Bundle Up

What did you do for the Holiday today? We went sledding with Jim and Cynthia's family and had a blast! Howie had a really great time. Olivia's first snow adventure....well she didn't like it. She made it long enough for one ride down with Howie and Tommy and then once with me and Howie and then she cried and cried. She spent the rest of the time in the car, then Addison joined her along with Savannah. They had a hoot playing in the car while the die-hards had fun sliding down the hill.

drinking their hot chocolate in a "polar bear cave" they found

can you find Olivia?

super cute girls getting pulled on the sled to the hill

The Gang

Riley and Howie, Cynthia, Savannah, Tara, Olivia, Tommy, Jim and Addison

Simply Amazing, the Dr. is Simply Amazing!

Okay, time to toot the horn on something that needs to be shouted from the mountains! My sister Becky is so crazy smart! She just recently (December 2009) received her Ph.D in Anthropological Linguistics. If that isn't a feat itself! This smart cookie was just awarded an AMAZING fellow (aka Scholarship for us lay people). She just landed one of only 50 annual fellows given out from The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS).

Now, what is that mean and why is it cool? Let me tell you. the ACLS fellow is a job, a two year job at a participating universities and colleges, where their particular research and teaching expertise will benefit the receiving institution. Awardees will commit to teaching three semester-length courses each year and receive an annual stipend of $50,000, a $5,000 annual research and travel allowance, health insurance, and a $1,500 one-time moving allowance. Applicants for this program had to be nominated by the university that awarded their Ph.D.

I just can't express in words the happiness I feel for Becky for this award. Now will come the hard part, choosing which offer from the many schools that will want her. Becky, ummmmm, I mean, Dr. Schulthies, your family is incredibly proud of you!