M. Sullivan Photography

Posted by: msullivanphotography | February 2, 2010

Chester Bowl Ski Races

The kids participated in the Chester Bowl Ski Races this past Sunday. Sebastian is an old pro in the competition after racing for the past three seasons. Sophia, however, is brand new to the races. The races consist of two runs down the ski hill. Skiers are divided into sections by age and gender. Sophia competed in the 5 and under girls, Sebastian in the 8-9 year old boys. We arrived to the hill a bit early so that Sophia could take trial runs down both the blue and red course. She was a bit nervous earlier in the day, but knowing that treats and a trophy were in store for all participants helped encourage her to race. Single digit highs and sub-zero wind chills didn’t discourage the racers. There were over 100 kids signed up to compete. Sophia’s group was first up.

First Race

Nearing The Finish

First Race Complete

Sebastian had to wait a while, but he was ready to go when it was his turn.

Speedy Sebastian

Nearing The Finish

One Down, One To Go

Both Sophia and Sebastian did a great job. Sophia finished her second run in 7 seconds less than her first. Sebastian finished second in his division. We were very proud.

Sophia's Race Board

Sebastian's Race Board

The kids were prepared for the cold, as seen by the photos below.

All Geared Up

Smile For The Camera

The kids posed for a couple more quick snap shots once trophies were handed out.

Trophy

2nd Place

Trophies

Winter Activities

The weather was wet and snowy this past weekend. We had ice and sleet overnight Friday, rain and snow on Saturday and more snow on Sunday. The snow total for the weekend was over 10 inches. The rain didn’t do any favors to our sledding course in the backyard, but the snow at the end of the weekend made up for it. Sebastian was disappointed that he couldn’t achieve the same amount of speed as he did in the previous weekend. With the cold weather forecasted for this week, ice should replace the slushy snow. I’m sure the kids will be back in business for the upcoming weekend. Sophia didn’t mind the conditions and practiced with “no hands”.

No Hands!

No Hands, Part II

Working On The Snow Fort

Frosted In Snow

Snow Pine

After the kids were thoroughly soaked from the wet snow, we took a break to make a batch of cookies. I had promised Sophia we could try out the new Valentine sprinkles we picked up at Target earlier in the day.

Photos to begin, recipe to follow.

Ingredients

Mixing

Goofing Around

Refrigerate Dough

Bake Until Lightly Golden Brown On Edges

Let Cool, Frost & Decorate

Red Sugar Sprinkles

Pink Sprinkles

Sprinkle Overload

Enjoy!

Cookies + Taste Testing = Happy Kids

Another Satisfied Customer

From the Land O’Lakes Cookbook

Cookie Ingredients:

1		cup butter, softened
1		cup sugar
1		egg
2 1/2		cups all-purpose flour
2		tablespoons orange juice
1		tablespoon vanilla
1		teaspoon baking powder

Frosting Ingredients:

3		cups powdered sugar
1/3		cup butter, softened
1		teaspoon vanilla
1		to 2 tablespoons milk

Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and egg in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat until well mixed. Divide dough into thirds; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours).

Heat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-third at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheets. Cool completely.

Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in small bowl. Beat at low speed, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Tint frosting with food color, if desired. Frost and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Preparation time: 20 min Baking time: 6 min Chilling time: 2 hrs Cooling time: 15 min

Yield: 6 dozen cookies

Preparing For The Winter Olympics

Four years ago, Mike and Sebastian were inspired by the Winter Olympics and built a “bobsled/luge” course in our backyard. Of course it was on a much, much, much smaller scale. Sebastian was only 5 years old at the time, so it seemed quite grand to him. The “bobsled” course has been an annual tradition since then. Each year Mike has a new idea to perfect the course, make it longer or faster. Despite the unusual snow/ice/freezing rain storm we had at Christmas time, he worked all of New Year’s Day to make it better than the year before. With new sleds from Santa, I think the course is better than ever. The kids agree. I had to put my camera in sports mode to capture these shots. They were moving pretty fast.

Air-Borne

Air-Borne, Part II

We Have Lift Off

One More Time

The jump that the kids are going over in the above photos is actually my vegetable garden. We built the garden on to the hillside with concrete blocks. Once it is covered with snow, it makes a great jump. I’m thinking it might be a good idea for the kids to wear ski helmets. What do you think?

The kids did take a break to let me take some additional photos.