Holy Birthday Party Batman!

I'm not sure if this one will ever be topped (at least by us).

Over this past weekend, the kids went to a birthday party for a friend of theirs. We had cake and ice cream (and some delicious lasagna). There was also a book exchange which by the way is a great alternative to the present thing. Each parent brings a wrapped book and you play a game with the kids where each one has a turn to pick a book out of the pile in the middle. Each kid goes home with one book including the birthday child. This makes for fewer trips to the birthday party isle at the local mega mart and headaches over how to store 12 new toys. Great idea.

So is it the book exchange that will never be topped? Well, maybe, but I think we could probably do our own book exchange at some point so no...that's not it.

EACH KID GOT TO GO DOG MUSHING!!!

Yeah, that's right. It wasn't a pony ride or a clown...it was a team of 6 dogs pulling each kid for about 15 minutes on a ride down a frozen river. One of the mushers that took the kids is entered into the upcoming Iditarod race (if you don't know much about long distance dog mushing, it is about the most extreme test of human endurance I have seen)! They all had a great time. They got to jump inside the kennels, see the dogs up close and sip hot chocolate on the banks of the Tanana river. It was incredible!

Carol and I didn't go for a ride, but we have been and it's really an amazing feeling. It's somewhat unique in that you move through the snow at a fairly brisk pace, but there is almost no noise. You expect to hear some type of motor whenever you're moving that fast, but it is nearly silent. I guess the closest thing to it that I've experienced is sailing. Anyway, it you ever have a chance to go on a dogsled ride...do it. You won't be disappointed. Owen also was a little cold to do the ride, but he did take a nice tumble on the way down to the river.

More photos here.

Oh, and they also have some crazy pilots up here in Alaska...