This one's for Erin

This is the only picture I could find that might work for your baby picture contest. Sorry I couldn't do any better. It's a cute picture, though. I like the rock driveway.

February 1971.

Tom Sawyer Day Camp, Horse Staff 1984

Jennifer, Alisa, Sue, Sheri and poor, long-suffering Navajo. Summer 1984.

Artwork

While Ryan and James do not like to draw as much as I did when I was their age, they do occasionally sit at the table and spend hours working on pictures. Here are a couple of their most recent works. Ryan drew this desert landscape: James prefers to draw scary monsters. He draws these a lot.

Snow day

This past winter has been remarkable for its record setting warm temperatures and almost complete lack of snow. However, Colorado is notorious for its spring storms, and we were hit by a big one yesterday. We did not get the full fifteen inches that were forecast, but we did get enough to close school for two days. This is what our front yard looks like right now.The kids have been playing outside all morning.
James spent most of his time making a snow fort.Snow forts are serious business.He worked on this for a very long time.Ryan is at that lovely stage where he crosses his eyes every time you point a camera in his direction. It's better to take pictures when he's not looking.Would you trust this kid with a big snowball?

Maggie would not!

The kids worked together to make this igloo. They were pretty proud of it.

This is Ryan demonstrating how well he can fit inside the igloo.

Besides being a spacious home away from home, the igloo also doubled as a sledding hill. In this picture, Ryan is passing the sled up to James while Cynthia looks on.

March 2009.

The Holiday Blizzard of 2006

There have been two blizzards since Seth and I moved back to Colorado. These pictures are from the "Holiday Blizzard" of 2006 which completely shut down the airport in the midst of the Christmas rush. The roads were terrible and we went several days without mail and two weeks without trash pickup.

Of course, the kids mostly just thought it was fun!

Look how deep the snow was! Seth shoveled a path to the back of the yard.After that was done, he and the boys built an igloo! It wasn't very big but James didn't mind. James is on the move... Where do you think he's going?Ahhhh! He's found the warmest spot in the whole backyard--the dryer exhaust!
Dogs like playing in the snow, too.Eskimo girl!

Pool party

Last Saturday was James' much anticipated seventh birthday party. Unfortunately, Saturday was also the day that both Ryan and I were most sick with the flu. Ryan really wanted to go to the party,but we'd only been at the pool for a few minutes when he started acting like this. Seth took him home. I wanted to go home, too, but unfortunately the mama never gets to go home.James invited three friends from school plus Jozsh, the Beutels and the Christophers. One of the school friends did not come, but everyone else did. This picture shows James and Nate having fun in the kiddy pool.Jozsh shows off his mad swimming skills in the big pool.

James and Javier hanging out at the table during the break.All the party participants--Cara, Nate, Jozsh, Cameron, Javier, James, Brook and Deidra.

Javier, James, Brook and Deidra enjoy the birthday cake.

James and Javier.

March 14, 2009.

Bald Abbie

I only let Seth talk me into doing this once.This was not a good look for Abbie. When I look at these pictures, I am embarrassed for her all over again.

1997.

Cousins

These are the most recent pictures we have of the other Buxton boys. Unfortunately "recent" is a relative term as these pictures were probably taken in September 2007.

Jonas is almost eleven here.
Lucas is seven in this picture.
We've had these pictures on our refrigerator for a long time and Ryan likes to look at them. I think he'd really like to meet his cousins. Too bad we're all so busy and so far away...

More horse pictures

I'm sick. The kids are sick. This has been going on for five days with still no end in sight. I tired and discouraged and sick of being sick, so tonight I am trying to make myself feel better by looking at pictures of some of my favorite horses from days gone by. The horse in these photos is a young Thoroughbred mare I knew for a few months in early 1982."Filly's" registered name was Native Cher and she was sired by Exclusive Native who was also Affirmed's father. That fact alone made me fall head over heels in love with her. She came to Eaton Canyon Riding Club as a privately owned boarding horse, but when her owners failed to pay for her upkeep, she was pressed into service as a school horse. Of course I wanted to ride her. I really, really, really wanted to ride her. I did get to ride her, but unfortunately my ambitions far exceeded my abilities. Filly was very green in a fresh off the racetrack kind of way, and I was completely unprepared to deal with her problems. Our lessons together were a series of disasters. I'm not sure either one of us learned anything, but I continued to love her nonetheless.

As a reward for my persistence, I was eventually allowed to ride her in a schooling show. We were spectacularly unsuccessful. She ran away with me while cantering on the wrong lead in the flat class, and we were disqualified for having three refusals at the first jump in Hunter Hack. I can't imagine what my instructor was thinking. I really had no business riding that horse!

I don't remember what happened to Filly. I don't think I ever knew. Probably her owners reclaimed her. I hope she had a good life and ended up with someone who loved her as much as I did but was actually capable of riding her!

Eeeek!

1983.

Mesa Verde

Here are some pictures from the Colorado portion of Mom and Dad's 1990 roadtrip. They visited me at my summer job at Lake Mancos Ranch in the southwestern corner of the state. That area is home to a Navajo reservation and lots of old Anasazi ruins, including Mesa Verde National Park where these pictures were taken.Two views of Cliff Palace.Mom and Dad walking down the steep steps to Cliff Palace.Dad inspects the ruins.Mom and Dad inside a Kiva.The ladder up to Balcony House.

Dad and I at Cliff Palace.

Who is that mustached man?

I really want to take the kids to Mesa Verde now that they're old enough (I think!) to handle the stairs and ladders. Maybe sometime this summer...

Does he look older?

James woke up bright and early this morning and was very pleased to find this big pile of presents waiting for him.Opening presents is serious business.I think he likes it. Money is always a good gift.

Party Poppers never seem to lose their appeal... except to the poor dog who always ends up with the popper parts on her face!

March 10, 2009.