U16 Maine Ski Team

Last year he was an alternate, but didn't get called to compete, so this year he was completely determined to qualify for this team!  2 grueling races (a classic in the morning & a freestyle in the afternoon) later, he earned the 11th spot.  He worked really hard to get there, so it is a well-deserved honor!

Spring Training

Brrrr...it was a wicked cold afternoon for a run home from school, (8.6 miles!)  but he did it anyway.  He's got big races coming up, and he's determined to do well, so he needs to put in some mileage.

Leavitt Duathlon

This afternoon the Nordic team dressed up in costumes to compete in a duathlon. A duathlon is a race that the skiers start in classical skis, and then at the halfway point they switch to skate skis for the second half of the race.

It was so much fun to see all the creative costumes that the kids came up with! Our team's theme was 'Disney'. Other teams were dressed like they were headed for the beach(brrr!), we saw some superheroes, critters, baseball players, doctors, clowns, and even Santa!  Our older son was Quazimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.  And our younger son's Sorcerer Mickey costume was a huge hit.

Everyone had such a great time goofing off and remembering that they don't just ski to win races, but because it is fun! 

Building Strength of Character

Look out World! Here comes Sorcerer Mickey!! 

He made me cry though. He gets bullied so badly at school, and yet he wore this costume today anyway. This afternoon his ski team is racing in a costume duathlon. I suggested that perhaps it would be easier for him if I brought the costume and he changed into it later on. He told me, "No. Because if I don't wear it, then the bullies have won before the battle has even begun. I would rather let them bring it on, and face it, than not wear this. I promised my team that I would wear my costume this morning."  He is far braver than any of them!

This evening I asked him how it went.  He told me that he did get teased, but he also recieved a lot of compliments, which made it worth wearing the costume!  And, one of his buddies liked his homemade hat so much that he gave it to him.  I guess we'll be making him another one!

Cause & Effect

This is going to be so hard to imagine in a few months, but in cold temperatures like what we have survived the last few weeks, wet hair does freeze solid.

Now, THIS is a 'grumpy cat'!

Poor Aly got caught under a falling towel...and now everyone is teasing her!

Dad skied?!

He sure did, and boy didn't the 3 of them have a blast!  The weather and snow conditions were perfect for a fun day!!

Army Memories

"Ha ha! You're out in the cold again!!"

"He's behind me, isn't he, Mom?"  The cats like to tease Amber about having to go out into the cold, but really she would be heartbroken if I left her inside while I tend the livestock.  Even if it is 17 degrees Farenheit below zero this morning!

2 Peas in a Pod

We're so pleased with how well Cooper has settled in here.  He & Lily are getting along great.  She is having no problem with sharing her pen & stall with him at all.  Once he learned that she prefers to have her own space, he stopped crowding her and she stopped fussing at him.  It will be interesting to see how well they will both fit into the stall once he's fully grown though.

They are ready!

Today is the 2nd day of their Nordic State Meet, so they are racing freestyle, aka skate skiing.  Good luck Vikings!

Fight for the finish!

Learning about personal space...

Cooper (we had to rename him because Cupid wasn't 'manly' enough) was very lonely this morning, so I took down the fence separating him from Lily.  They are doing very well together, except that he thought that she was his new mama!  Oops.  There was no way she was letting him get under her belly!  So, today he has been learning that horses require a bit more personal space than his yak family did.  He's a smart boy though, and he's figuring it out.  This is about as close as she'll let him get, until he learns his manners.

You try keeping up with them!

It was such a beautiful afternoon in the woods and we got so carried away following all the wildlife tracks, that we skied for almost 2 hours and covered more than 2 miles! 

Cupid came home!

Remember this little guy?  I was given the chance to buy him, so now he lives here at the Morning Call Ranch!  He's such a sweetie.

Feline Photo-bomber

We were SUPPOSED to be taking Winter Carnival portraits...

Sun Dog

Hawaiian Day @ School

Roberts Farm Preserve

Our community is so fortunate to have these trails available to us throughout the year.  In the winter they are groomed to perfection and are so much fun to ski.  And, just look at that view!

Professor Amber

Snowy Biathlon

You had to be tough to compete in this morning's biathlon at Roberts Farm...brrrr!  It was bitterly cold, windy, and snowing like crazy.  By the time we finished, we were all encased in snow!  Regardless of the weather, there were smiles on everyone's faces as we skied, shot, and skied some more through the beautiful trails.  My younger son DOMINATED the 3x1k, while our daughters led the way for the females, and I got to win that race because I was the only adult who raced in it!

KVAC Championships Freestyle

Learning Patience

Celebrating 7 Years of West Paris Daily Photo!

Coaching

This afternoon they raced in the KVAC Classical Championships at Black Mountain.

It's mind-boggling, but he's 16 today!

 Happy birthday!

A few days, and a couple of weeks early...

But, I love that they thought of us while we were at work.  They were home because it's snowing again!

Mid-Winter Classic 10 Miler

Yes, you read that right.  This morning we ran a 10 mile race!  Neither of us was really prepared, although we had hoped that all the skiing would help us push through.  It helped him - he finished first for males under 20!  Awesome job!!  Me? I struggled, a lot, but did managed to beat my 2 hour goal time, so I'm satisfied...and sore...and tired.  Whew!  10 miles is a long way!!  The best part of today was that a special childhood friend was there and I was so surprised and extremely happy to see her.