A blog not known for its photos

 Please note:  any photos of snow on this blog are strictly for the 'enjoyment' of the Texan branch of the family.  Your covered palm trees could never stand up to this!  A unique sort of character is built under these sort of circumstances.  I'm just not sure as to what the nature of that uniqueness is.

 These shots were snapped on my 36th birthday as I cleared the BBQ of snow so that Dave could grill some steaks.  Really.  I had also just come back from sawing down a Christmas tree from the property behind our fence-line.  Please don't be impressed by this; the tree was not much more than a sapling and didn't win out against the one that Grandpa Mike brought from the farm.  Jacob told me that I should re-plant it.  I think I will just hide it.  Isaac had to be pulled on a toboggan through the snow as it was almost past his waist.  In adult measurements that's just to my knees.  I am 5'6 feet tall.

 Always the tired-out birthday shot.  Joe looks like he has cake-envy.  Ben looks offended and Isaac might just be picking his nose.  Thank God for Jacob and Hannah who have been trained well in the art of posing for pictures.

 This was the do-something-weird pose.  Why it looks not much different than the last photo I am unsure.  Ben and Joe look like pouty-faced GAP models:  you know, well-dressed with a mixture of world-weariness and hunger.

 Despite 36 years under my belt, at times, I still look 12.  Isaac is at the glorious age of 3.5 years when all household birthdays are magically his own, and gifts still don't matter much.

 This was Jacob's attempt to film the birthday song and the approaching cake.  He was unable to find the video function and managed a series of still photos.  If we print them out, place them in a book and flip the pages super-fast (while singing Happy Birthday), we will be able to re-create the video effect.

 Why does she put up photos like this?  Because I have begun to out-source my photo taking.  Thus, whatever I find on the iPhone is what you get.  Consider it an attempt at Impressionism.  In this case, someone took a photo of Dave late at night flooding the rink at the school.  This rink is his baby and he tends it well:  shoveling, flooding and maintaining.  His reward?  Our kids get to tramp through the woods to the holidaying school where they can play hockey as much as they want.  Truly Canadian.

This is Sarah on Boxing Day.  I got down on one knee to take a photo of her with the jewelery that she insists on wearing with most outfits (even the snowsuit).  However, she interpreted this as me asking her to also get down on one knee.  Perhaps this is the start of toddler-catechesis; one can never start genuflecting too early.  And on that note, I obtained a uniquely Catholic injury at Christmas mass.  While genuflecting with Sarah on one hip, I majorly strained one of my quad muscles directly above my left knee.  36 years are catching up.  Pain in the service of piety.