Little Cousins, Big Snow - The Vermont Olympics Part 4

The Vermont Olympics: Today's Event:
"Little Cousins"
Requirements: You are Estelle's first cousin, but you aren't old enough to change Léna's diaper. (Or you are young enough to think it is really gross and wouldn't want to).
We have:
1 Honorary Animal Medal
2 Bronze Medals 2 Silver Medals 1 Gold Medal, and one
Sacred and Holy Gold Medal to Mother Nature for providing lots and lots of our favorite thing in the world in the wintertime: snow.
Here are a bunch of photos from different days and places showing how much we enjoyed it.

Léna's baptism in snow!
Less than 24 hours after our arrival, here we were, out in the white stuff.
Bronze cousin Medal to "Baby" Elijah, who allowed himself to be chased.
Out and about.
Inspecting a prop for the Runaway Pond Bicentential.
When I was little, there were always a lot of people to pull me up the hill. And the hill I slid on as a kid was a heck of a lot bigger than what you see in these photos. I was spoiled.

Making snow angels:
Joanie and Lena hunker down:
Silver Medal to Cousin Wayne, for being a great buddy and surveillor of Estelle for 2 weeks. She loved being with him.
The girl was ready for action:
Wayne & Estelle starting off:
The view from above
Mart, Wayne & Cole (hidden)
More Sliding party guests - Darlene & HEatherMartha insists on taking Léna down the bunny slope.
Playing King of the Mountain on the plow drifts:

Spike rolls in the snow.. (Honorary Medal Mention for Spike, who cannot compete in these Olympics since he isn't human, but Estelle likes him) (sort of)
Heading to the pond:
Cedric gives Estelle a ride in the snow scoop

Now Wes pulls both little girls:
By the way, that red coat used to be my Dad's. See footnote for Cousin Heather.

Skates!Darlene helps with the milkcrates...
Silver Medal for the most patient cousin ever, Cole. Here he is with Estelle waiting for a ride on my Dad's trackster that Wes keeps running...
A snowman at Martha's, the day before the big storm.
The Big Storm:


Bronze Medal to Jacob, who is sort of inbetween the "Big Cousin" and the "Little Cousin" category. He managed Estelle and her 3rd cousin Asa on morning quite handily, not to mention braving a blizzard so Estelle could roll around in......fresh, beautiful powdered snow.


This was a slice of heaven for Estelle. She was totally enraptured.
During this storm, Estelle also got to drive the tractor plow John Deere with Uncle Chris:
And make a snowman with glamour:
And dig with a shovel:

Last, but certainly not least, GOLD MEDAL to Heather, for being Estelle's best friend and playmate every single day in Vermont. Some mornings Estelle came into my bed at 7 a.m. and said "Mommy, call Aunt Darlene right now and tell Heather to come and play with me right now. Mommy. Call. Right now. Mommy. Call." 5 months apart in age, these girls had some fun - some fights too, but mostly fun! Here are photos of them - NOT in snow.











Thank you Heather! We love you, and ALL our little cousins!