Future ski bums

We recently bought the boys their first skis and took them out to Bittersweet Ski area two weeks ago for their first trip out. They did great, but Mommy and Daddy were a little worn out afterwards. Apparently it is a real workout to haul, push, and pick up a 40 pound child while on skis, not to mention a major thigh burn to haul them up the tow rope. They were adorable in their little coats and helmets! These videos are from last Friday, when it snowed like crazy. They hadn't plowed our street so we let the boys do a couple runs right in front of the house.

Christmas tree

Just some fun stuff from cutting down our Christmas tree today. Cold and rainy, but we still managed to have some fun.




If you listen closely you can hear Riley say "Oh my dang" when the tree falls over.

Visit to Santa

Just a photo of our visit to Santa's village. Riley asked for a Star Wars video game and Connor asked for a camera. At least Riley didn't actually ask for the $150 remote control dinosaur that he had been talking about. Sorry, but we weren't about to spend that much on something that would break almost instantly. It's funny that the boys are only 4 and they already realize that Santa can't be everywhere. We walked in and saw the Santa, and Connor said, "I don't think that's the real Santa." So we had to fall back to the standby of "He just works for Santa." I have to admit, the Santa this year wasn't the best. Usually it is an old guy with an actual beard, but this year it was a younger guy with a fake beard a la "Elf." I don't know if he smelled like beef and cheese, but Will Farrell would have been disappointed. (If you have never seen Elf, please rent it. It is one of the boys' favorite movies.)

Yes!, This is Aaron making a Blog post!

Hello, Hello.... So here it comes. The end of another year. Where have they all gone? Not that I think the end is near, but the beginning seems to be so long ago. I have just got back from a trip to Portland, OR. to attend a sales meeting with KEEN Footwear. It was great to see all of my friends and family out in Portland! I would move the family out there in a heartbeat if the chance came up. Mountains, Ocean, and everything outdoors that we love! What more could you want. It is great to be home though and I am looking forward to the holidays here at home before I am on the road again. We just bought the boys their first pair of downhill skis, and if the weather holds we will take them out to Bittersweet tomorrow! Should be great! I have posted some fun photos of the last couple weeks of family, fun, and work. If you happen to not here from me for awhile please have a drink or two and enjoy your evening!!!!!

Happy Holidays

Here it is, for the fifth year in a row, the Baker Christmas photo. Actually I think the one I picked for our cards is slighly different, but I like the moment in this one. I think Aaron was talking about farts or something silly to get everybody to laugh. I know I could do some thing different and perhaps a little more exciting, but it is kind of cool to see how everyone has grown and changed over the years.

I am missing 2005's picture, that photo shoot has digitally disappeared. But here are the others.

Iron Man defeats his evil nemesis, Pinkeye!

This is what happens when I take my kids to work. Or in this case, kid. Connor woke up this morning with the dreaded crusty eyes—the highly contagious crusty eyes which prevent a child from attending school but renders them otherwise perfectly healthy—yes, pinkeye had made its yearly visit to our home.
After a visit to the doctor's office, we headed in to work so that I could do a photo shoot in the studio and record a quick video with our food writer. I thought I was prepared, we had brought lunch and a huge stack of movies, but the movies weren't quite as interesting as the people in the newsroom, who, bless their hearts, always act like my kids are the most entertaining, interesting, adorable kids they have ever met. Which of course, they are, but you know I don't like to brag.
It started out with a battery he found in a bucket of recyclables. Then Mark, a fellow photographer, cut holes in a cardboard box to make a mask. Then my friend Erica made him a "glowing heart thing" (the miniature arc reactor) with a piece of paper and a highlighter. Then she made him a chest piece, to which we taped the arc reactor and the battery (to power the suit, of course). I finished it off by making some "flight stabilizers" for his hands, and voila, Iron Man was born in the Kalamazoo Gazette newsroom. The only thing missing were the rocket boots. Connor keeps asking me, "When can I get rocket boots?" I told him he had to go to school to be an engineer, then he can make his own. We'll see if that sticks. One of the other designers, Richard, even made Connor an Iron Man poster, telling him, "Iron Man stopped by and told me to give this to you. He had a job to go do, but he wanted you to have this." Connor thought it was awesome. Richard even made a Batman poster for Riley, so he wouldn't feel left out when we picked him up from school. How cool are these people I work with?
Believe it or not, I actually got a little bit of work done. I am so grateful to work at a place which in general is so understanding, not to mention filled with people who are more than happy to give a little time to indulge a four-year old's superhero fantasy.