Day 279

Check out the wrapping paper Tracy got! Nana got the kids going on some e-learning activities before she and Papa headed out to Beaver Creek, CO for a couple days of getaway. The drive took almost 2 hours longer than normal due to construction at Idaho Springs (mostly) and snowy weather (some). We're staying at the Beaver Creek Lodge, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel since just last year. The hotel opened in the 1980s.  It's also part of the Kessler Collection, founding members of Marriott's Autograph Collection. Don't miss the Alpine-Antlers restaurant in the hotel, not a huge menu, but uniquely tasty items. Be sure to read through all the various menus and plan accordingly. All the photos are here.

 

The indoor theme is rock climbing.

Day 278

More e-learning. And not many photos, sorry. Matt jetted off to Atlanta for work. First business trip since before COVID. Jamie had an interview with Matteo's school (ECA) about teaching earth science and chemistry part time. 

Her Mom was mirroring her off camera to the right.

Day 277

Monday. School. This is the last week of school before Christmas break, and for most of the kids some shortened days at that. Nana, Lexi, and AJ finished the sand tarts (cookies); they'll be neighbor Christmas gifts and some internal sampling as well, I'm sure. Matteo helped make the dough yesterday. Papa started Deuteronomy (Moses' farewell address, as Prager puts it), the last book of the Torah, with Dennis Prager's lectures - only 50-ish hours to go (about 240 hours total plus two books with three more coming, God willing).

 

Meat for a month.

Found at CostCo!

Day 276

Huge breakfast burrito meal first thing in the morning. A special Beanie Baby package arrived for Nana and Papa from Megan and Jamey. And Nana got all the Christmas cards prepped. There was just enough snow overnight for the kids to pile some up for a small sledding hill. The big event for the day was an evening trip to Forest Bend Farm. We had a great time there despite the 10-degree weather. Hayride, hot chocolate, s'mores, cookie decorating, zip line, pet the goats, popcorn, etc. And mistletoe! Quite a few pictures below... Tonight's movies: Ava (another bad-@ss woman) and The Holiday Calendar (it has Christmas magic!).

Poofie and Tinsel

Matteo making sand tarts.

Torah time!

Forest Bend Farm

Day 275

Jamie's play, It's a Wonderful Life: the Live Radio Play, filmed today - it's in the can. "Airs" starting December 17th, tickets here. We got a box from Megan and Jamey today - what a hit. Beanie babies and all kinds of fun stuff. Everyone got a huge kick out of it. And everyone gravitated to just the right beanie baby; a little miraculous. Check out the Santa decorating our little Christmas tree. Plays Christmas music, too, and the arrangements are really quite good. The best thing today... The kids got to meet Santa today and we got a first-time-in-a-while photo of all the kids together.

Box from Megan and Jamey - quite the hit!

One of AJ's favorite games, Wingspan!

Look who's decorating our little tree!

Day 274

Last day of e-learning for the week! The foster twins headed out to another foster care situation. We wish them so much good fortune! Final dress tonight for It's a Wonderful Life (more). Jamie had to create a new little make-up kit as his "Sound of Music Box" is locked in at First Company from the March shutdown, right after the second performance of God's Favorite.

That cigar reamer is the bomb!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Matteo's commercial art project - a cereal box design.