Sledding Party and a Visit from Uncle Bob

Leila and I were somewhat house-bound during the first part of January. We both had colds and it seemed relentlessly chilly outside... lots of sub-zero days.

But our colds are gone finally, and this past week was warm and sunny enough to coax us outside for some much-needed fun in the snow.

The week kicked off with a sledding party at a neighbor's house. The family's daughter, Cienna (pictured here), is a 5th grader from Michael's class, but she and Emma have become good friends over the past year.

The Cooper's house is perfectly situated for a sledding party. It overlooks a large, gently sloping hill with panoramic views of the nearby woods and farmland.

At right, Jon and some of the other parents warm up around a bonfire.

Besides sledding there was ice skating, courtesy of a hose-created pond by the back door. Cienna and Emma took turns sliding down a little hill and over the slippery pond, with a snugly bundled Leila perched on their laps.

Her cheeks were rosy, but Leila had a great time and enjoyed the rides.

Some of the dads, including Jon, gave the kids snowmobile rides. There was plenty of hot chocolate and cider inside, if anyone got too chilly.

A very fun time.

Friday my brother Bob came over for a visit. He hadn't been over for about a year, so it was very good seeing him again. Bob is very playful and kind of like a big kid himself, so he gets on great with the "other" kids.

Of course, one year-old Leila is very shy at first. For the first hour or so, she hid her face and wouldn't even look at Bob.


But before long she was sitting on Uncle Bobby and reading books with him.

Bob treated us to dinner in Colfax. We went to Little Italy, a tiny locally-owned restaurant with playful murals of Venice and Italian wine country painted on the walls. They have excellent pizza and a nice family atmostphere.

Bob watched football with Jon and Michael over the weekend. Michael is a Viking fan now, so he's been getting excited by "his" team's progress toward the Super Bowl. Jon is not a Viking fan, but likes the Vikings more than Dallas so was okay with the game's outcome.

Bob is a Packer fan but is also a Brett Farve loyalist who likes to watch the "old guy" play. Bob's girlfriend Deb is also a Viking fan, so Bob has been looking into the idea of him and Deb going to a Viking game.

Here's Leila wearing Uncle Bobby's shoes.

Bob has a friend in the Madison area who makes beautifully-turned, one-of-a-kind wooden bowls... and he brought me one as a gift. It's made out of a single piece of walnut and is signed by the artist. I just love it-!

These days Leila likes to walk around our house with a hat and gloves on. She puts them on herself, and is very serious and proud of herself as she tromps around the house. On this day, Emma helped her put on a scarf and some Grandma Jane booties, too.

Well, just a quick little update on what's going on with us here in Colfax. Hope all our well! Happy January!