Snow Days

So far this winter, Topeka has seen the 6th most amount of snowfall since record-keeping began in 1888.

According to Channel 13 news, the most snowfall was in the winter of 1960-1961 and the third most was in the winter of 1957-1958. Maybe that explains why I remember trudging to school through huge mountains of snow when I was a kid. Uphill both ways.

Snow skiing in Colorado

George is 5.

Aria is 3.

Its time they learn to snow ski.

Three days after Christmas we loaded Helen's giant Cadillac and rented an enormous van to convoy to Colorado for 6 days of skiing ... and other assorted fun.

Helen set up play school in the back seat of her car. Sitting between her grandkids, she entertained them for the entire road trip. Games were played. Books were read. Songs were sung. They all had a blast! Especially Helen.

Helen found a super spacious VRBO condo that overlooked the slopes. Our daily view was the mega fast quad chair lift and the bunny slope. There was night skiing and New Year's Eve fireworks.

Since Samantha was 7 months pregnant, she could not ski. Helen chose not to. As for George, Jake, Aria and me ... it was 6 days of skiing.

George and Aria did great!


So did Jake.

As for me; I made a gazillion runs ...

and remembered why I love this sport soooo much.

Back at the condo, there was a lot of game playing ... 

and time for family selfies ... as directed by George.

Scary.

Yawning.

Rabbit ears.

Smiley. 

As they headed back to California, we headed back to Kansas. No road trip is complete without a stop at a small town for lunch and pie. This time it was Wilson, Kansas, which features the World's Largest Czech Egg. Who knew?

Snow skiing is a sport.

Sports are good.

So is family.

Christmas x 2

Due to our families' complicated schedules, we hosted 2 Christmas celebrations in 2018. Sam, Cheryl, Melissa, Andy, Donna, Anthony, Hope, Nancy, Heidi and Dad joined Samantha, Jake, George, Aria, Helen and me for an early Christmas on December 23rd.

Mark, Daya, Ahmed, and Felix then joined Dad, Samantha, Jake, George, Aria, Helen and me for a December 25th Christmas.

That equals 12 house guests over 6 days. It was borderline chaos plastered with gazillions of smiles.

A trip to Bobo's is always mandatory.

I apparently failed to get any individual photos of Samantha, Jake, George, and Aria. Hundreds of photos of family events are scattered among a dozen cell phones. I have learned that every year it is harder ... not easier ... to organize these photos.

Three days after Christmas, we gathered the Quists, loaded cars and went snow skiing.

Law Firm Christmas Party 2018

Here are some of the people I work with.

Many for more than 25 years.

Golf in Kansas in December

My golfing group gathered for golf in December.

Dinner too.

It's good to have good friends.

AFS International Desserts - 2018 version

On Sunday, we hosted 10 exchange students from all over the world (and their host families) for the AFS International Desserts Holiday Celebration. This marks 20 years that we've hosted this party. Here is the 2018 version.

Only 2 boys this year.

Fun kids.

Thanksgiving 2018

Nancy hosted Thanksgiving 2018. It was great fun. Helen, Dad and I joined Nancy, Heidi, Jerod, Stacy, Regan, Carly and Stacy's parents, Fred and Shirley. After a fantisimo meal, and an unbelievably tasty dessert called chocolate lasagne, a vigorous game of Mexican Train dominos lasted for hours. I failed to get any photos.  However, Helen noticed these two old family photos from 70-75 years ago. They include Nancy's father, Vansel Cline.

Nancy was a super cute little girl.

Vansel is but one of the many things we are thankful for.

2 Days - 2 Funerals

Saturday we said goodbye to Doug Kirk. We knew him for 40 of his 58 years.

Sunday we said goodbye to Rich Maxfield. We knew him for 42 of his 72 years.

This is hard.

Halloween and Wedding

This year Halloween was extra special. In addition to the standard parade of approximately 2200 Trick or Treaters ... 

we also hosted a 9 PM wedding in our living room. With the Bride dressed all in black as Morticia, and the Groom dressed as Gomez ... 

I officiated the wedding ceremony dressed as Dracula.

It was a hoot.

Let me tell you ... you don't see this every day.

Happy Halloween 2018.

Germans in California - Samantha turns 38

Samantha's birthday was extra fun this year as part of the German Family flew into San Francisco to help us celebrate. 

Iris and Uncle Harald brought

Iris' daughters, Leanna and Ariane.

Mark joined us too which doubled - maybe tripled - the fun.

We all stayed together in a wonderful old home in Menlo Park. While they explored the wonders of the Bay area, Helen and I either worked

or hugged grandchildren. 

We also joined them at a Carnival-like birthday party for one of their 3-year-old buddies.

Our good friends Emily and Dave hosted all of us for a wonderful dinner party on their back patio. Clea and Sebastian - who were in town from Geneva - joined us late and missed the photo.

We did other fun stuff too.

And Helen got to do her favorite thing with the grandchildren.

Oh yes ... we even wished Samantha a Happy Birthday.

Mega thanks to the Germans, Mark and The Qs for making this a super fun trip.