March

In March:

Garth raced in Finland at the World Championships. He placed 4th and will hopefully race again next year. He's on the left:

Palmer playing in the snow-we were still in MN.I turned 29! Yikes!Since it was my birthday I got to pick the day's activities. Shopping it is. Here is Palmer and I in Fargo at Scheels riding the Ferris wheel.
The family at Cabela's one of our other favorite places to shop!
On our way home from MN we decided to take the scenic route through South Dakota and Wyoming. I think this will have to be a yearly tradition.
Mt. Rushmore:

February-I'm a bit behind...

Living in Minnesota for the winter is just like one long fun family vacation. Garth works hard with racing but we also play hard. We get to spend a lot of time together. I wish he could race year round!

Here is a rare moment. Peaceful brothers sitting nicely next to each other. I had to get it on camera. Garth is the towards the right in the black sweatshirt w/white FOX logo. He is here with his race team owners (to his right) and a couple fellow racers. His team-Christian Brothers Racing-does snocross and cross country races. They had two races in the same weekend in two separate locations. They flew on a private jet to be able to make it to both. Garth raced a double header in Detroit, MI on Saturday the 12th, getting 3rd in Stock, and then flew to MN for the Walker, MN cross country and got 4th.

Clockwise starting at the bottom left-Carl, Dwight, Logan, Garth, Kari, and Evan up front.

Here's Palmer at the mall play yard in Fargo. We went shopping on Valentine's day (one of my very favorite pass times). It was our first together in over 6 years. Garth is usually racing or traveling that weekend. I love the Midwest's love for hockey! Look at the crowd! We were lucky enough to be in a suite which had our own bathroom and catered food. Thanks again to the Christians (Garth's snocross team owners). Here we are at an NDSU game.

They even have cheerleaders in hockey!

Dexter is still just really really cute! He's not really riding this trike. Just likes to be pushed around and feel like a big boy.

The Boys...

Palmer is a trike riding machine! I think he'll be ready for a big bike this summer!

The weather was warmish and sunny so we got outside-2/15/11

Dexter is a crawling machine! 2/22/11

January

January! I'm catching right up! Here's what we did in January-

We were lucky enough to have a snocross race close to home in Sandy, UT. I met up with my sister Julie to shop an amazing sale at Old Navy. Here is Palmer (far left) with his cousins, Kate, Scott and Austin. I'm taking a guess at which one is which. I can't tell them apart yet. I need to spend more time with them! They were all so well behaved. We were able to get some awesome deals!
Here is Garth, snuggling with the boys in the hotel room in Sandy. He's probably one of the only pro racers who does this the night before a race. He balances being a devoted dad and a serious, focused racer very well.Dexter has really picked up crawling and climbing. He climbs to the top of the stairs now in a blink of an eye. I really have to watch him closely!

We went to Aspen, Colorado for the Winter X-Games. Garth and his teammates left 2 days before me. I took on the two boys for a full day of airline travel husband-less. I, of course, was chosen for the full search/pat down because of my baby food (it was sealed, I didn't want them to open them all to test them. They would have gone bad...). It was quite invasive. They even patted down Dexter and a man tried to pat down Palmer but he was not having it. I didn't blame him. Random stranger with blue latex gloves on? I'm glad Palmer was stand offish. I guess it was 'good enough' since there wasn't any bomb residue on myself or Dex. I guess I'll take it for the security of our country...

The weather in Aspen was amazing. Sunny and mid 40's. It was a blast.Here is the living room of the house we stayed in. It was amazing. When we first got there, everyone had to check out all the rooms. The kids were all squealing with delight! It kept going on and on. I never did figure out how many rooms there were. We stayed with one of the team owners and his family, his brother and family, a couple of the mechanics, and a few others. We had such a fun time. I felt like part of the family. We cooked meals together, the kids all played...it was great.

The view from the back patio. Way in the background, up on the mountainside is where the X-Games took place. I also got to go shopping in downtown Aspen, but didn't take any pictures.The starting line. Garth is down on the end.

Panoramic of the snocross track.

Thanks Garth for working so hard for the life we have. We say all the time that right now is what we'll refer to later as "the good ole' days".

December

December was a super busy, time flying when you're having fun, month.

Dexter won't stop growing, despite my repeated requests. But gosh he's cute. Palmer finds ways to entertain himself with just about anything. Here he is w/two empty cereal boxes. One for his head and one for his toy's head.

We went home to Wyoming to visit our family and even got a visit from Aunt Darcie!

Here is Dexter, Palmer and their cousin Zoie riding the car together.

Here's Grandpa showing Palmer how to sneak around the house and shoot things with the Nerf gun. Lot's of giggling from both parties.

We left Dexter with my mom and went for a short snowmobile ride to find a Christmas tree. Garth spotted this one.Garth carried the tree out on the running board. This picture doesn't do the awkward trip home justice.

Every year we exchange ornaments. This year, we picked out a Cars ornament for Palmer. To him, every semi is Mack, every sporty red car is McQueen. Here he and Garth are putting it on the tree. Palmer makes the best faces!Dexter got the "1" ornament since it was his first Christmas.

Garth got me an awesome jacket to wear while cycling. I can't wait for cycling weather!Christmas eve jammies! Another Christmas tradition.

Dexter is wearing one of Garth's sweaters from his baby days.

Our wonderful friend, Shirley and I made a Christmas Eve's Eve dinner for my parent's and little sister, Rachel. She has been a long time family friend and was so much fun to cook with. She makes everything a party!

Garth and Palmer using Grant's loader to clear out the driveway. We had plenty of snow during December.

Grant pulled the cousins (plus my sisters Rachel and Whitney) around behind the snow machine.

Palmer got a nerf gun from his Aunt Rachel. We taught him how to use the scope to aim. I'm pretty sure he got the target!

After we did Christmas morning festivities at our home, we went over to my parents' for the afternoon. Palmer got this hot wheels set-he was so excited about it-I couldn't get a picture of him looking at me.

November...finally

In November, Garth turned 27. He has a little more salt sprinkled in with his pepper and I love it. I have seen him grow from a young 16 year old punk into an amazing man, father, and husband.

We got to catch up with life long friends Shirley and her son Shannon. They have been great family friends since I was a little girl in California. We are so lucky to have Shirley living in Driggs now so we get to see her all the time. Everything is a party with Shirley. I have wonderful childhood memories of Shirley and her family. I'm thrilled to have her around and my boys love love love her!

While we were packing to move to Minnesota for the snocross season, Palmer needed to use/wear whatever he could get his hands on as it went into the box.

We've moved ourselves to Minnesota in the first part of November for the past 6 years. We come back at the end of March. Garth races snocross professionally. He races for an awesome generous family that always makes sure to have a spot for me and the boys to join Garth. Here's the team's website: www.christianbrosracing.com
This is the darling house we get to live in this winter. This picture was taken when we first moved here. It was snowy and cold when we left Idaho and arrived here with beautiful fall weather.

Palmer enjoying the last days of nice weather on his trike.

Dex on our walk. He is such a beautiful little boy. Inside and out.
Here's what they do when mother nature doesn't provide. This is one of the snow guns that throws inches upon inches down in no time. This is at the team's personal practice track. Man made snow is what most of the race tracks are made out of on the circuit.