow. That evening, I had a brief cameo on the 5:00 and 6:00 News -- Gary made sure of that. :)

The weather was pleasant ~ cool, but not at all cold.

It was great to enjoy some time together out in the mountains.

We noticed these snow-covered berries on our trek back to the news rig.

Back where we were parked, here is the view toward Idaho City from the summit.

Gary, getting his gear packed up.

What an enjoyable morning with Gary! From Idaho City, he drove back to Boise to edit the story and complete other tasks at work. I drove back to our cabins for lunch and then to drive Jen to Boise for her evening flight back to Portland.

Gary and I enjoyed sushi dinner out in Boise that evening also, as my parents and Melissa watched the boys at the cabins. We sure appreciate all their help with the boys, allowing us some quality time together.