Snow

The snow keeps falling on the mountain, making for excellent ski conditions. This week we could see all the way to the Grand Canyon - and we counted us blessed to be living here in Flagstaff.
Although the runs are packed down, under the lift and in the woods, the snow is deep, and a boot sinks fast. Lukas learned this as he had to retrieve his ski pole that fell from the lift. What looked like a quick and easy pick-up took longer than expected.

Pizza, Again

Friday tradition continues.  Noah is mastering tossing the dough. Bob prefers the rolling pin, and Lukas uses his hands to flatten out the dough in the cast-iron pan.

Christmas in January

Our family did not want us to miss out on Christmas gifts! For the entire month of January, the UPS man was a frequent caller, and our house filled up with brown boxes and thick envelopes. Their generosity and kindness truly bless us.  There are no January blahs here!

Lukas is already using his new cookbook, even before all the boxes are opened. 

Funnel Cake

So what do you do when you have fried a bunch of food, and the oil is still looking good? The Severinghaus family makes funnel cakes for breakfast! It was a Sunday breakfast we will surely remember.

Thai-Chinese Feast

A neighboring family took care of our mail while we were gone. That was quite the task as the mailbox is not nearby and colleges have found Lukas and are consequently flooding our mailbox with invitations and brochures.
As a small token of our gratitude, we invited the family over for a Thai/Chinese feast. We chopped, we smashed, we pureed, we braised, and on the day of the dinner, we fried.

Superstition Mountain Backpacking Trip

Bob, Lukas, and Noah left snowy Flagstaff for slightly warmer weather and now snow as they headed out to the Superstition Mountain Backpacking trip with the scout troop.
They arrived home in the early afternoon of Martin Luther King day, tired, but content, with memories and stories to share. It sounded like they had a great time.

Backpacking Preparations

Lukas and Noah were excited to rejoin their scout troop after our fall hiatus. We arrived home in time for them to join the first major event of the year, the Superstition hike. Lukas and Noah carefully weighed and carefully considered each item to keep the weight of their backpacks manageable. We were fortunate to have good friends who were willing to lend us light-weight gear for the three-day backpacking trip.

Physical Education

Our regular running is now replaced by regular skiing. It was overcast, but it had recently snowed, and we had the slopes almost to ourselves - the benefits of living so close to the mountain. We even tried out a new catwalk. It was beautiful, quiet, and challenging as few had skied before us.

"Our" mountain is invisible due to the snowfall

A Consolation Prize

Noah was the one most affected by the uninvited guests. His body bore the marks of their bites, and he had to sleep in the living room while the critters were evicted.
His mattress needed to be replaced, and a bit of online hunting yielded a memory foam mattress - a small consolation for his inconveniences.
And the way he interacted with the box demonstrated that he had not lost his humor and silliness.

Back to School

We only had a few days to adjust to American life again and get our bodies back on Mountain time, before it was time to join our community group again. It was good to be back with our fellow Classical Conversation classmates, and the boys appreciated that there were others to add to the conversation.
The milder weather on our campus, allows us to do chemistry outside - less mess and less cleanup, and we get a chance to stand up and get some fresh air mid-morning.

It is Friday - It Must Be Pizza Night

We continue our Friday evening tradition of home-made pizza and family time. Lukas decided to experiment with his portion of the dough and made little pizza balls - an excellent appetizer with a glass of white wine.

What a Difference a Week Makes

A week ago, we were wandering the streets of Singapore, capturing the sights and sounds of a large tropical city, and today, we are skiing.

Not Invited

We generally enjoy company and do not mind uninvited visitors; however, there is one kind of uninvited guests we do not like, and that is bedbugs. Noah, our very own canary, brought it to our attention and it prompted a massive, intensive, and extensive cleaning of the rooms, furniture, and walls, countless loads of hot water laundry, and new bedding articles.
All our research made us wiser and will make us more cautious in the future - these little critters happily catch a ride and are indiscriminate - fie star hotels or first class airplane seats are just as hospitable as the budget motel or economy seat in the back of the plane.

Home Sweet Home

We are home! Stepping off the plane, we were greeted by a bright blue sky, dark green trees, and snow! It feels good to sleep in our own beds and finally to unpack and put away our bags. What an adventure  2018 was. We are looking forward to what 2019 will bring.