From our Indiana igloo...

Winter has been especially brutal this year.  I really do love snow and the cold (of course I hate frostbite and driving on ice, just as I hate draughts, sunburns, and heatstroke in summer), but I am very grateful that when the temps are this brutal and the wind gusts are making the house shake, that I'm able to stay home with my family and can enjoy looking outside from safe inside my warm and comfortable home.

The view from my kitchen, earlier this month.

With our school now being on a balanced calendar, we only have 8 weeks of summer vacation.  We've had countless 2-hour delays and 4 days (so far) of school cancellations that will have to be made up at the end of the school year.  So make that 7 weeks of summer vacation...

Looking out at the snow with her new bespectacled doll. 
The doll's glasses stayed in one piece for exactly 3 minutes.

Snow days can be exhausting.

We are lucky that the severe weather hasn't affected our fun activities.  We were able to go to Gatlinburg after Christmas and spend time with friends.  The boys ice skated for the first time and there was air hockey, bumper cars, putt-putt, and laser tag.  Our friends were in from Florida and so we got to be there for their first time seeing snow.

Getting all 3 both boys upright for a picture on ice skates was a process.



Alexis has started therapeutic horseback riding at Agape up in Cicero.  She was hesitant at first, but by the end of the lesson, she was holding onto the reigns, telling her horse to "walk on" and "whoa" and content with being up so high.  If you were to ask her what her horse's name is, she may or may not correctly answer "Seth".  Or she may tell you her horse is named Kendra.  Incidently, she also built a snowman named Kendra and has a doll that is sometimes named Kendra.  I'm flattered.



Nick is three games into basketball season and loving it.  His coach was also his coach from 3 years ago, and he is amazed at how Nick has grown and improved.  3 years ago, Nicholas was the one kid on the team who hadn't made a basket all season until the last game when he had a little assistance from the referees.  This year he's been one of the high scorers.  I wish I could say that he gets it from me.  He doesn't.  I can't help but wonder if now that he has glasses, he can see the basket.

Excuse me, but would that be my passive kid in the tie dye...being assertive? That's right.
 2 steals and 2 fouls during the last game. (And 14 points.)  And some seriously sore knees from diving after the ball so often.  Didn't learn it from me.

Finally, we celebrated Blake's 9th birthday over the weekend.  While the weather was terrible, most family members and some friends were still willing and able to drive to our home to celebrate.

 
Until next time...