Christmas 2015

The week before Christmas was a quiet one.  Great Grandma came to town from Southern Cali, so we hung around the house, although we did get in a couple ski days.   Emily was in charge of cookies for Santa, and she made gingerbread Christmas trees.

Christmas morning was a 6 AM wake up call.  First the stockings, then the Santa presents.  Left for her was a gymnastics mat, a k'nex roller coaster kit, magworld magnets, robotic animals, and a (toy) talking bird.

 Then came the rest of the loot.  A new sled was the big gift.  Goldiblox engineering kits, games, puzzles, and a paint making kit came from family and friends.

Emily was thrilled, and spent the rest of the day playing and building.  Dad had the most fun taking on the roller coaster kit!

Santa Visit at the Sun Valley Village

Saturday afternoon meant a visit to the Sun Valley village.  However, when it was her turn she refused to talk to him! She did allow a picture, and I mentioned the things she had put in her letter.

Then it was time to go inside and decorate a cookie, before taking several rounds on the train.  We finished up with a scavenger hunt where her prize was a sparkly snowflake ornament.  The snow was falling, and it was a great day.  And speaking of snow, it fell all weekend and gave us almost two more feet of it.  We spent all day Sunday playing in it (and snow blowing a record 4 times).  This is the biggest snow Emily can remember, so she had a great time building two forts in the yard!

Gerda loved it as well, and we had a two hour delay to school as the town digs itself out.

Ice Hockey? Maybe.

On Saturday morning, Emily went to an introduction to girls hockey camp.  For two hours, she skated around with a stick and a puck.  At first, the transition from figure to hockey skates was a little rough, and she had quite a few falls.  But she figured it out, and was smiles the whole time!  As we left, she exclaimed that it would be something she would love to do.  I suggested she watch a game first, before we make that decision!

The Traditions

 This year's ornament is Emily's artwork.  She painted a picture this summer of Nadia and her on a canvas that hangs in her room, and I had it made into this metal ornament.  The artist was even able to capture her signature for the back.

And the 2015 handprint is on the tree skirt.

Letter to Santa

Dear Santa,

I want a bird that talks and a gymnastix mat and a roller coaster building set and a remote control animals and a magnets santa

Thanksgiving Weekend

Last Tuesday, Emily tried out the new indoor skating rink in town.  She gives it two thumbs up.

Teamwork.
One would practice forward,
the other practiced going backwards...

Most of Thursday was a lazy day.  We did join friends for dinner, but it was nice to just sit around and not do much of anything for most of the day.  I will say that I am thankful for a lot of things.  I am thankful for a daughter that taught me I could survive.  I am thankful for a daughter that gave me a reason to survive.  I'm thankful for the health that we do have, because even though Aaron hasn't been able to avoid the ER or doctor's visits, we have managed to avoid surgeries since June.  Which is a pretty big deal when you are a Hughston!

Emily was Aaron's little helper on Friday morning, while I enjoyed a little Black Friday online shopping from the comfort of my couch.  Emily is having a really tough time with coming up with a wish list.  She told me one morning on the way to school that she already has so much stuff that she really doesn't need anything!

The rest of the day was spent picking out a tree and decorating.  Gerda got out for a nice run in the snow, she absolutely loved it.

And Emily was excited that we put out the Polar Express train this year.  We never got around to it last year, I think we blamed having a puppy for that.  Maybe we should have skipped another year, the conductor has already had a fatal ending!

Saturday and Sunday meant skiing.  Emily was SO very excited to be back on the mountain.

It was a great weekend, so nice to have the extra time off and just spend it at home.  Now we just can't wait until Christmas break!

Christmas Wish List

This is the year Emily can sing "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth".

She's lost three teeth is less than two weeks!

First Snow

On November 1st, we ran up to Ketchum and picked up Emily's ski rentals for the season, and the snow gods must be watching over us because on the third we had our first snow.  And it was a good one!  Emily couldn't wait to come home after school and play in it.

Halloween Happenings

On the 24th, we got around to carving a pumpkin, and I love her independence of drawing and cutting out her own jack o' lantern face.

But one was enough, and the others were the victim of a little crafting.

When the 30th rolled around, it was time for dressing up as a rainbow pegasus for school and for the town's Halloween Hoopla, where the stores in downtown Hailey pass out candy.  We were joined again by the Wards, Sauvageaus, and Diedricks for this annual tradition.

On Halloween day, we made a quick trip to Boise to see the Disney on Ice production of Frozen.  

Emily sweet talked her Dad into a stuffed Sven, and the production was very well done.  There was one point where she turned to me, however, and asked why the princesses didn't look the same as when they were on the cruise ship.  Sometimes she is just too observant!

We didn't linger in Boise long, Emily wanted to get back to Hailey and do one more round of trick or treating in the Foxmoor neighborhood.  We had dinner at a friends' house, did a round around the neighborhood, and then spent the rest of the night passing out candy.  

Tubb's Pumpkin Patch

Saturday was a trip to Twin Falls, and following a few errands (of course), it was off to the pumpkin patch.  A new one for us, but getting to Boise for our traditional one just wasn't working out this year.  Luckily, Emily had just as much fun, and it was also a whole lot cheaper!

First we spent time petting the farm animals, going down the slides, and figuring our way through the straw maze, before we took a hayride and picking out pumpkins.  

In the straw maze

A view of the straw maze from above

plenty of pumpkins to choose from

Emily's pumpkin and gourd loot

Blazing Pumpkins

Friday night we attended the Blazing Pumpkins event at Swiftsure Ranch.  We had so much fun looking at over 300 carved pumpkins set up around the trail, picnicking on the lawn, roasting marshmallows on a bonfire, and seeing so many friends from school, or lessons!  Emily even got to carve her own pumpkin, and for the first time ever independently!

Happy Trails

Monday was Stuart Little's last day at Swiftsure Ranch.  He will now be enjoying his owner's green pasture, and Emily will be back on a horse next week.  This former show pony, jumper, and therapy horse has earned long, lazy days!

Challis

It's been awhile, I know.  Not much has happened since school started over a month ago.  Last Monday, Emily was back riding Stuart Little still accompanied by Jeanie and with a new instructor named Caroline.  Thursdays seem to be her favorite day of the week with gymnastics.  She can't seem to walk anywhere these days without sneaking in a cartwheel (or 10).  First grade is going well, and even though Kennedy is still her best friend at recess and lunch, she has been talking about a few girls in her class that are really nice.  She aced her first ever spelling test, is reading book after book, and I was even able to arrange to volunteer in her classroom once a week since her class's centers are during my prep.

This weekend we broke out of routine and went to visit our friends Shay and Buddy at their other home up in Challis.  We arrived later on Friday and went out for pizza.  Saturday was spent at the gun range on their property, fishing, cooking hotdogs and smores over a fire, and watching Gerda wear herself out playing with their dog Mick.

 What you can't see in the above picture is the two top extremely loose front teeth.  What you will notice is the need to go shopping for longer pants.  Growing like a weed!

Aaron and Shay shooting long range at the mile target

Shay's parents and sister's family joined us for the cookout and fishing.  Shay's niece is also named Emily so it was fun for the two girls to finally meet and play around.  

Mick and Gerda

 Shay competes in fishing tournaments so when Aaron and Emily weren't having any luck, we were counting on her for success.  But no such luck.  Emily's attention span was short, she was more amused digging up clams and snails over the river bed.