Gratitude, redux

(When I started this post we were enjoying a snow day on the first of December.  The snow has since melted and a busy week has gone by.  But I'll write this entry as though it was last Tuesday, ok?)

As I type this, our home is blanketed in 10 inches of snow and more is coming down.  It's as though nature heard that it was December now, and decided to get right on that.  When we get the news that a winter storm is coming, you never know if it will really pan out.  And working Solon, you really never know whether you'll get a snow day.  We got both today!  

I am sitting here basking in gratitude for the fact that I did not have to drive to work in this, but rather I get to sit here, enjoying the beauty of the snow in my warm home amidst the glow of my holiday decorations, drinking coffee and getting things done.  Blessed indeed.  

Rewind now to week of Thanksgiving, before the snow but still full of gratitude. 

The last few bike clubs of the season were a treasure.  Cold, but a treasure. In addition to the traditional duck feeding and "spider" on the playground, the girls made up a game where they were elves in  a magic land.  So much running around with tall-grass wands!  We had to wrest them away from the park as the sun set...

Ivy has been participating in the Cleveland Orchestra Children's Prep chorus this fall.  Not that a virtual choir gives her a real taste of the chorus experience, but I am nonetheless grateful for the chance for her to participate.  It was fun to listen to her grow as a singer over the months.  Last week we did our recordings for the virtual concert. Here are a few "test shots" of a background we didn't end up using... Link to the actual "concert" will be posted here when we have it!

One of the silver linings to leaving for work very very early in the morning this time of year, is the chance to see the sunrise.  Hard to feel anything but joy with a sky like this!

Outdoor time this time of year is a gift.  I can't remember a November with better weather.  Lake time and park time is always good for our family.  Getting the kids out of the house and off of those remote learning and gaming screens is like magic- they just morph into more energetic, dynamic young people who even interact positively with one another!  The challenge will be maintaining our outdoor time with the advent of adverse weather...

We haven't been to Horseshoe Lake Park in years!  The kids remember being smaller here.  They also remember all the games we always play, and being the most extreme creatures of habit I have ever met, they had to play them all.  "The ground is lava,"  climbing the rocks and rope climbers, visiting the duck pond (which is currently drained and more of a duck marsh), and jumping from rock to rock on the way out.  We always have a good time here. 

Campfire with our friends to celebrate the sale of their old house.  Bittersweet, with all the memories of that house together, but we feel joy for their new lives as "not landlords."

Hanging out at Gram's house.  This is the best toy ever.

Thanksgiving day!

Gram joined us for the parade and dog show and dinner and I am grateful to have had a guest.  Made it much more festive.

We zoomed with family from three different states over the course of the day and while it wasn't ideal I am still grateful for this technology to help us bridge distance and viruses and spend time together. 

We pulled out all the stops for our meal, even though it was just the 5 of us.  All the trimmings, thanks to the first annual Thanksgiving Swap. Not only were we able to have a wide variety of sides with minimal prep on our part, it was also really heartwarming to think that we were eating pretty much the same meal as people we love.  Almost like being together. 

Jack has taken up touch typing as a way to pass the time.  Not the worst idea.  Pictured here:  a rare moment of peace and collaboration between our children.  Grateful for each one of those, that's for sure. 

And then!  Time to start Christmas!! We decided to jump right in after Thanksgiving this year and not worry about waiting for our birthdays.  We all need a little Christmas now.

To shake things up this year, we traveled out to Manner's Tree Farm to cut down our own tree.  It was charming and perfect from start to finish, with horse-drawn wagon rides and friendly staff and fields of trees and even the perfect tree just waiting for us.  We managed to find it moments before everyone got too tired to function, so that was a win. 

Here's a sneak peek at our Christmas card photo shoot. The unstated theme is "all dressed up with no place to go." It ended up being colder than we expected out so we didn't do quite as many silly shots as we planned, but I always enjoy the chance to dress up.

In process decorations....

Rounded out the weekend with a trip to Glow.  Because of social distancing, there were no activities or cookies or interactives, and fewer trees and gingerbread houses than usual.  But we focused on gratitude that the event is going on at all.  And also that we got to enjoy the outdoor gardens on November 29th. 

Birthday celebrations for mom and dad this week....

...and a cat who has a new favorite spot (she is being remarkably respectful of the tree and ornaments, I have to say)

And... back to the snow.  Our snow day included:  building a snowman, a lot of shoveling, afternoon reading and coffee, completion of several projects (installing my new air fryer in the kitchen, and finishing the cleaning and reorganization of our basement rec/ exercise room), and heading out into pretty much the height of the storm and wind to go sledding. 

Sunny did NOT know what to think of all this.

Winter wanted to cavort but the snow was so thick and heavy she gathered snow-balls in her chest hair and paws within moments. 

The shoveling!  We cleared the driveway three times over the course of the day and the snow-walls were prodigious.

Sledding was awesome.  I mean, it was really cold and we were standing in the drivins wind being pelted with wet snowflakes--- but we got to see our friends!!  The kids raced their sleds and tumbled about like puppies, then organized a boys-vs-girls snowball war in the snow-covered parking lot, as the grownups stood and talked with one another from behind our masks and hats and hoods and it was so awesome.  Grateful for my community and Coventry park and this day off from work to enjoy it.