Fire & Ice Festival

After the Auto Show, we zipped to downtown Rochester to see the Fire & Ice Festival.

Our first year with an ice tree!

Fireworks and a full moon!

Ice sculptures downtown.  The Star Wars ones were the girls' favorites!

The next night, we joined our friends at Pine Knob for some night skiing.  Katie didn't want to ski, so I planned on staying in the lodge with her for the night while Chris skied with the other girls.  But he got tired after a few hrs, so I went out the rest of the night with them.  It was a blast, and there was barely anyone out on a Saturday night!

 

Early the next morning, Chris and Megan ran a 5K at the Fire & Ice Festival:

Not a bad time for not having run in several months!  Plus, it was pretty cold, and there was a bit of ice on the sidewalks and trails.  And, she's only ten!

New this year was an ice carving competition - live on Saturday.  We missed the event, but the finished products were very cool to see!

Tubing hill in downtown Rochester.  Here come Chris and Megan!

My little runners!

And amazing Megan had a double-header in soccer...AFTER skiing for 5+ hrs the night before, and running a 5K the same morning!  She's a rockstar!

Auto Show

It wouldn't be January without a trip to the North American International Auto Show!  Chris got back from Brazil on a Friday morning, and we went that afternoon.  It was the best one yet!

There was a Tigers parade at some point, but we missed it.  At least we got to see Paws!



Our next minivan, now called the Pacifica

We had fun searching for Easter eggs (hidden objects) in the new Jeeps.  Like the Jeep headlights in the tail light

And the yeti walking across the backlight of a Renegade (I think).  There were TONS of hidden surprises, those Jeep designers are a fun and crazy bunch!

The lights and special effects were amazing this year, especially at the FCA exhibit.  Every few minutes, the mood would totally change when the light show started.

Storm Trooper Fiat!!

In the Chrysler Pacifica exhibit, there were LOTS of fun games, including a vacuum challenge.  The new minivan has a vacuum built in - genius!



Stow-and-go challenge...we were timed on how long it took to put the seats down and then back up.  We were pros, of course.

View of the Dodge exhibit from the top of the Chrysler exhibit

View of the Jeep exhibit

The girls want this one!

Among the many freebies and events, the girls got to get their pictures taken with the US Women's Soccer team!  (I like how Katie is so tiny compared with Megan...nice photoshopping, Chevy people!)

Auto Show selfie

Ren Cen made out of Lego!

Ride on the People Mover to Greektown

THIS is what we were all waiting for!  Deep dish spinach pizza from Pizza Papalis!

Then we HAD to go to Astoria Bakery for desserts

The girls usually get chocolate mice

Greektown was hopping on a Friday night!

Carrying our goods safely back to Cobo Hall for our quick ride home