I Spy Monte!

New Year's Eve

Monte quoted on WCCO this evening while out getting beer at Surdyk's! He was actually on the 6 o'clock news but we don't see the video on-line. I'll keep looking.

Monte Dirks is buying early too, so he doesn’t have to be on the roads later. Because of the weather and roads, he and his family are ringing in the New Year at home. “Perfect time to stay in while everybody else is out going wild and crazy,” said Dirks.

Because of the weather, we had to miss another Miller wedding... Brent & Eryn got married 2 weeks after we had Ani, and now we're missing Nate & Kelli Jo's. Bummed out about it but definitely didn't feel safe driving in the storm.

Muskie Christmas

Christmas in Muscatine was snowy and fun. Santa Claus even showed up at my parents' house Christmas Eve - cousin Ava (6 yrs old) loved it, cousin Luke (1-1/2 yrs old) didn't really have a reaction, and Ani was PETRIFIED. It was so funny! She still to this day (I'm posting this late in mid-January 2011, but will date it as 12/25/10) says she doesn't want Santa to come to our house.

Splitting wood - a typical activity for Matt & Monte

Ani loves Sam and the snow

Check out her face!

Now she feels a little safer with Dad

Luke didn't seem to mind Santa

Christmas morning

29 weeks

Mass chaos handing out gifts when the rest of the family came over

The Gear's minus Gavin

Sibling photo

Burn Baby Burn

We were all total home bodies this past weekend and we loved it! Monte's latest project is the wood-burning stove insert that he wanted to install himself - and he did end up installing it, but after many attempts, some help from Hagen and our neighbor, and much frustration. But it paid off. It's in and the coals have been hot ever since. It's very nice having a fire every night.

Ani enjoyed playing in the snow (all 17 inches of it). It's the only time she'll wear her winter coat without a fight. She is more hot blooded than we thought. She also was a "big help" to me when I made Christmas cookies on Sunday. She helped roll the dough and cut the cookies out. Thankfully she was done helping me when the frosting and sprinkles came out, so I got to do those by myself and it didn't get too messy! She even said afterwards, "Thanks for helping me bake cookies, Mama!"

Our stylish girl

SNOW

Shoveling over a foot of snow, then cross-country skiing down the middle of our street. Two showers later, Monte says, "No better exercise".

Getting In The Spirit

Winter/snowman-building spirit....

Christmas spirit....

Thanksgiving in KC

We spent a few hours at Monte's aunt and uncle's place in KC on Thanksgiving day, then spent the rest of the weekend w/ my family at my brother's. We enjoyed a break from the snow and cold weather!

Monte has never held a chicken before

Four generations

Momma and 3 of the 4 kids

Shooting pool w/ Gavin Gear all the way from Denver, CO

Enjoying the outdoors w/ my nieces

Tea party time

TeStrake clan