This winter was different for us. Usually, both kids play basketball in January & February, which fills our weekends and provides some much needed movement and exercise during the cold months. However, we did not believe that community responsibility, ethics, or science supported participation in indoor sports during this wave of the pandemic, and we chose not to have the kids play this winter, which was hard. So, we did what we've strived to do since last March, by thinking creatively and making lemonade out of lemons... and we decided that skiing/snowboarding would be our 2021 winter sports of choice! I took L&L back to Appalachian Ski Mountain in late January, where Luke tried snowboarding for the first time. He spent the day at "Cruiser Camp" and learned all the basics while fearless Leah began conquering moguls and attempting ski jumps:
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| Luke's somewhere under all those layers! |
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| Another ski lift selfie |
Leah's flexible remote learning schedule allowed for several mid-week ski days in February, and we were able to explore different ski resorts in NC. She and I piled in the car on Wednesday mornings and Leah logged in to her classes via computer while I drove to our destination. We arrived in time to get lift tickets for half day/afternoon sessions at each resort, and would ski for several hours before driving back home in the evening. With this strategy, we checked out Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain in Western NC on several day trips and we loved both of these places! It was so much fun to watch this kiddo thrive at skiing this winter and share this sport with her. She's an amazing athlete, and we are excited to plan some bigger ski trips next year.
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| Beech Mountain is the highest ski resort in elevation east of the Rocky Mountains! |
Back at home, our winter snowfalls were disappointing, but the kids made the most of it. We got a dusting on a couple of occasions, and these southern kiddos enjoyed playing outside:
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| All bundled up for another teeny tiny snowfall! |
We also had two ice storms within a week of each other. We lost power for 3 days during the first one, and there were trees down all over our town. Our generator came in handy once again, and we were able to use it to heat our downstairs area and have lights and the refrigerator working. The kids camped in our bedroom since their upstairs rooms were chilly, and they made forts for their sleeping areas:
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| Millie helping Leah with her fort. |
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| Finished product! |
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| Yes, Millie, this is how I felt about the ice storms, too! |
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| She bundled herself up in this blanket. |
Ice Storm pics:
One of the most special days this winter was the presidential inauguration in January. It was a very emotional day, and I was so grateful to watch this momentous occasion with L&L. We appreciated the significance of this inauguration day more than ever, after a tumultuous election and the insurrection at the capitol earlier in the month. As much as we've tried to shelter the kids from the vitriol and political divisiveness of the last 4 years, we've had some tough conversations lately about the current state of politics in our country, and it's weighed heavily on our hearts as parents. This historic inauguration felt like a fresh beginning, full of hope and optimism, and we are looking forward to brighter, kinder days ahead:
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| Wearing our pearls to celebrate the first female Vice President! |
Winter also meant cozy days to complete my new jigsaw puzzles. I received both of these for Christmas, and they are two of my most beloved places:
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| Venice Grand Canal with Casa Artom (WFU house) pictured. |
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| Wait Chapel: WFU quad |
Some of our other winter activities:
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| Watching online worship in our pjs! |
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| Crafts! |
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| Valentine's Day treats! |
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| Decorating heart shaped cookies for Valentine's Day. |
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| Reading out loud to Millie. |
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| More books and doodle snuggles |
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| Keeping Leah's bean bag warm for her. |
As the weather has improved recently, we've been outside more, and Luke and his friend across the street recently put on an afternoon concert for the neighborhood. Here are the boys playing guitar and tuba, and you can use your imagination re: the accompanying audio! It was actually quite cute, and at one point, they had groupies watching them, when several other neighborhood kids gathered around to listen:
The official start to spring is in just a few weeks, but we were treated to a little sneak peek in our yard this week. Our crocuses and daffodils have begun to bloom, and this is such a lovely glimpse of what is to come in the next month. Hurry, spring: We can't wait to see you soon!
