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Valentine's Day. I always have grand plans for celebrating this day but after a weekend of Valentine crafting, this was about all I had left in me. The kids baked these heart "pretzels" which were really more like cookies and we all made home made heart shaped pizzas for dinner. It was enough for them though...they loved it.

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When are you gonna get out of bed already?

Apparently, now. At 7:08 am. On a Sunday. Which is way too early, if you ask me.

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Valentine making is now in full swing. Alex has decided on the heart-shaped snowflakes mounted on appropriate colors. Hannah is making Secret Message Valentines complete with Decoders. Here she's looking over her list of possible Secret Messages trying to select just the right one.

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Friday mornings around here mean Laundry Folding. Both Hannah and Alex have taken on the chore of washing the painting rags from their classrooms each week. I'm pleased that they both continue to follow through on their responsibilities this far into the school year. They bring them home, get them washed and dried the night before and all I need to do is bring them up from the dryer before I go to bed. A quick reminder when they wake up that it's waiting for them to be folded and they get themselves ready and downstairs to finish the job. Love that.

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Valentine production is just beginning. Alex came home with this decorated box today that he had created with Brianna, his 8th grade buddy. Apparently, it needed something more.

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Man, is it cold here today. No matter what I do, I just can't shake the chill in my bones. I need the sun. I need warmth...  I need winter to be gone.

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The icicles that hang of the back of the house always catch my eye, especially in the early morning sun with the warm colors of the sky behind them. With as much as I dislike winter and the frigid cold and gray skies, at least we get these bits of beauty here and there.

Andy's father passed away this morning... having to call him in Ohio to give him the news was one of the hardest things I've had to do in our 12+ years of marriage.

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Hannah's little ballet class. Her teacher's high school daughter comes once a week to give a 30 minute beginner's lesson to this small group of friends. It's nice she's able to try something new without the pressure and commitment that often comes with traditional dance lessons. She seems to enjoy it but rarely lets me see her doing her  new "moves!"

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Superbowl Sunday. Unfortunately, we only had one true GB fan here. Good thing we had a willing friend to lend some support! Is it wrong that we served our children nachos and appetizers for dinner?

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Hannah, Andy and I took Gunnar on a hike at the state park today. Alex had been invited to sled at a friend's house. Having been on these trails quite a few times with Laura, I decided we would be fine without a map...I knew where we were going. Well, after about 45 min we decided we'd have to double back the way we'd come. By this time Gunnar had icy paws and Hannah had had enough of hiking. Thank goodness Andy was willing to give a piggyback ride through the snow - which was quite deep in some spots!

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Hannah's class had a hoe down tonight...lots of fun to watch these kids dance. They really know what they're doing! And even more fun to join in the dancing. What a fun class to be a part of...

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So this one doesn't quite do it justice... I was trying to capture that early morning light that I love to see out my kitchen window each day. The fresh sparkly snow, the blue stripes of shade across the snowy lawn and the warm glow as the sun hits the top of the woods behind us. I love this morning light.

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Snow Day! With the brunt of "The Blizzard" behind us now, the kids were eager to get out and play in the mountains of snow left behind. Gunnar was eager to join them. They kept throwing snow on him and he was loving every bit of it. I loved hearing them laugh so much as Gunnar ran circles around them and jumped and tried to "catch" their snowballs.

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So this numbering thing just got more difficult!

Gunnar... just after our morning hike. He wanted to be off leash so badly while Laura and I were hiking but I just couldn't trust him so as a reward I let him run around the backyard when we got back. He loved rolling around, racing in circles and burying his head in the snow. Such a goof ball. No toys needed...just a few inches of fresh snow!

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He's back....

Grandpa's heading to California to visit my sister so Gunnar gets to come for a visit. Grandpa just left and so Gunnar's a bit down in the dumps. Misses him already. He actually whined for about 20 minutes after he drove away!

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With Daddy gone skiing and a long cold day ahead of us, we decided to head out on an adventure today. I packed up the kids, a few snacks, an "I Spy" book I created, and of course my camera and took them to the Domes. Having never been there before, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was really pleased by how our afternoon turned out. With no schedules, it was nice to just wander at their pace...following their lead. Giving them purpose (the I spy books) really added something to our trip. I'm sure they would have rushed through if it had not been for that. This shot was near the end of our time. Hannah was wandering around looking for things to photograph while Alex stood mesmerized by the train display. He stood there for the longest time, I thought, just watching. Eventually he came running up to me and announced that it took exactly 115 seconds for the logging train to make its way around just one time. Sweet. The sunshine and bright colors did us all some good today...

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Overheard:

"Hey Alex, wanna go in my secret room and just talk?"


Naturally, I had to sneak a peek at what they were up to. They had spread out blankets, added some pillows for comfort and a little light and were inside this tiny closet playing Pick-up Sticks. I love the snowflake jammies, purple snowman jammie bottoms and blue striped socks....she's so on top of fashion!

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Seriously? This is what happened not 30 seconds after arriving home from school today. Granted this is the work of two extra children along with my own (playdates!) but really...can't anyone put anything where it belongs? At least one child had the forethought to hang her coat on the stair post. (Unfortunately, that child was not one of mine.)

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I love that the kids don't mind winter like I do. They have no problem spending hours out there...digging, shoveling, sledding. Today after a fresh snowfall this morning, they both went out after school with the sleds. Alex had so much fun trying to jump his sled off the top of this hill. It's all of about 2 feet high so there wasn't much "air" to be had, but he definitely had fun trying!

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Bedtime stories...tonight, a story I enjoyed when I was young. And a first for me in my 365...a self-portrait.