Happy New Year!

We rang in the new year in style on New Year's Eve - we were actually even up to watch our neighbors set off fireworks (Harper was hungry so she was up, and therefore I was up, and if I was going to be up so was Dan!). Also, the fireworks got the better of us again this year - we keep forgetting how traumatic it is for Guapo to hear them, so he kept us up past one o'clock barking at any little noise there was. Which since it has been really cold here lately the house is making all sorts of creaking and new noises just trying to keep itself from freezing. It's sure a great thing that Harper is such a deep sleeper (Dan says she gets that from her mother, ha ha ha).

We have made it out in the really cold temps - I would go crazy to stay inside all the time. We ventured out to Town Square for the ice carving contest. An old friend of mine was once again carving up a storm so we went to see him in action. January 3rd is the State of Alaska's 50th anniversary party of becoming the 49th state, so the ice carving theme this year reflected anything to do with Alaska's history. There were some really cool ice sculptures, from salmon swimming in a stream to a depiction of 4th Avenue after the 1964 earthquake, to an awesome bear dancing with a woman. Dan carried Harper in the Bjorn, zipped up in his down jacket. She was pretty warm, considering the temps were minus 10 degrees F!

Reindeer


Swan


Dancing bear


An almost 'weim-sicle'


Dan & Harper, staying warm!