Cara has been taking gymnastics lessons at Seattle Gymnastics Academy (SGA) for the last year, so when a birthday party at SGA came up at her school's annual auction, we jumped at the opportunity. And that had Cara and her friends jumping, running, leaping and generally having a great time at her birthday party. Her new pink skirt stood up to the action.
Running on the tumble track.
Leaping down.
Swinging.
Spinning.
Blowing out 4 candles. Another carrot cake!
Eating cake with friend Megan.
No, Cara didn't make it to Antarctica, but her primary photographer did, and got some photos as good as those he usually gets of Cara. The trip didn't quite go as intended, and some equipment delays gave C extra time to help with some seal research, visit Captain Scott's Hut and take a walk over the the NZ Scott Base. Combined with an introductory ice survival course and unexpected penguin visit, the trip inspired close to 1000 photos. Here's a sample.
Arriving at McMurdo International Airport.
Ground transportation, also known as 'Ivan the Terra Bus'.
The snow camp from a distance.
Carefully designed igloos. Note the flags marking the door.
Baby seal hanging out.
Mom and pup.
That's a lot of seal!
Interior of Scott's Hut - ski storage.
The pantry in Scott's Hut.
Good taste in hot chocolate!
The penguins came to check out the scientists at work.
Hanging out.
C visiting the Kiwi's.
Economy plus seating on the flight out.
Thanksgiving weekend is another busy time for the family. A big meal for Thanksgiving Day, a cake and presents for Cara's birthday and maybe a dinner out for Mom's birthday. And for extra thanksgiving, Craig made it home from his trip to Antarctica a day early. The preferred cake was carrot this year.
Oops - hair is lighting up along with the candles!
Mom got the hair out of the way - and helps with the candles, too.
Dad brought a penguin back from Antarctica, an instant favorite, nicknamed Pingüino.
The skirt was another hit. You'll see it again!
And our girl is ready to hit the road in style!
Halloween can be a busy weekend for us. Ida, one of Cara's friends, has a birthday that weekend, it is Grandpa Fay's birthday, and of course it is a fun event as a kid anyway. Lots of sugar, definitely!
At some point Cara asked twice in a row to be a giraffe for Halloween, so we decided that was workable and set out to make a costume. Mom made the tunic, and dad the mask. People could recognize what she was supposed to be, and Cara even enjoyed wearing the costume.
A birthday party at a farm - complete with a corn bin to play in. What fun!
Holding a kitten at the farm.
The giraffe ready for some trick-or-treating.
The spoils of the evening.
Excited about Grandpa's cake.
Cara is a good helper when it comes to opening presents.
After playing in the sand and the sun, we headed to the supposedly wet side of Hawaii. But not this year! It was quite warm and sunny, although a little cooler up higher on the volcano.
We started with a classic view of the crater at night. Cara got bored pretty quickly, but Dad had fun taking photos. The next day we decided to challenge Cara with a 4 mile Kilauea Iki hike, across the 40-year old Kilauea Iki Crater. We figured we could carry her on our shoulders for part of the hike if she got too tired. But our girl is made of strong stuff - except for a little piece in the middle, Cara only ended up on Dad's shoulders at the very end, when the steep drop-off made both Mom and Dad decide that shoulders might be safer.
If that wasn't enough of a day, we drove down to the coast in the evening and hiked out to where the lava met the sea. We found a guide who would take us carefully - and since he lives just yards from the most recent flow, we knew he was familiar with the area. Very odd walking on 2-week-old rocks! Cara and I sat a little way from the edge while Dad went closer with our guide to get some photos. When our bottoms got too hot we told Dad it was time to head home. Cara was a little tired that night!
First volcano view.
The hike to come - across the Kilauea Iki crater.
A short ride on Dad's back.
The lava vent.
Rougher pieces on this side.
After three miles, she's still running!
View across the crater.
Eventually Cara slowed down.
Lava flowing into the ocean at night.
