Snow Days

Monday there wasn't any school for MLK day...

Tuesday Avery stayed home because she was sick...

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday were SNOW DAYS.

It's always just the best. It comes at a time that feels like we should be hunkered inside for a few days. 

It feels right.

Now on the eve of BACK TO SCHOOL, we feel very ready because we are sick of each other. 

We took a family walk through the forest. Evan opted to stay at the house to work on his fort.

There are so many beautiful things in the forest when there is fresh snow.

I don't know, it's just this forest that we go to every day, but now it has this temporary layer. 

It's not going to last. It tells about what the animals are up to. So much awe and wonder.

DAY TWO:

Snow on top, 

Mushrooms on bottom. 

 

Winter

Tomorrow is the first day of spring. Koda's love of Andrew in this pic is similar to my love of spring. 

I love it so much. 

But also spring gets wild! Hold onto your hats as we enter the massive sports-sports-sports zone. 

I am coaching middle school girls again. So, yeah. 

The deacon/priest/teacher boys went on a cabin campout. This graffitti was in Jim's cabin. 

One morning I got Avery up for seminary at middle of the night oclock, and then realized it was snowy outside.

We went back to bed and had a lovely no school snow day. 

I love a surprise snow day. 

I subbed three days in a row, and ate lunch with Avery every day. 

Look at the shed! It's so great. He has been working so hard on this custom situation. 

Evan on Bass Drum.

We almost took the kids to Galbraith, but then just the dads went, and they said it was terrible biking conditions. haha

There were a few cold days that made ice do cool things all over the place. 

Jim took this amazing picture at the top of Galbraith one night. I love it. 

There's Orion. 

At this point it's starting to thaw out and the temperature suggests you can wear a tshirt, but the wind suggest you should still grab a jacket. 

Avery started tennis! 

This was her first match. I think she did great. They lost, as did the whole team, but it was really fun to watch. 

After she was done, she came and sat by me and I told her we GET TO GO SEE TAYLOR SWIFT next weekend! 

Then we got some crumbl cookies for the ride back home. 

That was a great day. 

Friday we went to Galbraith. Us gals walked along the trails and tried to find solutions for Roxanne. The solutions are still lost, blowing around in the wind. 

We happened to be on the same trail as Jim and Joe, so we set up our cameras waiting for them to blast by on their bikes. 

We will continue to circle up and wait for the solutions to make their way down from the trees. 

The next day we got out the brand new family bike rack and went to Galbraith with most of the children. 

It was such a fun day! I have been practicing this mountain bike thing for a while, and now I can barely keep up with these little boys who just started about a half a year ago. haha. 

I am scaredy. But it's getting less scary and more fun every time. 

We ended the weekend with some delicious Woo Korean BBQ. 

 

Snowpocalipse Turned Icepocalipse

December 19 the snow started, nice and easy. 

The forest was so pretty with a light dusting of powdered sugar. 

We went to bed and woke up to about 15 inches of snow! 

That is the most we have ever got in one dump.

It was sooo pretty. Also it was soooo cold. 

Yes, the trampoline would eventually break. 

Jim shoveled the driveway and dumped it all into a heaping mound that Evan would eventually convert to an awesome fort. 

We rallied the gang and headed to the forest. 

Koda and Dobby made first tracks for us. It was a slog to walk through!

The way the snow builds on all the branches is incredible! It's just a fantastic wonderland. 

They would gather under a branch, then shake the branch, then get covered in snow. 

Then repeat. 

It was so fun to play in...until the ice rain came along. 

It rained ice all night, and the next morning everything was covered in a crusty, frozen layer.

It was so neat to look at, but not fun to play in or drive in or walk in. 

Then out of nowhere the temperatures went sky high (to 50 degrees from "-5") and became so balmy out there! 

15 feet of snow has been completely wiped off the land and is now making for floods in some places. It's crazy and also perfect timing. We loved our White Christmas.