Winter lately

It almost feels weird to say winter right now as I look out at our brownish grass with some dirty piles of snow surrounding our driveway.  Spring is definitely in the air which is odd at the end of February.    With amazingly warm (for February) temperatures and a few blizzards dumping quite a bit of snow  we have enjoyed winter more this year than others.  With lack of sunlight I have a great NEED to get outside in January and February.  It just helps me (and frankly others around me) if I can get out and get some fresh air and hopefully a little sunlight for a few hours a week.  So this February cooperated nicely with that.  We ended January at our State Parks "Winterfest".  Roasting hotdogs and marshmellows.  Taking a candlelit hike with some cocoa.  Skating with our boots on a frozen creek.  Our good friends joined us and it made for a fun night.   

Oh yes and February always seems to bring it's share of illnesses.  Isaac was at school on a Thursday and his stomach hurt.  I wish I could put a note in his file saying "Will not lie about illnesses....if he complains, something hurts and send him home" I would put something in Andie's file like:  "Please make sure she is ACTUALLY sick before calling" or something like that.  But they couldn't send him home because he wasn't running a fever, vomiting,etc.  So I picked him up after school and he started vomiting 45 minutes later.  Finished up pretty quickly but was required to stay home the next day.  A pajama day constructing all sorts of car ramps made for some nice recovery time and Caleb loved the extra playtime with Isaac.  Sorry for the stomach virus all the kids in Isaac's class.  I am sure he was contagious that Thursday.  

And the first of two "blizzards" for the month.  The first one was extremely legit and the best blizzard we have had since I can remember.  School cancelled the night before.  Woke up to NOTHING.  9:00 Nothing.  9:30 NOTHING.  10:00 BLIZZARD.  Snowed and snowed and snowed and blowed.  We emerged from the house at 2:30 to play in it and I HAD to shovel Craig's half of the driveway or there was no way his little car was getting in.  We finished shoveling that night while the kids enjoyed all the snow.  10ish inches I think in the matter of a few hours.  It was pretty awesome.  

And the first 3 Saturdays in February brought Ski lessons for the oldest two.  We have been wanting to try it out and Community Ed. puts on a super cheap class.  The kids here are doing their first class.  They were not super fans after the first class.  The second class I was hesitant because it was hovering around 2 degrees and they LOVED it.  I have been wanting to try to ski.  I have never done it.  So the last Saturday I learned (with some friends) while the kids had class and then we stayed for a few hours after class and just made a day of it.  

Here is my first attempt at blue.  It was a great day to learn to ski as it was a little warm and hills were slower.  I never fell on the hills or lifts like I was afraid of.  I had very awkward falls just standing around the bottom of a hill trying to get over to talk to one of my children.  I learned it is hard to mom and ski at the same time.  

Isaac and I both really like this Blue hill.  It wrapped around the hill and came through trees a bit and we did this run at least 8 times.

So I have been wanting to see what all this snowshoeing business is about.  Our town has a pond hockey tournament at a local park and they advertised free snow shoe use from a local outdoor outfitter.  We went to check out the pond hockey and then took a few pairs of snow shoes and checked it out.  

Honestly....it wasn't my favorite, which is weird because I thought I was going to love it.   It may have not been the right snow but I feel like it made it so much harder to walk.  Going up the hills were easier with the grips but I preferred straight hiking.  I will have to try it on some more powdery snow though before I make my final opinion on the matter.  

And the melt began big time one Friday and we went to our local park to hike and enjoy nature.  Caleb and his good friend just hanging out and getting a little vitamin D.  

So here is a good picture of my Mountain Goat.  Perched on a little ledge.  Any other person I might be nervous but Andie gets her nickname Mountain Goat for a reason.  She is very sure footed all the time.  

And I call Isaac Bear Cub when we hike....why?  There is not a tree that doesn't get climbed......

So a little documentation of our February.  Winter has been awesome.  I am hesitant to say YAY SPRING because even though I am excited for it I know we could still have some winter like days ahead of us.