C*H

Something to be thankful for

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:19:00 -0500

Last Friday we made our first ski trip of the season. Thomas and Evelyn and I spend the afternoon at Hidden Valley, in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania.

[slideshow]

Thanksgiving weekend is one of the best times to ski, as everyone is home from school and from work, and most non-skiers are out shopping. The main problem with early-season skiing in the mid-Atlantic is the climate. Local resorts make most of their snow, and this requires cold temperatures. We hit Wisp the day after Thanksgiving back in 2005. The last two years have been too warm.

This year Mother Nature has been cooperating. For several weeks now cold air has been streaming out of Canada and south across the Great Lakes. This means plentiful lake-effect snow at the higher elevations, and excellent snowmaking conditions just about everywhere.

Flashback: White Thanksgiving

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:01:00 -0500

Skiing in the mid-Atlantic is definitely hit-or-miss. Local ski areas are very dependent on weather, more so than resorts in other parts of the country. And the weather around here can be fickle. This year we are off to a great start, with some cold temps and amazing amounts of lake-effect snow (thank you Lake Erie). Two ski areas opened today (Snowshoe and Seven Springs), and at least two more will open over the coming Thanksgiving holiday weekend (Wisp and Hidden Valley).

Winter 2005 got off to a cold start also. The day after Thanksgiving we made the trek to western Maryland for some opening weekend skiing at Wisp. The plan was to take the whole fam out, but Kathi had a freak accident as we were packing the van. She cracked her toe stepping over her snowboard binding. She dropped out, and stayed at home with Evie and Melanie. Tough break, as this was to be her first day on her new board and bindings.

[more Wisp photos]

Keri stepped in as a last minute sub. The early season conditions were very nice, and we had plenty of time for laps on Wisp Trail. We even got a peek at the new North Camp runs on the back side of the mountain. They were blowing snow all day, but the new runs werent ready to be opened yet.

Good Apples

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:40:00 -0500

Our fall Saturday schedule has included alot of time spent watching the kids play their weekly games on the soccer fields. One recent Saturday afternoon we supplemented our usual game schedule with a trip to Hartland Orchard, in Markham, Virginia. Apple picking seems to have changed over the years, from a necessary agricultural labor, to a fun fall afternoon activity for the whole family.

And it was fun. The weather was beautiful. Perfect, really. We were a week or two late for most of the harvest, but there were still a few apples on the trees. And there were plenty of apples and cider for sale at the nearby farmhouse.

[slideshow]

Flashback: Dance Recital

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:56:00 -0400

Back in May of 2006 Kayleigh had a dance recital...

Lynne, Kristin, and Laura joined us in Haymarket for this big annual event. Afterward we went out for an early dinner. Of course Kayleigh got to choose where we would dine, and she picked a local Japanese restaurant. Japanese? Every time I think I have these kids figured out they find a new way to surprise me. I had no idea even what to order. The kids helped me.

[more photos]

Swim team

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:58:00 -0400

Kayleigh and Thomas are on the swim team again. Practice began after the pool opened Memorial Day weekend. We will be there each weekday evening, until school lets out (end of this week) and practice time moves to the morning.

Time trials were held this past Saturday. This is the first of eight early morning swim meets. Last year during June the kids had to deal with cool weather, and cold water. This year we are having a heat wave, and a thick, muggy fog shrouded the pool area.

This year Kayleigh has graduated from of the eight-and-under division. This means she swims two lengths of the pool (50 meters) instead of one. She will be working on her stamina, and her turns. Here she is swimming freestyle:

Smile, newcomer

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:36:00 -0400

The Canon Digital Elph has been kept busy since the arrival of Numero Cinco last week. For a slideshow of all of the to-date photos of Jeffrey, try clicking here.

[slideshow of all Jeffrey pics]

Welcome, JD

Thu, 22 May 2008 17:51:00 -0400

We had quite the surprise late, very late Saturday night. Kathi unexpectedly started labor just before midnight, and just a few minutes later we were enroute to Prince William Hospital in nearby Manassas. The official time of birth for Numero Cinco was Sunday at 6:30 AM, May 18, 2008. Yesterday Kathi turned in the Form SS-5 (Application for a Social Security Number Card), meaning Numero Cinco actually has a name: Jeffrey David Hansen.

[click for all of the baby pics]

The original plan was for Kathi to report to the hospital Thursday, May 29. She had an appointment for an induced labor. This was two days before her due date, and fit her previous pregnancy experiences. She had never been early before. Kayleigh and Thomas both arrived overdue. Evelyn and Melanie also waited, and were induced.

Flashback: Melanie's Birthdays

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:28:00 -0400

Melanie recently celebrated her third birthday. Check out these photos from past birthday celebrations.

[more Melanie birthday photos]

Happy Birthday Melanie

Tue, 06 May 2008 22:12:00 -0400

Sunday, April 27th was the third anniversary of Melanie's birth. Her birthday celebration filled the entire weekend. The festivities started Friday afternoon with a short party at our house for several of her neighborhood friends.

[more Friday photos]

Saturday evening Lynne hosted a party for Melanie at her beautiful home in Oakton. Lynne treated us all with a delicious meal of grilled ribs and potato salad. Kristin and Laura provided entertainment, with some of Melanie's favorite activities: blowing bubbles, opening gifts, and tossing the ball to the pups.

[more Saturday photos]

Then Sunday our neighbors next door joined us for one last birthday party. We grilled fish on the backyard grill and enjoyed what was left of Melanie's big Costco birthday cake.

Flashback: Spring skiing, early

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:38:00 -0400

Back on January 13th of 2005 Kayleigh skipped school, and I skipped work, for a day of skiing. This was Ski Chalet demo day at Wisp. I don't care much for trying out demo equipment. However thanks to the sponsors lift tickets could be had for the bargain rate of $2.

January is normally the coldest month of the year in western Maryland, but as you can see from the photos this definitely wasn't normal January weather. It felt more like late March on the slopes. The few runs that were actually open were just barely so, and some big puddles were forming in the low spots.

[slideshow]

If I had a choice I would take powder snow, of course, measured by the foot. But spring skiing can be almost as much fun. Nice and warm, soft snow, no crowds. Even if it isn't spring.

Skiing at Wisp, and with a nice place to stay

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:29:00 -0500

The weekend of the 23rd we went skiing again at Wisp. Some friends of our had graciously invited us to stay with them in a house near the slopes. It was available for Friday and Saturday nights. Our previous ski days at Wisp have always been day trips. A full day of skiing and six hours of driving make for one long day. Too long. This weekend would be a real treat.

[slideshow from the ski trip]

The forecast was for an icy Friday morning, so I convinced everyone that we should leave Thursday evening instead. The plan was to leave home right after the birthday party for Lynne. Unfortunately we still had some packing to do. By the time we pulled out of the driveway it was nearly nine o'clock. I wasn't happy, but we still had time to complete the three-hour drive before the weather arrived.

Thanksgiving

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 23:00:00 -0500

We enjoyed a fine feast at Lynne's house. Kristin and Laura were there, and of course Tahnee and Czar. Special guests were Barbara, Donna, Ying, and Rita.

[more photos]