I'ts FINALLY Spring!

Every year, I think I am the most excited about spring I've ever been, but the next year, I find I am still just as excited.  Well, this year, we had such a long winter that I think the amount of excitement I am feeling about this spring season MIGHT just take the top spot.

The bird feeder we had got destroyed by a combination of the wind, ice, and our dog.  So, Billy bought me a nice metal one.  It reminds us of one of the ones his grandmother used to have down at the lake house.  I really love watching the birds flit about it, although it drives the dogs crazy.

Audrey has been asking to buy flowers to start planting.  Since it's a little early for that, we bought some tulips at the store.  She picked out a bunch in spring pastel colors, and every time she's in the kitchen, I catch her sniffing and looking at them.  They are beautiful, and it is fun to see her so excited about the beauty of God's creation.

The pups are probably the least excited about spring.  They love the warmer weather; in fact, I am pretty sure Tripper could be left outside all day and be perfectly happy. I'd hate to see what our yard would look like though. I think he is a bit sad some days though, because he wants to be outside chasing all of the birds and squirrels, not sitting in the house just watching them.  Tripper has also found a new perch watching kids play at the park.  He's probably keeping an eye on the birds over there too.

Even though the mornings and nights are still a little brisk, I am so thankful it is spring. The grass is getting greener, the trees are starting to bud, and all signs are pointing toward warmer weather all around, as are the longer amounts of sunshine each day.  I can't wait to start spending more time outside at the park, riding bikes, and visiting all of the fun local attractions.  Spring is here!

Spring Break Fun

The past week the kids were out of school on spring break.  After our big trip in the fall, we decided something more low key and closer to home would be best for this break.  While Billy and I only took 1 day off work this week, we did try to infuse fun throughout the week for the kids.

The break started last weekend with a trip to Lake O for Audrey with her Nana and Papa.  She got to see the St. Patrick's day parade at the dam and even got a little sunburn on her nose from the time she spent outside.  Barrett spent Saturday playing hockey in another local hockey tournament...his last one of this season.  Because he's really only gone to hockey and basketball games for his brother, I don't think Fletcher has figured out other sports have different names.  Anything with a ball is basketball, and anything with a stick is hockey.  This video is one I took Saturday before Barrett's hockey game where Fletcher is clearly kicking a balloon and calling it basketball.  His giggle just brings a smile to my face though.

One morning, I went in to work a little later than normal and took Audrey and Barrett to get pancakes for breakfast.  I couldn't believe how much they ate!  Audrey has officially reached that age where she prefers to order off the adult menu.

Our next adventure was to go see Captain Marvel at the movie theater.  Audrey was completely enthralled, and has since decided she wants to see all of the Avenger movies so she can watch the Avenger's Endgame movie that comes out in a few weeks.  She has a long way to go, but I am sure that at some point she'll make it.  Barrett liked the movie, but some parts were a little too intense for him still. Fletcher, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious.  He laughed out loud at every little thing.  His favorite character was by far the cat.  He could've cared less about the super heros.

When Billy and I took off of work on Friday, we started off with more pancakes!  I mean, who doesn't love a good breakfast?  This time, we went to the Shack, and the kids even got to write on the walls.  They thought that was amazing.  Fletcher even had to get in on the action with his crayons.

After we had our fill of bacon, we headed for City Museum.  Audrey and Barrett are prime ages for the place, and immediately started exploring all of the little tunnels, nooks and crannies.  Fletcher, on the other hand, didn't want to do anything.  He was overwhelmed by the number of people, the noise, and the fact that everything was a little bit unexpected.  It took Billy and I a solid 30 minutes to get him calmed down.  All 3 of the kids did like the outside portion of the City Museum.  The older two couldn't' get enough.  All Fletcher wanted to see outside were the planes. It was still a bit chilly that morning, so we headed back inside after Fletcher had seen all the planes and the older two had done all the slides. While Audrey and Barrett ran from room to room exploring everything, Fletcher finally found the toddler area, where he decided to stay for the duration.  He played with giant blocks, rode the toddler train, and tried the slide...once.

The rest of break was the beautiful weekend we just had, so we spent as much time as possible outside.  Audrey and I went on an hour long bike ride Saturday morning. It was a little chilly still, but extremely satisfying.  I am glad she is a strong enough rider now to go on long rides.  Barrett is riding really well without training wheels, but he's still working to build his confidence.  And Fletcher...well, he just pushes his trike with his feet instead of using the peddles.

All in all, it was a fun break and we couldn't have asked for better weather.  While it would've been fun to get some time away from home, it was wonderful to find fun right where we live and still get to sleep in our own beds. The most important thing is that we got to spend some quality time together as a family.  I am so grateful for these 4 humans and all of the time we spent together over the past few days!

Thawing Out

It seems like the frigid winter of 2019 is finally coming to a close. We've definitely had fun playing in all of the snow, relaxing on the many snow days, and sipping lots of hot cocoa.

I've frequently pondered whether I like having more actual winter weather or not.  I was leaning toward liking it, when Billy went out to straighten up the yard today. I knew it didn't look great, but I didn't realize just how bad it was until he started cleaning it up.  All of the moisture from the snow and ice coupled with having dogs out there on a regular basis means that the grass is torn up.  We've lived 6 winters in this house and never had anything like this happen.  Thus, the only conclusion I can draw is that it has to do with the long, cold, and wintery winter we just had.  

Well, at least we know the dogs enjoyed themselves in the snow too!  I seriously have never seen a dog just lay in the snow like Tripper does.  He loves playing in the snow as much as the kids do!