We started our New Year's Eve celebration off at the top of the world - or as close as we could get staying near home. We went sledding near the top of Mt. Spokane and had a great time. It was very, very cold, but there was enough sunshine to keep everyone's spirits up and smiles wide.
This was an enormous hill with a healthy drop at the top to get our speed up and a long run at the bottom to keep the thrill going! The entire run was 200+ yards long. Yes, our crazy dog, Stubby, chased every sled down the hill at breakneck speed and happily romped up the hill with the kids. The fun really started once the kids realized Stubby would chase an empty sled down the hill.
The temperatures dropped to 2-degrees F by dinner time. We stayed home, near the fireplace with a big simmering pot of chili, some cornbread and sparkling apple cider to ring in 2011. Watch out Jan. 1, 2011 - we're headed to a New Year's Day auction at State Line.
Using his shovel he cleared the street from side to side, back and forth, the length of four lots. He made sure to scoop the snow onto the existing 
They were a bit stand-off-ish and weren't very chatty at all. In fact they were downright anti-social at times. Nothing like our previous neighbors. They were fun to watch roam through the pasture and watch us. Tatum and Rikard really like watching them. Keeli calls them reindeer and asks when Santa is going to come get them. She doesn't like them at all.
So, when this one dashed past us, she screamed like never before!
2 cubes butter, soft
and throw them at her unsuspecting dad. She would laugh and he would play along like the snowball knocked him over.
The kids built a really nice snowman. Tatum was reading 
Then, they rolled another. 
Tatum was in charge of smoothing the sides and making sure the middle one was smaller than the bottom one (Rikard was all about the bigger the better, must be a boy thing). 
Rick helped them get creative with the second snowman. He couldn't just be a plain old snowman, he needed some character.
while Rick would like you to think he once again did all the work, the management company (sounds like the mob) did the work. That pile of snow is duplicated in the back yard and some had to be moved across the street!
Then comes the difficult part. Scooping and lifting the heavy, packed snow. The *fun* part of this little chore is throwing the snow...
and, throwing the snow...NOT AT ME!! 
Just wait until he tries to get down and can't find his ladder. 
Another little snow removal project is keeping the sidewalks clear. Our rental contract requires this and Rick is concerned that soon the snowblower won't be able to throw the snow over these burms! We can't see Keeli behind most of them now.
He made quick work of the driveway. And the sidewalk (yes, the snow is nearly as deep as the snowblower). 
He was very pleased that we cleared the driveway and sidewalk in less than an hour. The past couple days it has taken both of us 2-3 hours to clear away the snowfall.
We look forward to using this snowblower several times in the near future as several more inches of snow is in the forecast for the holiday.
He was trying very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very hard to "catch some serious air" under his sled. He actually did a few times.
Keeli was a bit wary when we first arrived, but had no fear by the end of the day. She took her first trip down the hillside on her daddy's lap.
Then it was all about doing it herself...
...even walking up that big hill with those short little legs.
Tatum was up and down the hill all afternoon. She even taught Keeli how to sled in tandem, with their sleds next to one another holding one another's handles and zooming down the hill together.
Once on the highway and half-way home, it had this great view of the Columbia River. It is usually just brown cliffs over the water, but the snow adds a new dimension.