"Do you want to build a snowman?"

Styler did just that on Monday.

Special thanks to Aunt JoAnn for the snowman kit from last Christmas.

Auto awesome!

My Google+  account created this fantastic "auto awesome" slideshow showing the past year in photos.  Wow.

5 things.

This applies to me and my father.  :)

Yay bikes!

Sledding.

We made it to the dog park to do some sledding yesterday.  There really wasn't enough snow to sled efficiently on.  We ended up pulling him down the hill to get him enough speed.  It was 20 degrees with a wind, but he still had a great time.

BTO!!

Or "Big Time Operator" if you're not familiar with midwest farmer jargon.  Skyler probably hasn't stopped moving and playing since Tuesday.  Here is the entire "Big farm" collection in a rare stationary moment in his room.

Note the forklift loading or unloading the pickup.  I have no idea where he saw that, maybe on the Ag PHD show?

Whew!

Wow did we have a great Christmas this year!  Skyler really hauled in the goods.  He now has a complete carpet farm harvest set.  And Santa brought his most requested toy, a side loader garbage truck.

The garbage truck even loads the cans and compacts the paper!  Yay Bruder toys!

A Bruder telehandler.

My sister knitted him this hat.

He now has the complete Ertl "Big Farm" harvest set.  More pics of the fun tomorrow.

Merry Christmas!

Waiting.

Someone is being a very patient little boy waiting for Christmas.  This was the scene last night.

He also appears to have a cold today.  Sigh...

Blinky thing...

Means turning!

Spotted somewhere yesterday.

Post Solstice party.

It was a great success!  Lots of good food, people, and great times.  Skyler especially loved decorating cookies.

"Mmmm!!" Note the massive amount of frosting oozing out of the cookie sandwich.

Everyone enjoyed watching "Frozen" after the food.

Happy Solstice!

Time for the days to start getting longer.  Doesn't everyone smoke a ham & turkey breast to celebrate?

Holy cow!  These both smell (and taste) so good!

Maybe the ham will be the highlight of the day?  :)

The engine and dinosaur day.

Yesterday we made a trip to Ogden to drop off an engine I had so I could trade it with a gentleman in Iowa.  Long story, a guy who lives in Ogden,  is making a trip to Iowa for Christmas, taking my engine along,  picking up a mid mount grader blade for me, and returning to Utah.  Clear as mud?  The engine was carefully crated by my Father, (thanks Dad) and I branded the outside with my Deere branding iron. (Is anyone at all surprised that I have a John Deere branding iron?)  We also made the trip to Ogden an adventure and semi-date night.  We went to the Eccles Dinosaur park (again, thanks for the idea, Dad) and Skyler got to run around the 9 acres and was thrilled to see each dinosaur.  After the dino park, we went to The Timbermine Steakhouse and had dinner (not bad, but not great) before dropping off the engine.  Skyler fell asleep on the way home only to wake up as soon as we pulled into the driveway.   We finished off the night watching  "White Christmas."  :)

Last week.  Skyler posing with the engine.  Yanmar gas 28hp liquid cooled 3 cyl.

See the wonderful crate?!  Note the branding.

A closer look at the brand.  I got this from the Deere territory rep when I still worked for John Deere.  It's supposed to be used to brand your steaks on the barbecue.

Starting the dino themed day.  Aunt JoAnn sent Skyler a dinosaur backpack filled with toy dinos!  Thanks JoAnn!!

At the park.

It's really nice.

He ran the entire time we were there.

Mouth of Ogden canyon.

Inspecting one of the sculptures.

Almost looks real.  Imagine the terror if it was?!

The statues are all made from concrete with steel substructures.

Huge!

A little nervous.

Utah Raptor.

They even have a play area.  We're considering this place for hosting his birthday next year.

A real bird (swan) and a concrete bird.

The Timbermine was a little weird.  Like a train in a bathtub weird.

Getting upset while waiting for our food.

Yay! It came!

He was mildly well behaved during dinner.

Happy.

A sleeping bag.

Me:  "Skyler what are you doing?"

Skyler:  "Just relaxing in my sleeping bag."

That's his pillow that he somehow stuffed himself into.

Starting already.

Skyler got an early Christmas present on Tuesday.  He got a play mat.  I should have done this sooner to keep my sanity!

"It's a city!"  He shouted.

Guess what we're doing first thing today?  Now if he could just learn to share his toys with me...

Stretchy excavator: Found!!

We tracked down the "stretchy" excavator yesterday!  The operator even honked at Skyler when he realized it was us.  I nearly froze my ass off watching, but Skyler never said he was cold.  Cheap entertainment I guess.  :)

We couldn't ask for a better vantage point!

Cleaning off the reeds.

The water master talking to the operator.  I swear, these canal guys think they're gods.

Standing on the railing now.

The operator stock piles the spoil and waits to load the one truck that takes it to the landfill.  Gotta love a county job!

What happens when...

Skyler finds a spool of ribbon?

He does what he sees Mommy do, he decorates!

Today we are off in search of the "stretchy excavator."  I kinda messed up yesterday when it was near our house, we got up to the canal just as the operator was leaving.  I asked the mechanic where it was going to be working next, 4700 S. area.  We shall see what we find.  Oh, and in case you're wondering what the "stretchy excavator" is:

Extended boom for dredging canals.  Completely overkill for the canals around here.  I took this pic Friday after it was dropped off.

"Mmm, carmel corn."

Or Karmel Korn if you remember the franchise from the '80's like I do.  Skyler helped pop our home grown popcorn Saturday and then observed the near nuclear temps required to make our own carmel to coat the popcorn.  It turned out absolutely fabulous!  Identical to what I remember as a kid.  :)

Golden goodness.

Skyler approved.

Cat tails are fun!

We headed over to the dog park Friday after our birthday (Mommy's) bike ride.  Skyler brought along his Strider bike and was able to ride it all over.  Once we got to the North end, we found some cat tails that hadn't "exploded" yet.  I showed him how to make them explode, and that was it!  Not one cat tail was safe afterwards!

His Strider bike is almost too small.  :(

The hound enjoying the dog park.

Snooting for a rodent.

Future expert mountain biker in the making.

Ready...

Go!!

Poof!

Bye!