Christmas Day

Christmas is exhausting.

Unleash the children!

Chaos

Tobin had been eyeing up this pot of cars since Christmas eve

Singing Christmas Carols

Christmas Eve at the Gillatrons

Getting four boys under six to sit still long enough to take a picture is challenging...

All ready for Santa. I think the adults are more excited than the kids.

Nick has started crawling, just in time for the myriad choking hazards associated with this festive season. Fortunately most of the decorations are situated above the height of the dog's tail so he'll be safe.

We've been hearing lots of hard-to-take news about friends near and far so I think we'll be spending the day appreciating our good fortune and trying to send our best vibes and thoughts out to all our best people.

Love from us.

Even MORE Skiing!

SICK!!!!

Tobin is pretty amped about ski season and has been practicing by skiing around the living room. Earlier this week Ann-Marie took the boys up the gondola to check it out and to seed a bit of excitment.

Here's jolly old St Nick*

"Hey look, I can sit up!"

*a few hours from now, at about 2am, I'll be calling him 'Satan-Screaming-Angel-of-Death' child

more skiing...

Okay, to set the record straight I don't ski more than Ann-Marie, I just take pictures and make blog postings about my ski days... Sorry if this bores you, but I got to ski an exciting line today. This is also partially to torture you European transplants that are busy bettering yourselves academically.

Ski touring at -20 requires down and tea

ahhh, into the sun!

Looking over at a piece of the magnificent Ross

Summit of Afton, we had to cross a narrow catwalk to reach the top of the line we skied. Intimidating, but we belayed our way across. Sir Donald in the background.

Just below the summit, making our way down to the entrance... Glad to have skis on now.

Through the difficulties and looking at sweet steep powder right to the bottom!!!

1/2 way down. Stop for a rest and some phots.

Travis getting amongst it!

The fellas below our line, the central couloir that comes off the summit.

Skiing!

Skiing is really, really good right now. Here are some pics from our day today. Work time in the bank! Looks like I need to figure out how to fix the exposure...

Harry and Luc and diamond dust

Up on to Avalanche Crest

Enjoying the views...

Slaying sweet pow! Run #1