Kate does Taylor Swift & Katy Perry....

A friend with a pony....

...is a great friend to have!!  Kate's friend Hailey's family runs a horse boarding and shoeing business, and they've also got two ponies which the kids got a chance to ride last weekend.  Kate even started learning how to steer by herself!  Hailey's dad patiently walked Will around their whole property since he didn't want to get off.  They've also got all measure of farm machinery and Will was particularly excited that he got to operate the bucket on the tractor--Grandpa Bobby, Will is probably going to ask you to "upgrade" your tractor since he's been wondering why yours doesn't have a big bucket on it.  I think the days that we can fool him with a riding lawn mower are numbered!  They also loved feeding Hailey's chickens and collecting the eggs, although Kate is now seriously curious why some eggs turn to chicks and some don't....every time we crack an egg, she asks, "Do you think it's going to be a real chick?"  Probably just the beginning of tough questions for which I have no great, satisfactory answer!  Of course, Kate also told me that "we should just get a pony for our house."  I told her that we didn't have room in our yard, and she said "well, daddy can just make some more room!"  Hailey's parents said she came home from our house saying that they needed a new house with a playroom, so I guess we're even.

On another note, I can't quite believe it's already Friday again when I meant to put these pictures up last Sunday!  Oh well, looks like life is only going to get busier.  Someone recently suggested that maybe I should read the book "250 Ways to Say No" since I don't seem to be very good at that!  I must say, though, that it's fun to be busy when I get to do so many things that involve our fantastic kids and the amazing community we've found here.  We've definitely found "our place" in the world, which is a pretty special think to have found!

Kate's best quote of the day

"Daddy, I'm really in love with you.  Maybe when I'm the same age as you, we can get married."  How sweet!

How Kate & Will spend their day

No wonder they are tired by the end of the day!

Will's first day of soccer!

Well, not so much soccer as the games/drills/stuff (very technical term, I know) you do before soccer, I guess.  Whatever it was, he loved it!  Lots of running so I'm sure he'll sleep well tonight.  Most of all, I think, he loved that he was taking a class ("like sissy") and he proudly showed the hand stamps they gave him at the end to anyone he could!

First goal (he clapped wildly for himself)

They played a game where they got to make towers out of cones and then kick it over--PERFECT for boys! :)

Learning how to follow directions and "sit on the line"

First soccer cheer!

Best moment of my day...

...yesterday, Will brought me a book and wanted to read it to me.  He sat down on my lap, opened it and said, "once upon a time....."  Love it!  Of course, these wonderful moments are always tempered by the two-year-old moments that are not so wonderful.  Yesterday's?  I went to pick the kids up from the Kid's Club at the gym and Will threw an enormous tantrum, yelling, "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE.  I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME!!  I ONLY LOVE MISS DEBBIE!"  Good thing I know most everyone there or else they'd think his home life is not so great!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!

And, boy, was it a white one!!  Snow, snow, everywhere--not fantastic for our drive to Yreka, but absolutely WONDERFUL for everything else.  We have a ton in Sisters (and not likely to go anywhere soon, with highs in the teens!) and there was even snow in usually dry Yreka.  Mt. Shasta got feet and feet of snow just in time for arrival, which meant we got to go skate skiing and even took the kids for their first cross country outing.  Best of all, though, was seeing ALL of Ryan's family.  What a big, fun, happy bunch.  Kate and Will (but especially Kate!) were in heaven, getting attention of love from aunts, uncles, cousins and,  of course, grandma and grandpas.  At the big Christmas party, Kate got in on the guys' traditional poker game (by "helping" Ryan) and has now developed a new obsession.  She is showing all the signs of a compulsive gambler ("I'm sure I'll win the next one!") and now refuses to call a "two" anything but a "deuce."  While being an artist is still on her list of what she wants to be when she grows up, she has now added cross country skier and poker player.  We'll see!  Will discovered the joys of grandpa's shop, spending many hours "doing work" which was mainly sorting screws, nuts and bolts.  He joined all the men who gathered in the shop (by grandpa's fire) on Christmas--while they drank beer, he did some sort of "work," coming inside covered in grease!  It was definitely our most fun Christmas yet with the kids, since they're old enough now to be excited about in and in awe of Santa--watching their joy is the best present we could get!

Spreading food for Santa's reindeer!

Santa came!

Kate on her cross country skis--she claims to like it more than downhill.

Just because it's winter doesn't mean Grandpa gets a break from giving the kids tractor rides!!