Body Worlds at the Leonardo Jan 2015

 The Leonardo was having a special Body Worlds exhibit going on.  Scott and I love everything medical so this was right up our alley.  They have all kinds of different human bodies in different states and layers.  Some with out skin so you can see the muscles, some with just the veins, or organs, skeletons, you name it they had it.  All the bodies were real people who have donated their body to science.  It was so interesting to see how things worked, where things were connected, which muscles do what during different sports. They even had lungs and hearts that showed what happens if you smoke or live in a polluted area, what can happen if you don't keep your body healthy.  It was so informative and this kids learned a lot.  That being said I will say Peter was too young to go to the exhibit (they don't have an age limit but he was grossed out and didn't understand).
I was impressed with how they did it.  They had a head with just all the veins everything else gone.  No skull, skin, muscles, soft tissue etc.  I was curious to how they dissolved everything with out touching the veins.  Scott informed me they inject a plastic substance into the veins then put the head in a solution to dissolve everything else.  It was incredible!
After being so patient with the bodies we rewarded the kids with the hands on activities upstairs.  They could spend hours here, building sculpting, painting. . . .
I had a lot of fun making a stop action animation film about a boy on a skateboard.  William was glued to the electricity area, and of course Ellie loves the painting on a computer screen area, and all of us could spend a good hour with the Lego's.  This was a great way to spend a cold January day.  

Christmas Nativity at the cabin Dec 2014

As is tradition we held a little Christmas program, this time up at the cabin. All the cousins got to have a part which they played with pride.  This is a tradition going back for as far as I can remember.  Our programs change a little every year but the spirit is always the same.  I smile at the memories we are building with this next generation.

Christmas Cabin Dec 2014

Right after Christmas this year we all headed up to a cabin in midway.  My sister Steph had the connections to this great little getaway.  We all pitched in for an epic family reunion.  It wasn't a tradtitional family reunion because we are often together but it was a time for us to all get together and enjoy each others company and antics.  We didn't get very much snow in the valley's this year so it was an added bonus to go in the mountains to play in all that powder.  The cabin was a pretty good set up.  The upper loft area was great to stash all the kids.  The main floor had 2 good sized bedrooms and the downstairs had 2 more bedrooms with another living room.  Scott and I got a bedroom downstairs where there happened to be no heat.  I wasn't complaining, after all we did get our own bedroom.  Oh how those nights got pretty cold.  we snuggled together so tight those nights just to stay warm.  The kids had an amazing time playing with their cousins and playing in the snow.  They built a snow track for their sleds that ended in a jump that didn't quite get them the lift they wanted.  NO one bothered to check the angle and so they pretty much just crashed into the jump.  But they had a blast doing it.  Just a small hike away was the perfect sledding hill that most of the people on the mountain designated for such an activity.  Our cheeks were aching after smiling so much at the crazy crashes and near misses.  One of my favorites I got a picture of; Shane and Alise barreling down the hill aimed (not purposly) at little Wyatt as he is running to get out of the way.  Only he was running in the direct path that they were headed.  At the last minute the sledders leaned just enough to change their course.
Some of the kids decided to climb "Mount. Krumpet" first in the daylight and then in the dark just because.  We made sure they took some provision as we watched them climb.  It took them hours to get to the top but only minutes the climb back down.  After their excursion they were exhausted and just layed on the couch for hours on end after.
The great thing about this cabin was its location.  As with all buildings location location location stands to be true even with cabins.  This one was close enough that if people needed to head into town to get something they could. Far enough that we felt like we were in a little secluded hideaway. Close enough that those of the family who don't like the huge crowd could visit for a short time, and close enough to town that we went out to dinner one night and the kids got to go ice skating.
These are the days filled with games, laughter, good family bonding films, and all around togetherness.
I am so thankful I was blessed with a family that loves each other and more importantly gets along well.