The big pond was completely frozen.  No rock throwing possible here.  Although Isaac was very impressed with a 10 year old boy pounding at the ice with a big wooden post.  Kind of like a caveman.

Geese were walking around on the ice.

We headed over to the St Vrain creek (river?) which was fast flowing and not icy.  Looking for a good rock throwing spot…

Geese got spooked and took off flying!

We found a spot.  Looks chilly, doesn’t it??

“I’ll throw this one.”

Admiring his handy work.  His goal was to find big rocks (so big that when he threw them he almost stumbled in after them).  They’d make a big splash, then he’d turn to Jamie and say:

Did you get splashed??  I got splashed!!

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Mesmerized by the big splash he’s created.

Did you get splashed??

PS: this is the Cheri Hat (I made it!), my pattern info is on Ravelry, here.

Just a little less than one sleeve to go!

My goal is to finish this before it’s too warm for Isaac to wear a sweater.  He’s 2, it’s a size 2T – by next winter he’ll be too big.

Wish me luck!!

1. The China Study
2. Hotel Pastis
3. Ender’s Game
4. Nurture Shock
5. A Farmhouse in Provence
6. Gargoyle
7. A Good Year
8. The Help
9. Girl with a Dragon Tattoo 1
10.   Girl with a Dragon Tattoo 2
11.   Girl with a Dragon Tattoo 3
12. Dry
13. My Antonia
14. Dune
15. The Beach
16. Outlander
17. Rasputin’s Daughter
18. Lightening Thief
19. Sea of Monsters
20. History of the Home – Bill Bryson
21. Mountain of Crumbs
22. Game of Thrones (The Song of Ice & Fire #1)
23. Clash of Kings (The Song of Ice & Fire #2)
24. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
25. Toulouse Provence (re-read) – Peter Mayle
26. Storm of Swords (The Song of Ice & Fire #3)
27. On Rue Tatin – Susan Hermann Loomis
28. We’ve always had Paris…and Provence – Patricia & Walter Wells
29. Vanity Fair – Thackeray
30. Prey – Michael Crichton

Looking back on this list, the ones where I can say I remember the story most vividly (which is a good thing in my book) are: Ender’s Game, Gargoyle, Dune, and The Beach.  Oh and the Song of Ice & Fire series…but maybe because I read 3 books from the series for a total of about a zillion pages read on the subjects of knights, medieval lords and ladies, and the occasional monster-y creature.  This year looks to have been a nerdy & science-fiction heavy year for me.

I only read one classic – Vanity Fair – this year. The other subject I seem to have majored in is “life in Southern France”. I’m a sucker for anything about Provence.  Two of this year’s books (Mountain of Crumbs and Rasputin’s Daughter) took place in Russia, which I also always enjoy for some reason.

I really enjoyed The China Study, which is a nonfiction book about the health benefits of being vegan. Inspirational & fascinating.

Least favorites were Lightening Thief & Sea of Monsters.  I got these from the young adult fiction setting and they turned out to be written for…maybe 11 year olds?  I was kind of having fun brushing up on greek gods & mythology for awhile but then I snapped out of it and couldn’t get past the terribly weak storylines.  I have almost no memory of reading A Good Year, so that must have been bad too.

I had planned to finish Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, as you may remember from my Books of 2010 post. I made it a little more than 1/2 way through and then just decided that I didn’t like it at all and didn’t want to finish it.  I disliked the characters – they were either perfect, good, sickly sweet and annoying…or ultra evil and horrible.  It was also a bleak and depressing scene of poverty, starvation, and badness in general with no moments of humor or interest to save it. 

Brothers Karamazov was lost in the move and so I haven’t seen it in quite some time.  So I didn’t read it.  Maybe in 2012?

PS Next year I’ll start keeping track of the authors, but there is no way I’m going back through to look them all up right now.  One of my resolutions will have to be to be more like my book-idol, Erin.  Check out her list!

We will be returning it during our visit.

It is very popular with rock climbers. We had fun spotting the teeny tiny climbers far above us on the canyon walls:

Can you see them? I tried to help you out…

We hiked on a snowy trail and looked for eagles. We did not see any. Isaac was certain that snakes lived under every rock.  We have a book where there’s a snake living under the rock, and apparently it’s had a big impact.

Watched climbers through binoculars.  Here we asked Isaac – “can you see them?” and he said “Yes!” even though his eyes weren’t lined up with the binocs

Posing for a dramatic show at the edge of a cliff!

This is his little smile for the camera, so cute.

Of course we had to throw some rocks off the cliff.  Jamie was keeping a firm hold on the back of Isaac’s jacket and Isaac kept saying “Don’t hold my shirt! Don’t hold my shirt!”

Here’s what our Family Room was looking like before:

And here’s the current! Sorry about the poor lighting, I took this pic early in the morning or late at night.  We got a new light fixture, a white shag rug (hahahaha we have lots of bets on how long it will last), and we moved the TV to the wall opposite the couch.  Oh, and don’t mind those wadded up blankets on the couch…

This picture was one of my “inspiration” pictures.  I copied her furniture arrangement & rug, and I like her coffee table & big tall lamp. I have the big window she has (well, mine doesn’t go all the way to the floor) , but it’s on the opposite side of my room…off to the right of my couch.

I love all these pictures because of this outfit Isaac is wearing:

As we were getting the kids all geared up in their winter clothes, Isaac and Sylvie decided they wanted to hold hands and walk upstairs.  They kept grabbing each others hands and making a few more steps toward the stairs, then we’d intercept them to put more clothing on them, etc.

Making their way closer to the stairs. Isaac is all suited but, but Sylvie is missing her jacket.

Sylvie is caught and her jacket is put on.  Isaac waits patiently in the wings.

We finally get outside and walk to the parade.

The whole crew! I was practicing my nighttime photography skills which seem to need some work.  I better go read an online tutorial…

Watching the parade.  We saw ponies, trucks, dogs, a marching band.  A giant creepy gingerbread man gave me a hug because he noticed I was laughing at him.

Look at these cheeks! I think they’re cute.

We left a little before the parade was over – it was LONG! Isaac strains for one last look…

Isaac & I, Jenny & Hank, Emily:

Hank in his frog hat

Jenny & Hank

Isaac and Hank spent a lot of time hanging out.  They’re lounging on the floor & eating dried mangoes in this picture:

I took Hank’s picture outside one day…he was a little concerned.

We took the boys to Santa’s workshop thingy at Macy’s in downtown Minneapolis.  They were fascinated!

We got cookies at the end.  Isaac enjoyed feeding Hank bites of his big cookie:

Then we went across the street to the Crystal Court in the IDS Tower.  Isaac called this fountain a “big shower”.

Isaac binged on “tiny yogurts” (IE, the yogurts that come in little individual serving size cups) during our visit.  Hank isn’t a big yogurt fan, but he would eat a bite or two if Isaac fed it to him.  So cute.

Aunt Molly reads Hank & Isaac a book after bath time.

Jamie reads them another book after they get their pajamas on.

Isaac loved running up and down this little hill in Jenny & Brandon’s front yard.

Check out that blue cable knit hat!

Jamie and Mary go for a walk around the lovely Kenwood neighborhood

Dirty yogurt face!

Happy in the red tunnel slide.

Jack, Emily & Georgie, Molly.

My brother James was able to come over for Thanksgiving dinner at the Small’s, too!

Going for a walk through a green space trail near Jenny & Brandon’s house.  We spotted a coyote!

Dining room is on the other end of the living room.  I like the layout, but I’m looking forward to getting a new dining room table/chairs that we like, along with a light fixture above it so it doesn’t look so much like a table randomly plopped in the middle of a room.

And finally, here’s the family room.  This is at the back of the house, between the kitchen and dining room.  It has a fireplace, the television, and my desk.