More cabin...

Shawn has great fish-eye photos from the cabin (lots of Sylvia).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/westward97/sets/72157613038041480/

Mazama Cabin

We spent a long weekend at the same "cabin" in Mazama that we visited on Labor Day. Shawn was anxious to fire up the wood-fired hot tub, which we couldn't use in September (fire season), and Andy was all geared up to build an igloo. Sylvia and I just wanted to hang. It was a gorgeous weekend and we had a wonderful time just being a family together -- and with my blackberry out of cell service, no work interruptions!

The Howe House The house is built into the hill. There's a separate sleeping cabin on top.

There are lots of cabins but this one is at the top and there's just hill behind it. Peaceful!

Looking out from the kitchen.

Cheers!

Watching her dad and brother in the hot tub...

Shawn's mistress: the hot tub. He tended to this thing like he was keeping a patient alive!

I love this shot of Shawn and Andy.

Despite the look on Andy's face, the kids never wanted to get out.

Andy practiced holding his breath underwater.

Shawn was amazed -- I cooked! It may not look so great here, but it's beef stew and it was delicious!

We spent lots of time playing in the snow. Shawn and Andy built an igloo!

Andy in snowshoes.

Snow princess.

The IGLOO! What a feat. I was nervous when Andy and Sylvia tried hanging out inside, but ultimately trusted Shawn's engineering skills. That's Shawn and Andy in the window.

Andy's drawing of the Howe house, complete with hot tub.

Screwballs

Stolen Moments

On Sunday the kids and I visited the science center then the zoo while Shawn and Chris worked on the sunroom!

Andy waits patiently to ride the mini-train.

Andy versus the dinosaur footprint.

The butterfly atrium (yes, I braved the ick factor to give my kids the wonder of large bugs that happen to have pretty wings but are still just large bugs).

The train ride at the center.

The zoo! We got to the carousel moments too late and it was locked. Andy was very disappointed, but true to form was easily distracted by the bear-carousel-statue just outside the carousel. He pretended to ride the bear while the last group of people rode the real carousel behind a locked door...

But THEN! The woman running the carousel came running after us as we left the zoo (we were 200 yards from the carousel) and -- apparently having seen Superman's disappointed face and been overcome -- REOPENED the carousel for us (and another family we pointed out had also been just moments too late) and let us ride it twice!

Somehow, the carousel is that much more fantastic when you know it's supposed to be all closed down -- stolen moments.

At Last

This is how Andy ushered in a new era - ears, tail, cape, and a face.

Buh bye!

Mischief

Sylvia's mischevious side is definitely starting to come out! In addition to standing up in the tub (below - she gets one warning and then she's removed from the bath because I'm starting early with this one), tonight I was in the kitchen, turned my back to her for a split second, and turned back to see her standing ON TOP of the dining room table with a pair of SCISSORS in her hand, smiling with more pride and joy then I think I've ever seen on her face. She was so excited. Needless to say, this won't be the last table she climbs...

peek-a-boo