2.5 months w/out a post

So apparantly I've been busy, since I haven't posted in ages. Here's a few general life updates.

December: went home for the holidays. Flew into Chicago and drove up with the Martins and back with Katie. Weird Christmas b/c there was NO snow, which I hear is no longer a problem. Spent New Years Eve in Chicago. Visited people. Drank beer. Ate too much food. Good times. Highlights:

No snow at the camp!


Grandparent pics (or, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum):



Anne learns to make the secret family recipe:


Christmas Eve singalong w/ Myrtle and Maggie:


We spent a lot of time at the KBC which such people as--
Dad & Kelly

Jokes


Jeff read bedtime stories to Ani:


Then New Years Eve in Chicago, was was just surreal. Fireworks in Millenium Park and post-midnight party in Omni hotel suite (of ex-Houghtonite).

Fireworks and champagne!



Ok, so that was December and a bit of January. Whne we got back in January we kept getting this weird freezing fog, which is just really strange stuff. It's just really cold foggy mist, but sticks to trees and crystalizes them in these crazy beautiful ways, for eg:

But imagine this all over every tree, shrub, and branch--it's like a crystal wonderland! Really pretty. Januray was January. Teaching 2 new classes, getting back into work, etc etc.

February we started looking at houses to buy again. Sort of depressing in comparison to Houghton prices, but I suppose it's really cheap in comparison to Seattle. Alas, we're still looking. We also visited Chris and Sharon in Coeur d'Alene twice. Once when we went shopping in Spokane, and once when Jeff and them went snowboarding at Schweitzer mountain. Obviously, no pics from shopping, but....

Schweitzer at the base looking over at the lodge and village, with the mountain to my right and straight ahead and down...b/c, well, I'm on the mountain:


Looking down at Lake Pend O'Reille (pronounced: Ponderay):


I went snowshoeing with some strangers, it was nice snow and fun trails:


Good times were had by all. Silas spent the day in Saturday daycare, which he really enjoyed and didn't want to leave (b/c we're all so terrible to hang out w/).

Silas:


March has involved more househunting, lots of working, looking forward to New York in 2 weeks, and GO COUGS! The WSU basketball team did well this year, ended up ranked at #11. We went to the UCLA/WSU game last Thursday and has a really good time. We ended up losing, but the crowd was really fun--the students are insane, they spent the night outside waiting for seats.

So that's about that. We've been having fun in the NW seeing new things.