Marc, Pam and Elise's Blog: Birthdays

Another year has come and gone. In the first week of February, I turned a mighty 43 and Elise hit six years old. It's hard to believe it was six years ago that she was born. How time flies.

This year, we opted to have an after school party. Elise wanted to invite her new friends from school and this seemed the easiest way. The parents dropped the kids off after school and we had a two-hour party with a pick-up time at 5:30pm. Amazingly, the day was gorgeous (what are the odds in early February?). I put the swings on the swing set and we got the backyard prepared for outdoor fun!

As always, Elise was extremely excited about her birthday. The day started early with presents from family. When the dust settled she'd received four new Barbie dolls!

This robe was made by Grandma B!

A photo of Noel with their new dog. Elise thought it was great, despite the odd look on her face!

Off to school with cupcakes for her class!

The party started with a backyard scavenger hunt. This proved to be very popular. So much so, I think we'll do it again in the future. The kids rushed around the backyard looking for trinkets we'd hidden and left clues for.

Next, the kids climbed in the garage. This was at Elise's request, and some did very well and some did not. Regardless, they thought it was unique and had a vigorous time!

We then went inside for presents and cake. Elise had a jellyfish cake this year, staying with the marine theme. She opened her presents and then the kids played in the house until the party ended. Phew! What a day...

We decompressed with a dinner out at White Spot. This was the restaurant of her choice. She ordered the pirate pack with chicken strips and calamari, of all things.

My birthday was a little different. The day saw new snow on the mountain and forecasted clearing, so I packed up my ski gear and treated myself to a day on the mountain. The snow was excellent, and I had a good day touring. I skinned up Flute Peak three times, and then out of the Blackcomb Glacier to ski the run Husume. The weather was gorgeous. I've been plagued by a couple of rib injuries this month, so it was good for me to get some exercise and fresh air. It was a memorable day.

Finally, Elsie just finished her ski lessons. She did well and completed all but two skills necessary to move to level 4. This is a photo of her with her instructor, Oliver. They had fun together.