BIG 6

As usual, the BIG happening in Colorado was Toby getting older.

This year was his 6th (though according to the number of candles on the cake, it was his 12th) and the 5th to be spent in Winter Park, CO.

We celebrated with mommy's entire side of the family and a VERY SCARY Colorado Blueberry Alligator cake (He refrained from placing his feet in it this year as he did for his first birthday in Colorado).

Poor deprived kid, in 6 years, he has never had a birthday party with anyone other then family present!

let it SNOW!

We have returned from the annual Netteburg Spring Break in Winter Park, CO.

Much fun was had by all (thanks to aunt Denae and uncle Olen NOT bringing their snowboards). We all skied this year, Toby even attempted a BIG HILL this year--Seth still prefers the "magic carpet" learner hills, where he can go "fast" on his own for a short distance. When not skiing, there was much time spent playing in the snow, trying to build "snow caves" in really dry snow and sledding on the public sled hill...where both Toby and Seth--bored with the short hill--used their sleds as "snowboards" to get down the hill (sorry, no pixs--you undoubtedly can obtain those from Gamma: rknetteburg@yahoo.com).

The highlight of the trip was that EVERYONE was there this year; Gamma & Gampa, Auntie "Tree-Hugger" Kristin & Uncle "Mad Man" Mike, Auntie "Danty Dare Devil" Danea & Uncle "60 Day-30 Country" Olen, as well as Cousin Emma & Heidi. The only think that could have made it better is if Sheba & Midnight would have been there!

Oh ye...AND that we all got to celebrate Toby's 6th birthday with him on Thursday.

One other adventure was spending part of our "rest day" visiting an Alpaca Farm in nearby Granby, CO. Good news is that no

one got "spit" on...though there seemed to be a couple of close calls. Seth was disappointed that there were no cats there, but Toby and one of the HUGE Great Pyrenees "guard dogs" really took to each other--on a good day, soaking wet, Toby would have still been less then a 1/3 Lucky's size.

Skiing a week later then normal, we were blessed with warm weather and the fact Winter Park has had over 307 inches of snow this year. In addition, "curse" of a big snow storm on the day after we leave was broken this year as it snowed our last two days nearly 1.5 feet total by the time we headed down the mountain...We are still not talking to Uncles Michael & Olen and Aunt Danea who skied an extra day as we packed to head home, and called from the top of the mountain to report 16 inches of fresh powder with only one set of tracks through it!!!

Though sore, we all arrived home safely~

THANKS! Aunt Kerri!!!

Dear Aunt Kerri and crew sent Toby a nicely wrapped Birthday present two weeks ago, and being the good parent that Toby's mom is, she made sure that he didn't get to open it before the big day. However, being that we would not be home for his actually birthday, she made sure to have me put it in (at the last minute) so that Toby could open it on his birthday.

--NOTE to Self-- When packing a present, send from overseas, that is still wrapped--with a foreign stamp--contact the sender to varify the contents AND pack it in your checked luggage instead of in your carry-on bags!

Being a last minute addition to the packing and a small package of "assumed" chocolate or the such, I threw the gift in the backpack that Toby was carrying. Much to my surprise, the nice TSA agent wanted to check the pack or something that looked suspicious. I of course just assumed that it was one of those "random" additional security checks that my kids seem to get singled out for or that my dear son was unwilling to depart with a precious half empty water bottle. The nice TSA agent went carefully through the pack, and of course found nothing...so announced that he would like to run it through the scanner again.

Upon returning from the second trip throught the x-ray machine, the nice TSA agent pulled out Toby's little gift from France and said he was going to need to open it. He got through the secure overseas packing envelope to find a nicely wrapped gift. As he began to rip into the colorful wrapping paper, he realized that this was a gift that Toby had not yet seen, so he turned his back to Toby--so he wouldn't see--and unwrapped before me a beautiful little SWORD!!!!

THANKS KERRI!!!!

This is the kind of thing that only seems to happen to Uncle Jonathan (of http://www.frenchforawhile.blogspot.com/).

I was speechless and began to prepare myself for a week in prison instead of skiing in Colorado. Luckly, my wife was very apologetic and thought to as if there was a way to send it back to ourselves. To which the nice TSA agent informed us that there was indeed a way--but it would cost! So one has stubbled onto a great money making opportunity...that have installed machines just on the other side of TSA check points in which if your "illegel" item is small enough, you can place it in a little padded shipping envelope and pay them about twice the items value PLUS SHIPPING to mail it back to yourself.

So, as you can see, Toby now has his little sword/letter opener and proudly carries it around in his jeans pocket, wiping it out at a moments notice--because it makes a "cool" sound if he pulls it out quick-enough.

Oh ye, and he stabbed his little brother with it this morning, because he wasn't doing as told by his older brother....

THANKS AGAIN KERRI!