spring break 2021...

 Last year we had no idea that we would never return from Spring Break to "normal".  I mean at this point what is "normal"?

This year our family decided to just go with it and make the best of it.  We decided that we were not going to let COVID ruin our time together to explore and try new things.  So this summer Adam and I decided we would take Marley skiing during Spring Break.  I mean this would be something completely new and she would see "real" snow for the first time...or so we thought.  We had no idea that we would just make it through Snowpocalypse 2021 just in time for Spring Break.  I mean at this point she's over snow and we should have just gone to the beach!  

All kidding aside, we had a blast!

We flew to Breckenridge, Colorado the Monday of Spring Break and Grammy Carol and Pawpaw met us there.  We had an absolute blast!  There was definitely plenty of snow to enjoy and more to come just as we headed out on Saturday.  Marley took two half-day ski lessons and by the second day she was headed up the big lift and sailing back down fearlessly!  She LOVED it!  Adam and I were thoroughly impressed, but not at all surprised considering she picks up things so quickly and has such great self-confidence leading her to believe she can do anything she sets her mind to.  And she can!

We even got to meet up with a dear friend from college that lives in Breckenridge now and is an amazing photographer!  She took us to Sapphire Point and the views were absolutely stunning! We are so lucky to have her take our pictures to capture such a fun time as a family.

When you "win" a game with Grammy Carol she brings the best prizes! Ha!

We drove up to Hoosier Pass to see the Continental Divide, we snow-tubed down a giant hill in Frisco and enjoyed a relaxing sled ride.

I cannot wait to experience many more trips with our little family of 3!

snowpocalypse 2021...

We just thought 2020 was weird, but 2021 has come in with a bang itself!  Thursday, February 12 we started with a late start day at school due to ice and snow that ironically didn't begin until 10am when late start school begins.  As the day went on it got worse and worse leaving me with about 4 kids at the end of the day still at school.  Nothing like a bunch of teachers having to scrape their way into their cars at the end of the day just to get home. It was great to see random strangers, husbands, and coworkers scraping peoples cars off and helping people home in all the ice.  

Needless to say school was canceled on Friday postponing the Valentine's party's until the next week (or so we thought).  Long story short we missed the whole next week of school do to a record breaking 200+ hours of below freezing weather, snow, ice and massive blackouts across the entire state of Texas.  We lost electricity Sunday morning around 2 am and did not get electricity again until Wednesday night around 7pm.  64 hours of no electricity!  We are so very thankful to have a gas fireplace and gas stove still allowing us to stay warm in the living room and cook on the stove top.  We had no hot water so no baths, and the bedrooms were about 45-50* but we were much better off than most with no gas.  Oddly it became just "normal" and we began to play board games, read, play card games and truly enjoy just spending time the 4 of us.  (Not that I want to do it again!)  We pulled Marley's mattress into the living room and all slept in front of the fireplace which we have all said we actually kind of miss now.

The one truly amazing thing that came out of all of this was the massive bonding and outpouring of love and generosity in our community.  People were offering their homes for heat and baths if they had electricity, they offered to wash random peoples clothes, bring firewood and groceries, etc.  It was truly amazing!  

Sometimes I feel like God allows these things to happen to slow us all down, look inward and see the good in all of us.