Bubbles and Trees

My daughter is a nature girl, and I couldn't be happier. She doesn't shy away from bugs, she loves dirt and mud, and she loves digging and stomping and splashing and climbing and picking and exploring. She could live outside if we let her, and there is no easier way to reset a bad day than to grab shoes and jacket and head outside. What else could one want? For me, there is nothing better.

Watching ants

Figuring out how to blow bubbles

"Climbing" a tree

Happiest. Girl. Ever.

It's a good thing her Mama is a nature girl too, or I'd be in trouble! What adventures we'll have together!

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

This says it all, doesn't it? Though I'm sure winter isn't through with us yet, this sun and taste of spring is pretty darn nice.

 

Hope this weather is treating everyone just as well. Happy last week of February!

Slow Spring Progress

This week has been a week of spring-like weather, despite the fact that we're only about half-way through February. What's a girl to do? Why, implement garden expansion designs and plant root veggies, of course! And how easy is that work when you have the most adorable and willing helper ever? Though, we are all moving much slower than we would be another few months from now... but it'll get done!

Wee Helper footprints

Audrey's wheelbarrow

Hauling "lotsa lotsa dirt"

Inspecting the "boo-tee-ful dirt"

Heading to the garden

Chasing a spider

Totally dirty and totally happy

Sweet baby hands in dirt

The "tube music" in the background while we work, coming from our amazing new wind chime

Digging!

What fools we would be if we were to let this beautiful weather pass us by without getting out into the soil and shaping it in to the garden of our winter sketches and plans! We rented a rototiller, mapped out the shape of the expansion areas around the existing raised beds, and got to work! Even Audrey, Grammy, and Gramps pitched in, and we are well on our way to a bigger and (hopefully) more productive space for our spring garden!

Still to be done: border new beds with stone, haul in topsoil and compost, gravel new paths, and plant, plant, plant!

Henry's Shower

This past weekend, we were showered with love and tiny blue baby things for Little Brother. What an amazing gathering and opportunity to be reminded how amazing our friends and family truly are. A great time was had by all, and our cup runneth over.

Our amazing cake that probably weighed 80 pounds

Deliciousness

Regular, chocolate, and red velvet macaroons

Daddy, Mama, Aunt Missy & Uncle Royce

The Girls

Piles of wee baby things

Frogs!

Says it all

A strong contestant for the coming-home outfit!

Personalized cuteness

The cat claims the boxes

Snow

This morning, we woke up to about 6 inches of powdery, fluffy snow covering everything, and soft white flakes floating through the air. Sheets of ice and temperatures in the teens and low twenties had kept us inside all week, but that fine fluffy coating changed everything, and beckoned to us all through breakfast. By about 10am, we were layering and insulating and wrapping up to head out into the wintery magic!

Audrey, Mama, and Leeloo follow Daddy outside

Audrey takes her first steps into almost-knee-high drifts

Our winter wonderland

Happy snowbaby

Making snow angels... kinda...

Mama bundled Audrey so tightly, she couldn't stand back up by herself!

"Plopping" in the snow (you can't tell because of the scarf, but she's cracking up)

Daddy introduces Audrey to his winter obsession

Frozen smiles

Helping Mama haul in the sled

We had to change Audrey's mittens half way through our winter adventures because they were wet and caked with snow, but she couldn't have cared less, and when it was time to go inside to thaw out, she literally dragged her feet the whole way in. She wanted to stay out in the snow all afternoon! 

Unfortunately, the 23-degree temps with colder wind chills had veto power over an adventurous little girls' requests to "play in snow more?" We headed in to some spiced cider, homemade veggie soup, and grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. 

The house is now peaceful and quiet, with everyone dried off, warmed up, and full, and a little girl sleeping peacefully in her Big Girl Bed with visions of snowflakes floating in her head. Happy snow day!