Miriam is 11

 Miriam actually turned 11 on our final day at the cabin. So she go to unwrap one present there in the morning:

Miriam checking out her art case at the cabin after unwrapping it.

Then she unwrapped another after we got home and retrieved the Amazon-delivered package from Grandma and Grandpa Scott who had kept it safe at their house.

Everyone watching her open the festive Amazon box.

Miriam's new ukulele.

Then we held two separate family birthday dinners: one for the Grover side and one for the Scott side. You can't be too careful with a worldwide pandemic still wreaking havoc. We had the Grovers (Grandma Susan, Grandpa Dennis, Grandma Hendricks, Aunt Rachel and her family) over on Sunday, March 28 and ate chicken enchiladas and chocolate turnovers. Then Miriam unwrapped a few more presents.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fun card game from Aunt Rachel. She also got a bead art kit from them and a lapful of glitter thanks to the wrapping paper. 

Getting to the cash Grandpa Dennis had hid in a candle.

The next day (Monday, March 29) we had the Scotts (Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Jessica, Uncle T and his family) over for muligatawny soup and banana pudding ice cream cake.

Detail of the cake Ana made for Miriam.

Miriam with her cake and candles. 

Miriam "blows" out the candles by waving paper bowls above them. See note about a worldwide pandemic above.

Sour Patch kids from Aunt McKall.

A card and 21 pennies from Bennet.

Sketch books and pencils from Grandma and Grandpa.

I didn't hear her complaining that we had to stretch her birthday out over three days. 

Spring break

Our week at Grandma's cabin was such a success last year for spring break that we decided to recreate it this year. We went to the cabin Monday, March 22 and came home Saturday, March 27; Seth joined us Thursday afternoon.

MONDAY

We left home a little after 11, stopped in Rigby for Subway, then drove the rest of the way up. It had snowed a bunch on Saturday and Sunday, so when we got to the driveway, I shifted into four-wheel drive and gunned it. We made it in; we wouldn't have made it out without me shoveling/blowing snow. Thankfully the cabin has both a shovel and a snow blower. We took it easy Monday, set up our space at the cabin and ate delicious baked mac and cheese that night, then watched Avengers 2.

Bekah took a little snooze on the way up. She woke up for Cadbury mini eggs, though.

TUESDAY

We had made a quick run to Aunt Rachel's cabin to borrow cross-country ski boots for Winnie the day before. On Tuesday morning, we had to run back to their cabin to borrow skis with the correct bindings for the boots. (D'oh!) Then we went to Harriman and learned that they had quit grooming the trails a week prior. 

Family selfie at the ranch. I was cold at first, but I warmed up toward the end. Some of these yahoos ended up in their shirt sleeves. 

Winnie heading out on the meadow loop in old tracks. Miriam busted a lot of the trail for us. Some of it was hard to see due to drifting.

Ana stopping for a Clif bar.

Grover girl picture at Hi-C Bridge.

Bekah doing the ol' arrow-through-the-head trick with an icicle.

Then we relaxed in the afternoon/evening with board games, video games and several episodes of "The Office." 

We had received "The Office: Downsizing" game for Christmas, but we hadn't played it yet. We tried it out for the first time Tuesday afternoon. Everyone assumes the role of a character. Miriam made an excellent Dwight.

WEDNESDAY

We dropped some serious dough at the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. None of us had been before.  

Grizzly girls in the museum.

Winnie checking out the trout.

Close encounter with the wolves.

We stopped at a tourist shop in West for a few fun items (Ana now owns a lucky rabbit's foot), then went back to the cabin for more games, more reading and another movie (Guardians of the Galaxy). I brought my computer with me so I could work on yearbook spreads for the elementary school.

Winnie nailing the Kevin smile.

Ana, Bekah and Miriam playing Screen Cheat.

THURSDAY

We had all the best intentions of sledding down the hill northwest of the cabin. Since it had snowed nearly all day Wednesday, the ground cover was soft and slow. Bekah used a sled to carve out a track. We took advantage of it, but most of the time we halfheartedly threw chunks of snow at each other and generally had a low-key good time.

Miriam sledding.

Winnie attempting the hill while her sisters chat.

Bekah throwing snow at Ana who is using the saucer as a shield.

Winnie hiding behind a sled while Miriam throws snow.

Bekah after a "let's see how long you can stick your face in the snow" contest.

We went back for hot chocolate, then played, read, rested and worked more with Seth when he arrived. Because we were on a streak, we watched Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 that night. 

FRIDAY

Back to Harriman for more cross-country skiing, this time with Seth and even more time passing since the trails had been groomed. Seth did most of the trail busting this time. The river had morning fog on it, and we saw a couple of trumpeter swans swimming on the river. 

Family selfie.

Bekah, Winnie and Seth skiing past the ranch buildings. We attempted the ranch and river trail loops, but with no clearly defined trail, we didn't end up at the lake when we should have.

More games, Office and fun times.

Bekah, Seth and Ana playing Hexes with the family. There were two extra mattresses upstairs, so we hauled one downstairs for Seth to sleep on. (The other mattresses hurt his back.) The mattress became our game table/movie watching locale.

Winnie covering her eyes and sitting on her right hand during Hexes. She wasn't allowed to look the person in the eye she had passed the hex to, and she wasn't allowed to touch her cards with her right hand.

Winnie, Bekah and Ana lying on the mattress and watching "The Office."

SATURDAY

We took it easy in the morning, playing more games and getting ready to leave in the afternoon. After lunch, we packed up the vehicles and headed home.

Winter miscellany

Saturday, December 5

 

Ana, Miriam, Winnie and Bekah gathered around the kitchen island at Grandma Scott's while we were still living there in the trailer.

Sunday, December 13

Rebekah hurriedly unstuffing her dressing so I won't take pictures of her.

One of the girls asked what would float. I suggested macaroni noodles. I was mostly wrong. The cup of noodles is not amused.

Friday, December 18

Ana with her festive hair on the last day of school before Christmas break.

Wednesday, December 30

Seth, Peach (the lap dog) and Miriam duck hunting with Grandpa Dennis and Cooper.

Bekah duck hunting selfie.

Peach still vying for lap space.

Miriam and Peach tuckered out in the truck on the way back.

Thursday, December 31

Ana, Bekah, Miriam, Winnie and Seth playing Hexes during the Grover family New Year's Eve extravaganza. We stayed up until 10.

Thursday, January 7

Miriam at LEGO robotics, an after-school club. Andrea was taking there taking the group photo, which is why Winnie is in the foreground of this shot.

Tuesday, January 26

The water color art Ana made by my request for the living room.

Sunday, January 31

Aunt Jessica, Grandma Scott, Grandpa Scott, Bennet, Miriam, Winnie, Uncle Tyson, Aunt McKall, Easton, Rebekah and Oakley gathered around the kitchen table for Grandpa Scott's birthday cake.

Saturday, February 6

Winnie, Go Dog Go and Andrea snuggling on the couch.

Rebekah (borrowing Ana's slippers) trying out the strap-on wheels in the shop.

Sunday, February 7

Seth removing a panel from the soffit at the church. Seth called me from the church that morning asking if I could bring him a stool and his cordless drill. He could hear a cat meowing pitifully from the inside of the roof. He and I worked for 40 minutes to coax that cat out. And it was C-O-L-D. We finally accomplished the task, only to watch the cat climb back up into the roof. 

Ana hunting turkeys on our lawn with her BB gun.

Saturday, February 13

Winnie suited up to help Seth install new insulation in the crawlspace. The construction team had installed insulation in the new crawlspace, but left the old stuff in the old area. Seth and Winnie took out the old insulation and installed the new.

Ana and Bekah solving equations with multiple variables. For fun.

Sunday, February 14

Miriam wearing a travel neck pillow on her head while the family plays Numenera.

Monday, February 15

Andrea sporting bowling shoes while on a mother-daughter date with Rebekah on Presidents' Day.

Tuesday, February 16

Miriam dressed as Tam and Winnie dressed as Lihn (from Keeper of the Lost Cities) during Hope Week at school. 

Wednesday, February 17

Miriam and Winnie dressed for '80s day during Hope Week at school.

Rebekah showing Winnie how to play a cornet. Andrea borrowed a cornet Grandpa Scott had to teach a lesson about W. C. Handy.

Saturday, February 27

Miriam sketching for fun and Ana working on a project for school. She was assigned to write a paper and come up with a visual presentation of big business being superior to little business.

Sunday, February 28

Winnie watching Veggietales while wearing her dance costume from two years prior and standing on her head.

Thursday, March 4

Andrea (and her lens-flare-created-light mustache) cross-country skiing in Rexburg. I visit Grandma Hendricks at her house every first and third Thursday. When there's snow, I ski around the golf course after her visit.

Friday, March 5

Winnie sharing an ear bud with her friend in 3rd grade so he can hear the music on her Chromebook. Andrea was at the school taking pictures for the yearbook.

Monday, March 8

Ana and Andrea with the pottery they painted during a mother-daughter date at Possibly Picasso.

Tuesday, March 9

Winnie hugging Peach on the back porch.

Sunday, March 14

Winnie and Miriam snuggling on the couch and watching Living Scripture videos after church.

Winnie and Oakley playing in the guest bedroom at Grandma Scott's house during our monthly family dinner.

Friday, March 19

Winnie acting scared by the mountain lion on display in the Museum of Idaho's "Way Out West" exhibit. Winnie was on a field trip with the other 3rd graders from Fairview.

Winnie touching a human heart at the "Animals Inside Out" exhibit. Winnie and her friends Cora and Savannah were all in a group. Andrea was helping to chaperone the field trip.

Winnie with parakeets aplenty at the East Idaho Aquarium. After seeing the exhibits at the Museum of Idaho, the 3rd graders ate lunch at Civitan Park and then went to the aquarium.