Just Another Day

Thursday after school, with a 4-day weekend ahead of us, Bill and I jumped in the car loaded down with our packs, paddles, and topped with the canoe. We made our way to Ely and hit South Hegman just after 5:00. Three short paddles, and a few portages later we were settling into camp.

The weather was gorgeous during the day, though the temperatures dipped into the teens at night. Luckily, we were prepared with long johns, hats, and down slippers. One noticeable difference on this trip was the absence of early morning sunlight. It kept the tent cool and made sleeping in easy! When we finally did brave the cool air, Bill cooked us up a tasty batch of muffins and I poured a hot cup of Starbucks instant coffee. I could easily get used to those laid-back mornings.

This is my new favorite picture of my hubby.

The remainder of the day was just as relaxed. We set up our hammocks, read, napped, and enjoyed the sites and sounds of the Boundary Waters. I was so excited to read anything that didn’t have to do with school or class work!

With rain in the forecast, we decided to pack up camp after making some delicious cal zones for dinner Friday night. The lakes were like glass, and the reflections were incredible.

Summer is around the corner. This trip has me ready for it!

Life continues to speed on by. We have been blessed with gorgeous weather these past weeks, and we’re taking advantage of it. So, where to begin? Well…

The kiddos fill a lot of our time up with singing, dancing, giggles, nature walks, and fun.

We’ve been taking lots of saunas.

We watched the ice leave our bay. And we had a morning of listening to the swans swim in the same spot Bill is standing in the first picture.

I bought myself this pretty Azalea to bring a little spring into our house. Good thing, because the snow came back yesterday.

I continue to play in my kitchen. I brought out the Key Lime Pie ice cream recipe to celebrate spring, and today I made the easiest (and quite tasty) loaf of bread from this site.

And earlier this week I won a cookbook from NorthernCheapskate.com!

And tonight I went for a “nature walk” with my two favorite toddlers and my dear, sweet husband.

Oh, life is good.

We had another full weekend. Friday night Sawyer and Kate came over for some play time with their aunt. We colored, danced, played with rice, and had a tasty dinner before it was time for everyone to make their way home for bedtime.

I was up by 6:45 on Saturday morning which gave me some time to spend in the kitchen. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies, and it just feels right to try a new recipe on a Saturday morning. So, this weekend we enjoyed some tasty donuts compliments of my early wake time.

Later that morning we met at April’s for a visit with my mom. It’s strange that we live so close and don’t see each other near often enough. The 4 little ones tend to attract all of our attention, but that’s what makes it fun!

After breakfast it was off to help Laura close out of her apartment. Then Bill and I headed down to Virginia for dinner and a trip to Target. Today it was time to do a little work. This week promises to be just as full. Here we go…

Well, I didn’t make my goal of posting every day in January. I did blog more regularly, though, and I’m glad for that. It reminded me to look for the good in each day.

It doesn’t feel like February around here. It was sunny and 40 today, and I loved it. The weather has pushed me out to try cross-country skiing. I’m enjoying it very much.

There’s just been a lot going on both at work and at home these past weeks. It’s time to buckle down and plow through it all… while hopefully remembering to have a little fun.

I know I am blessed to have so many wonderful memories of my grandmas. It’s hard to believe that it’s already been two years since we had to say goodbye to them. Here are a few of my favorite quotes that  sum up how lucky I was to be blessed with two wonderful women that I got to call Grandma.

A grandmother is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend.
Author Unknown

A house needs a grandma in it.  ~Louisa May Alcott

There’s no place like home except Grandma’s.  ~Author Unknown

Grandmas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever.  ~Author Unknown

Elephants and grandchildren never forget.  ~Andy Rooney

Okay, so the Andy Rooney quote was mostly just because it was from Andy Rooney – and I can’t remember what it was, but April, Gram A, and I had a joke about him. I hadn’t thought of that in years.

Today has been a lazy day. Sometimes that’s just what you need.

My Uncle Bill is a great guy. He’s a great story teller and just fun to be around. We all look forward to the times when he visits.

Today, Kate and Luke came to spend the afternoon with us. Kate wanted to be right next to her Uncle Bill the whole time she was here.

Really, everyone should have an Uncle Bill.

I had game duty tonight. Luckily, so did April. My legs are sore, and I am tired. Just another Friday night here! Gosh – I am just now realizing how much better I feel than I did last week at this time. Hooray.

April and I  spent over an hour changing in coins that our elementary  students raised for a local family with major medical issues. April organized the drive, and she’s done really cool activities with her class about accepting differences and caring for each other. It was really neat to watch those coins total into a great number that will hopefully help this family make a dent in their medical costs.

Tomorrow I’m sleeping in. Then we’ll play with Kate and Luke for the afternoon. And who knows what Sunday will bring. I’m hoping for warmer weather, though.

The light was coming up behind the trees across the bay before I left for work this morning. That sure helps.