Yummy Treats!

K, few things make me weak at the knees, but one of them is chocolate covered pretzels. I can not control myself when it comes to these, especially the Snyder brand covered with hershey's chocolate. YUM!

So I was very excited to find this idea for a holiday give-away treat on familfun.com. The best part of making this treat was that the kids were able to help without getting me frustrated. :) Their job was to unwrap the 10 bags of hugs and kisses (yeah, it took a LOT more than I thought it would to fill up a little bag), while I spread out the pretzels. Then you stick the hugs/kiss on top of the pretzel, melt them in the oven for about 5 minutes at the lowest setting (the directions say 170 degrees) and then place an m&m on top. I don't want to know how many I've actually eaten, but they are delicious!

A place to play

Here in the northwest, it rains, and rains, and rains for about 260 days of the year. It makes the scenery absolutely gorgeous, but very hard on us moms who can't take our kids out to play. However, some genius invented the indoor park. This is basically a gym filled with outside toys that kids can play freely on, after paying a small fee. I've only seen these in community recreation centers, which for us, is great, since we live right across the street from one. Here are pictures from one of our visits.



Michael's favorite toy is this roller coaster thing. It uses a ride-on toy that moves when you push your feet on the ground and a mini roller coaster with two little bumps. He has a hard time getting the car up to the top everytime, but he ususally goes down several dozen times while we are there. It's pretty funny to see him go.




Today he really wanted to play in the play house, but it was always guarded by these little girls (probalby 1 yr to 15 months) who wouldn't let him in. These girls, barely able to walk and not yet learned to talk, would put their chubby hands on his chest, scrunch up their faces, and push him back every time he tried to enter. One time a little girl pushed him for about 10 feet! you could see the shock and hurt on Michael's face when the girls did this to him. Finally, he was fed up with this nonsense, and with the girl's hand still on his chest, he pushed Her back saying "No, No, No, No, NO! SHARE!!!". Eventually he gave up and went to go climb on something else. HOwever, a renewed interest appeared in him when these adorable twin girls showed up to play. They thought Michael was great. He would be inside the house, and they on the outside, trying to shut the shutters to the windows. When Michael pushed them back opent they would giggle. Then Michael served them pretend food through the window and became very distraught when he noticed he only had one cup and two girls. He turned to me and said "Cup! CUP!!!" Sensing the urgency in his voice, I ran and found another cup, and once again, saved the day. What a great mom I am! :)

Resident Retention

Aparmtment managing definitly has its ups and downs, but to be completely honest, it probably has more ups than downs. It really has been an awesome job...free rent, a litte bit of an additional salary, great property (meaning decent residents, decent apartments, and an owner who is very good about spending money on the property), it's tiny (only 20 units), and we get to do these things called "resident retentions." The idea is that you show your residents how much you care while trying to stick out above other complexes so that your residents will stay with you. I do get a lot of comments when I'm buying 20 pumpkins, or 20 giftcards to Blockbuster, such as "Wow! My manager doesn't do that! How cool!" :) We do them about every three months. This month I was really stumped so I asked another manager what she was doing. (A lot of us are student wives, and many LDS). She filled a gift box with tangerine oranges and then a box of chocolate covered orange sticks and a note that says "Orange you glad you live at Brittany Square? We sure are!". I know, very cheesy, but I loved it! It was also a great thing that Chelsea could help with. It's a little scary how much she's turning out to be like me...very methodical and everything has to be done in order. We had lots of fun.

The things kids say...

Finally! I lost our flashdrive which I HAVE to have in order to post pictures (it's a very complicated process), and I can't seem to blog without pictures. Dan found it for me so now you will get a plethera of pictures and posts! :)





So, Chelsea's best friend is a little girl she met at preschool last year, who happens to be our next door neighbor. Kayla is a very active girl and the two of them get along very well. We have her over somtimes for "play dates" as Kayla calls them. I'm not very familiar with that term. I grew up just having friends over to play. Not sure what the "date" thing has to do with anything. Anyway, these two are hillarious to listen too. Today they were setting up a game and this is how one of their typical conversations went:
Kayla: So, Chelsea, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Cheslea: I want to be a teacher
Kayla: (Gasp!)Me too!! We could both work at the same school together!
Cheslea: Yeah!
Kayla: So, what kind of teacher do you want to work at?
C: I know! We could teacher at a preschool!
K: Yeah! I caould be teacher, then you could be teacher, then I could be teacher!
C: Yup!
C: Mommy, what do you think we should be when we grow up?
Me: Well, it sounds like you guys want to be teachers. I think you would be great teachers.
K: No, I don't want to be a teacher. I want to be a farmer!

Chelsea is constanty making "things" for Kayla. Usually, she draws a picture, cuts into tiny pieces, tries to tape it back together, then stuffs it into an envelope. This year Kayla got into the pre-K program at the elementary school, but due to a lottery drawing, Chelsea did not. Too make trying to get together for "play dates" (gag) even harder, Kayla has preschool in the mornings, and Chelsea goes in the afternoon. Fridays are the only days they can play together and many times Kayla is visiting her dad. Oh! Here's something that Kayla just said
K: Chelsea, do you need a tissue?
C: No.
K: Well, there's things dropping from your nose.
C: Oh.
K. Here, I'll go get you a tissue.

Man, I love four year olds!

Christmas Traditions

Christmas, like most people, is my favorite holiday. It used to be about Santa Claus for me, but now that I'm grown up, I think it's the joyful spirit it brings. I love the excitement in the air. I actually think the holiday is more fun as a mom as I watch Chelsea's anticipation grow. So, I was talking with my oldest brother the other day, about all the traditions we had growing up. There are so many out there that people do, and I love hearing and learning about them, especially as a young family where we are picking and choosing which traditions we will do.

When I was younger the best part of Christmas was waking up to find out how Santa had messed up again. There was always some kind of accident that resulted in a day-long search of our presents. But, before that hunt could begin, we had to be showered, dressed, and rooms cleaned before we could go downstairs to even see what we were in for. Our parents made sure of that, usually be baracading the stairs with a door they had taken down somewhere.

When we finally made it to the tree, we would find our stuffed stockings which usually contained toothbrushes, deodorant, nuts, oranges, MAYBE some candy, and a big bag of cold cereal. (Growing up, Christmas was THE only time we had cold cereal). Then we would begin our adventure. Sometimes Santa couldn't find our new address (if we'd moved), so we would have a treasure hunt that led us all over town with the presents at the neighborhood park. Another time he was ran out of time and needed our help to do some of his chores. This resulted in another type of treasure hunt that was made up of tasks we had to complete, such as caroling at the nursing home, making cookies for our neighbors, acting out the nativity, etc. After each task, the person would give us our nest task/clue until we finally got to our presents.

Another year we woke up to find our home as a huge web. Trixy and Pixie, Santa's helper elves had been wrestling and gotten their magic dust all over. There was string going everwhere. We were each blindfolded and given one end of a string which we were then to follow and roll up to find our stash. One year we actually could see our presents when we got to the tree, but they were scattered throughout the house, each with a number on it. We had to find the presents, in order, and bring them one-by-one back to the living room where we would all watch the recipient open the gift. I don't remember what the reason for this Christmas was, but it seriously took till 1 PM to finish.

Looking back, this must have taken tons of planning and preparation by my parents, but it really made Christmas so much fun. I was wondering what traditions your families might have? (Whether you liked them or not). At Dan's house, it's tradition that Dad passes out each gift. Another thing the Perry's do, is leave the presents Santa brought unwrapped and all set up by the person's stockings.


We started one where we made one of those chains from paper (25 chains) with something to do for each day. For example, we made a gingerbread house, went out for special holiday ice-cream shakes, wrote letters to friends, made cookies for neighbors, etc. Chelsea has really been enjoying it, and I love being able to stretch the holiday out as long as possible. Varden wants to try having a stack of Thank-you cards by the tree on Christmas morning, and as a present is opened, a quick thank you is written before another is opened.

Whatever you do at Christmas, I truly hope you have a blast and love every moment of it! Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday Michael!

I know, I know, I'm slow. For Michael's birthday we went swimming at one of the many indoor pools here. We were freezing, but the kids were all shivering smiles! Michael is so funny because he has NO fear. He's also very ticklish. The water at this pool has a very shallow play place so he could walk around. We liked to chase him and then grab his sides. He doubles over, face into the water, laughing. It's not just like his face gets wet, but he practically does a summersault...and did a few times. Chelsea helped me make him an race-car cake, which he was very excited about. He blew out the candles at least 6 times and kept saying "More Fire!" (Uh oh....I think he might be like his dad....) I can't believe he's two already. My favorite thing he does now, which is actually quite cheesy, is tilt his head to the side, bat his eyes, and says "Mooommmeeeeee" in a sing song voice. It's silly, but I love it so much!

A great Thanksgiving

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Each year I keep meaning to make the apple Turkeys, like the ones we made with mom growing up, but I always forget. This year I remembered! Chelsea, Michael and I made them for FHE one night. I ran out of apples, so I had to use a pear. Michael loved putting on the marshmallows (for some reason, the slideshow enlarged the picture so you only see his head. :()
For Thanksgiving, Dan's parents and sister were kind enough to come to our tiny apartment for Thanksgiving. Dan had to take his Dental boards the next day, so if we had gone up to Tacoma, it would have been a very quick visit. Chelsea was thrilled to have them come down. I was grateful to have the learning experience on how to make pies, rolls, turkey, etc. Thanks mom! It all tasted sooo good! On Saturday night, I got a babysitter for Chelsea and Michael, and the rest of us went to see John Schmidt in concert. It was a great evening and weekend. Oh, the picture of Melissa, Dan and I is us trying out the nasal strips dad got to try to help him sleep better. They really work!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Chelsea gave her second talk in primary today and did a fantastic job. I think she likes the attention of getting up in front of everyone. She did it all by herself, much to the amazement of the teachers and presidency who gave me wierd looks when I didn't go up to assist her. She loved practicing for it and would say "Can we practice my talk six times today?" What a girl. This recording isn't very good with all the back noise and light. OH well....Something else to learn I guess.

A work in progress...

Okay you professional bloggers, I need more help. I would like to customize my own blog. That tip for bloggers Melinda gave me is awesome, but I feel like I'm reading a different language! It's going to take me a long tim to figure things out. I'm wondering where you get your cool background "wallpapers". Also, when changing templaes, how do you get from losing your "widgets" or whatever. I lost all of my links and spent an hour re-uploading them. Thanks for the help!

The Elfin' Family

Check out what great dancers the Perry's are! You'll have to copy and past it to your browser, but trust me, it's worth it!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9621730895

I'm it!

So I've been reading lots of these "tags" lately, but hoped I would never be tagged as I had no clue what I would write. Thanks to a friend from highschool :), it's now my turn. Here's the best I could come up with.

Rules: tell 6 truths or habits, then tag 6 other friends on their blogs. those tagged have to do the game and tag other friends.

1)I love being pregnant and giving birth. Not necessarily labor, but more of finally seeing this tiny, beautiful creature that has been in my stomach for so long. I also thought it was so great that the nurses bring evening snacks! I got my pick of Oreo’s, jell-o, pudding, granola bars, etc. What a bonus!

2)I love to set goals, but I have to have something to make me be accountable for them. For example, I wanted to get back into shape after Michael, so I signed up to to a triathlon. The thought of the unknown terrifies me, so I worked my bottom off, literally, so I wouldn’t look like too much of a fool on triathlon day.

3)I have a very hard time communicating my thoughts. It can be very frustrating to have my ideas so clear in my head but when they come out, it sounds so garbled. See? Like now! (argh!) Dan often makes fun of my “new” words when I get frustrated.., like “Quiss” which in Trisa language means: Quit it and kiss me!

4 I am a list person. I can not go anywhere or do anything if I don’t have a list. To-do lists are my favorite, because I feel like I’ve accomplished something at the end of the day, as I look back and see everything I’ve done that day, even if it’s silly things like “Shower, get dressed, make breakfast…” Again, it makes me feel more accountable for my time, so I end up getting more done.

5) I do not like getting attention. When everyone is focused on me, I start to sweat, get dizzy, and can’t talk clearly. I love to hang out with friends and being one on one with people, but when the focus is on me, (bridal and baby showers for example) I feel like crawling under a blanket.

6) I am horrible at hydration. Most days, if I don’t think about it, I barely drink even one glass! I love water, but I just forget about drinking it. If I have a water bottle out in a spot that I pass often (like the kitchen table) I will remember and take a few gulps. It’s amazing I haven’t had any health problems from it yet!

I tag Melissa, Jennifer, Katherine, Michelle, Tawna, and Mom Perry.

The best feeling ever...

Michael and I have recently started a trick. I say very sternly to him "Michael! Look at me!". He looks at me, right in the eye, with a very serious face. Then I smile and say "I love you!" and then he smiles and gives me a great big hug. His hugs are so sweet because he is still so little and his arms don't reach very far. Tonight we did it, and he said "Whyoooo!" (For those who don't speak mommy language, he said "I love you back!" Being a mom is the greatest! :)

Attention Perry's!

We have come up with the christmas exchange list for Christmas 2007. We figured everyone checks the blogs so this might be the easiest way. (Sorry for everyone else!) Mom and Dad opted out since they give something to everyone anyway, so don't forget them! Please leave a comment when you have checked this, so we know that everyone got the information.

Melissa gives to Jennifer and Matt Bush
Jennifer & Matt gives to Katherine and Dan Miller
Katherine & Dan Miller give to Matt and Michelle Ramirez
Matt and Michelle Ramirez give to Dan and Trisa Perry
Dan & Trisa Perry give to Melissa.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Chelsea squared

Okay, I know, a corny title, but it's getting late. :) I traded babysitting with a friend who has a daugther named Chelsea. Most of you know how much Chelsea LOVES babies, so you can immagine how excited she gets around REAL babies.However, the last few times that we've babysat a baby, it is always during their nap times. Chelsea is so sad when they leave and she hasn't had a chance to play or hold them. This time, Baby Chelsea (as we call her) woke up before her mom came to pick her up, so Chelsea begged was able to hold her and feed her. Aren't they cute?

Nuttin but trouble

Friday night Michael just seemed to be getting into everything. Everytime I turned around, he was doing something else. Finally, I got the camera and tried to catch him in the act. 90% of the time I was unsuccessful. MOst of the thigns were harmless, but some were starting to get irritating as I was trying to get the house cleaned up before bed.

Michael loves to try to put Chelsea's hair accessories in his hair. He almost got this one right!

Michael dumped the entire box of Triscuits on his plate. He has no knowledge of self-restraint. He always has to have them all...and then proceeds to try to stuff ALL of them into his mouth. He then gags, and ends up spitting them all out. What fun.

This is what prompted me to finally grab the camera. These pants just won't stay up on Michael, as I bought them a little too big. I found him in the refrigerator, pants around his ankles, sucking on the hershey's chocolate syrup bottle. Unfortunately, by the time I got the camera, this is all I could get. Still cute though, eh?

One sweet trade.

So, I found a girl in my ward who is learning to play the flute at school. I haven't taught flute lessons since I left Provo and I've been really missing it. I offered to teach her for free, but her mom seemed a little hesitant, so I suggested it could be a trade for babysitting. Ashley comes over on Wednesdays after school, I give her a half hour flute lesson, and then she plays with the kids for an hour and a half or until her mom picks her up. Chelsea and Michael love her and are always asking when "Big Ashley" is coming. (Chelsea has a friend her age named Ashley, so we have to differentiate between the two.) It's a huge break for me. I tear around the house doing the things that its hard for me to do when trying to take care of the kiddos. She's also a very good flute student, so for me, it's a win-win situation! :)

oops...we lost another one.

Yup. Teddy Bear is now dead. That was quick you might say, and you're right, but we're pretty relieved. He was too fiesty to hold and play with, which is the main reason we got a hamster over a fish. I have no idea what happened. I put him in his ball last night to run around and when I came upstairs an hour later (okay, maybe that was too long, but we did it with Santa Claus and he was fine!) and he was barely moving. This is gross, so skip to the next sentence if you have issues with BM's. There was poop smeared all around the ball! It was soo gross and stank like crazy! I should have checked on him earlier, but I was hooked with Prison break.

Anyway, we already have a new one. His name is Carla. :) I told Chelsea that we couldn't name a boy Carla, and she got upset and wanted HIM to be a GIRL. So I figured, what the heck. It's a hamster. Only a vet can probably tell the sex as I don't even have a clue, nor desire, of where to look for the defining parts. So, Chelsea has a girl hamster named Carla. She's already been able to play with him, so as mean as it sounds, I'm glad we had the opportunity to get a new one without having to do anything drastic to the other hamster, God bless his soul.....

(For the record, Chelsea thinks we exchanged Teddy Bear for a "nicer" hamster, so please don't make a comment about his "death")

Time for reflection...

Okay, so I'm actually going to write my thoughts down, intead of bragging about my kids. :) This is a stretch for me, but this is what blogging is all about, right?

I guess it all started with the beginning of Dan's last year of Dental school. The time seems to have flown by, until now. I seem to have become unsatisfied with my life. I can't wait to have a house like all of my friends seem to have now, I can't wait to not have to work anymore, I can't wait to be able to not have hand-me-down furniture and to decorate how I want, I can't wait to have more room, I can't wait to blah blah blah. Then one day, I was talking with my little sister about how easy it is to wish life away. Everyone says that their favorite time in life was when they were just starting out and didn't have everything they wanted. The "poor" days.

I was watching Chelsea and Michael play, thinking once again about the future, when it hit me that neither of them will probably remember when Daddy was in dental school. They won't remember this cramped apartment. They probably won't remember their friends or places we often go too, like the children's museum or zoo. I found myself wishing life would slow down.

At church I noticed a friend whose kids were all grown and married. In front of her was another friend who was a young mom like me, struggling to pay attention to the speaker while attending to her active children. I immagined the older couple remembering when their kids were young and how they wished they could have those moments back. I'm in that moment right now. I looked at Chelsea and Michael and almost broke down right there. Michael turns 2 this next week. It's hard to believe how much he's grown. The things that usually drive me crazy are now things that I try to burn into my memory so that when they're gone, I will be able to remember. Chelsea tells me that when she gets older and marries Michael, they will be my neighbors forever. I hope that's true...except for the marrying Michael part, of course.

It's already almost December and each month is a month closer to when my kids will be grown. I love them so much and I am so grateful for this enlightenment in my life that came sooner rather than later. I am looking at life through different eyes. Don't get me wrong, I'm still VERY excited to live in my own house, with my very own WASHER and DRYER, but I would love to stay in this moment when my kids are still young and love their mommy. :)

Blog help!

Okay everyone...let me in on the secret. How are you all changing the backgrounds to your blogs? Some of you change them almost daily, so hopefully it's not that hard...but I just can't seem to figure it out. Is there a website? Bloggers for dummies? I'm so bored with the templates offered on blogger. help? ;)

A friend dies...

Chelsea's hamster, Santa Claus, died this past week. Chelsea was pretty sad when she first found out, but took it pretty well. She even wanted to help burry him. She helped find a box for him, dig the hole, and even cover him with dirt. She then wanted to find a rock to put his name on, so that people wouldn't step on him. We now have a new hamster, named Teddy bear. He is a panda bear hamster (basically meaning that he is black and white). Teddy is quite different than Santa was. He's VERY jumpy and fidgety, so we haven't been able to hold him yet. Chelsea talks to him and feeds him through the bars on the cage everyday, so hopefully he will calm down enough for her to play with him.

First trip to the dentist...

Well, k, not really, but my first trip to DAN the Dentist...in training. He did a great job, but I totaly understand why people hate going to the dentist. He had to make some impressions of my mouth (which I HATE getting done). He said he had some spray, kind of like an antispetic that numbs your throat, to help with the gagging reflex. I did not gag, but it sure didn't help me. It numbed my tongue, which is what makes me want to gag. Well, we got through that and into the comprehensive treatment plan. And boy, did I get in trouble! I have 6 cavities (although most are very small) to fill. YIKES! And although we get a discount by having students work on us, it's still going to tear a hole in the pocket. I can guarantee that Dan will be supervising my brushing AND flossing for a while.

What to be for Halloween....

I thought I had our costumes planned out back in July. We were going to be a family of dentists! Unfortunately, I was the only one that liked the idea. So, I asked Chelsea what she wanted to be. I was expecting princess, fairy, or Dora the Explorer, but instead she said "a Blue Cow!" Well, I thought about it for a long time, but I just couldn't figure out a blue cow. I tried to convince her to be a scarecrow. Well, she did change her mind...not to a scarecrow, but to a "walking bed". I have no idea where she came up with it, but that's what she's going to be this year. A walking bed. :) She got lots of compliments at the Trunk or Treat, especially when people found out it was her idea. It's a little awkward to walk, but she likes it. (Phew!). Michael was quite the stunning cowboy! Unfortunately, he is horrible at getting his picture taken, so I couldn't quite capture his charm. Happy Halloween everyone!

Cheese!

Michael is learning how to pose for the camera. Unfortunately, this is how he smiles for the camera. It's cute, but I miss those gorgeous blue eyes in the pictures!

Pumpkin carve!

Sunday nights have been turning into our FHE night due to Dan's work schedule. Tonight we decided to carve a pumpkin. Dad carved, the kids helped dig out the pulp, and mom took pictures! :) Michael did not like the feel of the pumpkin guts. He would barely touch the slime, quickly pull his hand back and say "EEEWWWW!!" The stuffed animal dog in some of the pictures, is the class pet from Chelsea's preschool. They take turns taking him home and writing about their adventures in the class journal. His name is Jeb.

Getting into....everything!

Kids, kids, kids. Chelsea has a passion for makeup, while Michael is engrossed in shoes, especially mom's shoes. Chelsea has repeatedly been told to stay out of the makeup, but as you can see, that is not working. Michael is always tromping around in someone shoes, usually not his own because they are too hard to put on. The bigger and higher, the better. I loved this picture of him in his diaper, slobbery PJ shirt, and Chelsea's rain boots. These are the moments that I am so grateful to have cameras to preserve the silly things they do.

Dan's Birhday

Dan's birthday fell on the same weekend as general conference this year, so we were able to celebrate it with his family. When I asked Dan what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday, he pulled up a picture on the internet of the Mariner's Safeco field. Well, that was a little beyond my capabilities, but I was able to make something that slightly resembled a baseball field. (It did not turn out how I'd hoped, but you can at least tell what it is!) Chelsea made Daddy a present at preschool, a group of paper vases taped to a larger paper, with paper flowers in each vase. Michael gave daddy a new tool box. My present to Dan was just what he asked for...nothing. This will probably be the only time I respect that wish. It was just too hard! well,to be honest, I did get him some chocolate covered macaroon cookies.

Michael's animal sounds

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Since I showcased Chelsea on my blog, I had to show off Michael too. He loves animals, especially dogs, and is becoming quite proficient in animal talk. He knows lots of words, his favorite being "No! Mine!" and my favorite being "Kank ew" (Thank you). Take note of Michael's camera face at the very beginning and towards the end. IT's hard to take a good picture of him, cause he "smiles" for the camera too much. Hope you enjoy!

Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood

On Dan's lask weekend before he had to return to school, we got the itchin' to play in some snow. We decided to drive to Mt. Hood and hike up to some of the glaciers. We had a great time! We went on a tour of Timberline lodge, which I found fascinating. It was built in 1937 under the WPA act durring the Great Depression. It took them 18 months to build, and the workers were some of the best in their fields. I was also impressed by their resourcefulness...I'll explain, but here are some pictures as we go!





These benches are not the originals, but were made just like the orginals in that they are made out of leather. The thought was that the skiiers could drip-dry on them, instead of having the water ruin cushions or other chairs.

The chains in front of the fire pit were made from the chains from snow tires, and the cool iron decoration coming out of the fire pit is actually made from a railroad track, that was slowly beaten into the spiral that you see. It took two weeks to make a pair of spirals.

This stair post is made from a telephone pole and is found at each landing of the lodge with a neat carving on top.

This mosaic found at the entrance of the lodge is made from stain glass windows. Some colors weren't available or limited. You can't see it very well in the picture, but there's a skunk, who has a black body and a brown head, because they ran out of black windows. The drinking fountain was orginally the lodge's ash tray, but has now been transformed into the drinking fountain.


After touring the lodge, we were starving, so we decided to eat at a restraunt in the bar. I had my first boca burger. No offense to anyone out there, but I'll stick to my meat. :) I have to point out Chelsea's tongue. I'm not sure where she learned it, but for some reason, whenever I take her picture, she does that. Must be some of her creative friends at preschool.....




Finally, we set off on our quest for snow. It was a pretty tough hike for the kids, but they made it. There wasn't much snow, but Chelsea was able to make her snow-man, so she was happy. Michael had a hard time standing on the snow without slipping, but he too had a blast. I think we'll definitaly have to live somewhere where we can play in the snow. We had a great trip, and plan to return later this winter when there is plentiful snow to play in!