We have tried to grow various things in our garden with pretty dismal results. It turns out that the best spot is located in our walk-in closet! This pepper plant is far more productive in the window than it was all summer on the patio. Maybe we need to relocate our clothes so we can grow some vegetables?
Lukas and Bob had a chance to read part of the paper before it was time for Lukas to return to campus. While Bob and Lukas headed to Phoenix, Noah and I played games. Noah was convinced I cheated when I quickly sunk all his ships in Battle Ship. The next round, my board was filled with white pegs.
Lukas and Noah spent the remainder of the evening playing together. It was such music to my ears, hearing them play worship songs. Apparently, all the music lessons are paying off. Noah got a chance to play through all the songs for his church worship debut the next morning.
Lukas had business to conduct in town, so he came home for the weekend. This gave us the perfect opportunity to celebrate Bob's birthday a bit early. We enjoyed tasty Thai food in downtown Flagstaff and almost felt like tourists as we wandered in and out of the stores waiting for our table.
Back home, we sang the obligatory song, and Bob blew out a few candles on his cake before opening gifts.
We are so blessed by Bob and wish him all the best in this new year!
Noah and Lukas pooled their resources to make an investment in a VR set. They got the bug after borrowing a friend's set. After a few days of scouring the internet and the purchase was made. Now, the living room is turned into a walk on Mars or, alternatively, a babbling brook full of fish for the fisherman. All I can see is a funny headset and apparently random movements around the room.
Noah and his friend spent much time playing various games. Friendship does not mean not playing to win.
A Sedona hike is a 'must' for first-time visitors. The weather in Flagstaff was nice, sunny but cold; the weather in Sedona, nicer, warmer, and no snow. Bob kindly dropped us off so that we would not have to look for parking. He thought he would catch up with us; alas, many others had the same brilliant idea - hike on a sunny afternoon. Bob did a shorter hike in a less populated area and arrived back just in time to pick us up. The reward was Coldstone Creamery with a view.
Noah continues to perfect his croissant recipe. It is good that we had a long hike in front of us...
Although we had guests, with jet lag even, we did not let that stop us from the Friday tradition of homemade pizza. The only adjustment was making the pizzas for Saturday dinner, not Friday. It is fun to see what our guests put on their pizzas, new combinations, and suggestions for future Fridays.
Noah and his friend headed up to the mountain early Saturday morning to get some skiing in. There is not much snow and skiing in the Sunshine state, and Noah is always excited to have a ski partner, and if it is his best friend, it is even better.
Noah had been watching the weather report all week - there was snow in the forecast, and then, not, then there was snow, and then again not. Well, it did snow on Saturday, allowing for some powder skiing. My reward for being up early to make hot chocolate for the skiers was the gorgeous sunrise.
Noah and his friend, who flew in from out of town, visited ASU on Friday morning. Although we could not access an official college tour, we had the best tour guide, a current ASU student, and big brother Lukas.
Lukas caught the bus from his campus to join us as we walked around the rather deserted university. With his access, we were able to walk through the libraries and even see a few classrooms and labs. To top it off, he brought ASU swag for both prospective students. I did not see the ones on the tours get anything but a discount coupon to the bookstore.
We ended the tour with a delicious lunch at a local Indian restaurant. Lukas and the restaurant host are classmates, but they have not met in person until this lunch - that is, college connections Zoom style.
As Noah and I left early Friday morning to go to Phoenix, we saw many balloons take off over the city. They were too many to count, especially when you need to keep the eyes on the road.
After a few weeks off for the holidays and travel - robotics tutoring is in full swing again. Noah is exhibiting his teaching gift as he patiently explains the ins and out of programming, which for many is frustrating. As his student tries something, Noah encourages the attempt and teaches by asking questions rather than telling.
Noah uses his phone to troubleshoot when things are not working as they ought to, also common in programming.
Noah is experimenting with recipes to perfect Mac'n'Cheese. His most recent attempt drew rave reviews from his Dad, and judging by how quickly it disappeared, it was delicious.
On Wednesday morning, Noah and I headed up to the mountain to ski. It was a glorious day, blue sky, sunshine, lots of snow, and a great ski partner. Noah clocked himself flying down the mountain at speeds in excess of 60 mph. He gets to practice patience, waiting for his Mama to get down.
The video is about 28 seconds long. It takes a bit before Noah appears and disappears
It is not often that I catch the sunrise as it rises behind the trees. But when I do, I marvel at God's artistry.
We upheld the Swedish tradition of making Semlas on Fat Tuesday. Although, I learned that making yeast bread and being on Zoom at the same time is not a combination, one will suffer. Fortunately, it was not a complete loss - the Overnight French Toast was delicious. And, the semlas were ok.
Since it was Super Bowl Sunday, we made football-worthy food for dinner: wings and dips. Noah and Bob settled in to watch the game. It quickly became apparent who would win, and after watching some of the commercials, the allure was gone, and our attention was directed elsewhere.
Occasionally, we are asked to dog sit for a rather large white dog. She is pretty low maintenance. However, she does need daily walks. Bob and I took the opportunity to walk in the woods right behind our house. The sun was shining. The paths were not packed down by other walkers, which meant we got a bit wet as we trapezed through the snow, but since we were close to home, no harm.
We truly live in a beautiful area and are grateful for the time outside to reset and regroup after too many hours on Zoom.
