I didn't realize I'd fallen so behind on posting until I sat down to write a post and realized the last one I wrote was done in the midst of a rather crazy winter. Now, we're on the cusp of spring. January brought a lot of snow, ice, and cold. Well, for that matter, so has February. Pretty much at least once a week since the new year, we've had a least ground covering of snow or ice. The kids are going to have to stay at school longer in the summer now to make up for all of the snow days.
In the midst of all the crazy weather, we've kept busy juggling between work, all of the kids' activities, and life in general. Here are a few fun photos we captured during some of the events.
On the day of the Polar Vortex snowstorm, the kids came to work with me for a couple of hours and had fun crafting (and decorating) perfect paper airplanes.
We went to Springfield, IL for a hockey tournament with Barrett's team. Barrett really enjoyed playing goalie during the last of their 5 games. Fletcher really like standing outside the glass and yelling at him the whole time. I don't think he's figured out you're not supposed to heckle your own goalie. That trip was also fun because the kids got to hang out with Barrett's teammates and their siblings. They swam for several hours in the hotel pool, and then all fell asleep watching a movie. It was also fun for Billy and I to get to know some of the other parents.
Billy took Audrey to the Westchester Father-Daughter dance. I got to have fun helping her get ready and doing her hair. She and Bill had a great time dancing, crafting, and visiting with friends. It's hard to believe that next year will be the last year they get to go. Fortunately for me, I have many more years of mother-son dances.
We also made a trip to Lake of the Ozarks, and got to see the lake surrounded by snow after a slippery drive down during a snowstorm. The dogs wore themselves out running around in the snow, and even swimming a little bit (which they quickly found out wasn't a good idea). The kids played games, put together puzzles, and ran around in the snow.
Audrey had her first orchestra concert last week too. She's been playing the violin since August, and while it hasn't always been easy, she's continued to work hard at it and is getting better and better. I didn't get any photos of just her at the concert, so I am adding one I took of her practicing in her room.
And this weekend we officially finished out Barrett's 2nd year as a mini-mite. He had a ton of fun this year, and it makes him very happy to get a trophy. And, I am relieved to be moving on from the Saturday and Sunday practice/game combo every weekend.
There are many more fun activities to look forward to as spring creeps into St. Louis. I am excited for more time outdoors and more sunshine. I think the kids are looking forward to time at the park and eventually more lake time. I'd better not get ahead of myself though. There are technically 4 more weeks of winter before we can officially welcome spring. I don't want to jinx us by getting too excited about potentially warmer days coming sooner rather than later!
