Every father is secretly pleased when his son takes a genuine interest is something that he also had a passion for as a child. Maybe it is sports or building models but whatever the case the shared interest is more that just an opportunity for the two to spend some enjoyable time together. It allows the father to revisit his own childhood and reconnect with some of the creative play that is often elusive in the adult world.
With departure back to Saudi Arabia iminent it was time to clean out the fridge and freezer. Art, Ellen, Julie, Eric and Evelyn all showed up to help out the cause. We had a wonderful meal of steak and salmon.
It was been an excellent winter visit to Danbury but we’re looking forward to getting back to Saudi where it will be a bit warmer (transcontinental flights not withstanding).
Enjoy a few more random pictures from the end of the trip.
We managed to get in one last day of sledding before the temperatures soared to 36 degrees and a steady drizzle made the driveway unsleddable. In other news we had a wonderful New Year’s Eve visit to Grandma and Grandpa Jacobs’ house where Eric, Julie and Evelyn Lacouture are also staying. On New Year’s Day Eric showed Kai and Nora his flight helmet which was a big hit.
Happy New Year Everyone! We wish everyone a healthy and happy 2011. Today’s gallery is of our visit to Arlington, Minnesota to visit Grandma and Grandpa Wiemann. We stopped by the Mall of America a couple of days after Christmas (won’t make that mistake again) where we saw Yogi Bear in 3D (our first 3D movie in the theater). Nora was not overly impressed but the producers of the film clearly nailed the demographic that Kai is smack dab in the middle of. He couldn’t have enjoyed it more. After the movie we went to an overcrowded Build-a-Bear workshop where Kai and Nora blew their Christmas money. Enjoy the pictures!
The wetlands area behind our house is a tangled mass of swamp and stunted pines with low branches that intertwine. In the summer with the water, fallen logs, tangled branches, uneven ground, and mosquitos it is nigh impenetrable. In the winter with a few feet of snow it is only slightly less so. What would induce us to travel into such place? A review of satellite images of the region above Bass Lake revealed the location of an isolated pond tucked away in the middle of the swamp! The images were a year old. Did the lake still exist? Had it dried up? If we found it would we be the first humans to visit its shores? It was dubbed Hidden Lake and, since the snow and lack of vegetation offered the possibility passage, an expedition was mounted. Since the snow was higher than the waist of the shortest member of the expedition (and occasionally up to the waist of the tallest), Ben wore his snowshoes to pack down a trail that the others could follow.
There was snow, a howling breeze, and packs of fearsome squirrels that watched us hoping for an expedition member to get separated from the group. We made excellent progress, but, in the end were forced to abandon the quest after snow got into someone’s mittens and it was discovered that the quartermaster had neglected to pack any snacks. Hidden lake remained hidden but not forgotten. Plans are already being laid for a second attempt…
In an attempt to inject culture into our vacation we traveled to Minneapolis for a day at the Children’s Museum and then an evening of theater. The Children’s Theater put on an excellent production of “Christmas Story” that we all enjoyed.
Back in Danbury! In the few days we’ve been here we’ve managed to stock the fridge, visit Santa, put up a tree and weather a snowstorm. The second day back was Christmas at the Fort — a historical site called Forts Folle Avoine hosts a holiday event with Santa, a wild rice cafe and sleigh rides. That same day a snowstorm hit but thankfully the Fort is just a mile away so we were able to make it. Later we were able to hang lights on the deck and get the tree up. Being unpracticed at judging the quality of Christmas trees our main criteria was “can we get it on the car”. It turns out you want to pay attention to whether the trunk is drastically curved. By the time the sun was going down the snow was still falling, the wind had picked up, the temperature plummeted and Crystal and I were out on the deck trying to lash down an 8′ tree. Plenty of rope, ratchet straps and some frozen fingers later the tree was anchored!
