January - Bend, OR and Cascades, WA

Nothing too exciting going on in our lives lately, but here are a few highlights:
Matt spent another weekend in Bend with the Bro's.  They went snowshoeing, are some good food and...well, I'm not sure. Boy stuff. You would have to ask him. I think it also involed watching Hangover (the movie).

Matt, Greg, Andy and cousin Ryan

Snowshoeing

Tug

I went snowshoeing with Lance & Val. We went up to the Commonwealth Basin area right near Alpental. The day was pretty cloudy and the snow pretty icy, so it wasn't ideal conditions but it was nice to get outside in January. We started out across Commonwealth Basin, headed straight up the mountainside for a bit, came across a different trail, and found our way back. Here's some pics Val took.

I was trying really hard to make a snow angel. But it was so icy!

I had this past Monday off for MLK day and we had a Second Annual Girls Snowshoeing Day. This started last year cuz all our boys were working and we decided to carry on the tradition in 2010. This was also our second year in a row of beautiful, blue-sky, sunny, perfect conditions, so we expect that part to continue next year too! ha! We had a lovely time, though it had snowed a significant amount the night before and there wasn't anyone else out on the trail so we spent the vast majority of the time lost. I think they should take a tip from Patagonia and put markers on the trees of snowshoe trails. I mean, really, how are you supposed to know where you go?! We were doing Keechelus Ridge and since its a ridge not a mountain its a lot harder to identify where you are headed. Anyways, we got a significantly better workout than we would have if we went the correct way!

Val, Catherine,and Chelsea

steep

Beautiful

Mt. Rainier

We had breakfast with Andy + Jen (Matt's bro and his wife) this morning as a very late 'congratulations your having a baby!' breakfast. We are SO excited for them. Our first lil nephew. Awwww. Matt & I had some time to kill after than and before church and wandered around at the Ballard locks for a while.

The bathroom in the basement has sheetrock now. Wahoo. Me and possibly Matt are going to attempt tiling this week. If anyone has wisdom and wants to volunteer their services you are welcome anytime. ;)

My tiling guide. This is going to be bad...

Poor Matt worked 65 hours this past week. I give a big thumbs down to busy season. I'm baking his team Funfetti cookies right now as a consolation prize. If you have never looked on the side of a funfetti cake box for the cookies recipe you are missing out on a wonderful chunk of life. I highly recommend that you do so at the earliest possible moment.

We've had some lovely evening with friends too. But no pics, so it's really not that interesting.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. :)