Happy Leap Day!

We headed out for a freezing, wet walk before nap time to celebrate L & A's first Leap Day.

Addison.

The kids had such a wonderful time playing & dancing with sweet Addi this weekend.  Her visits always go by too quickly.  We love & miss you already.

Our weekend.

We celebrated our 8 year anniversary Saturday.  My aunt & uncle offered us their condo in Alpental for the long weekend.  Sadly, we could only use it for one night.  But that 24 hours was the best 24 hours I've had in a looooong time.  It was so good for my soul to get up in the mountains, snowshoe with my family & swim in a really hot outdoor pool as the snow dumped down on us.  It was magical.  We slept in bunk beds, baked some cookie dough, explored the area & watched the snow fall & fall & fall & fall.

I took L on her first snowshoe hike.  She loved it & did so great.  No complaining, no whining, she just walked with me & stopped occasionally for a quick snow-angel.  My heart was full.

The next day we threw Axel in a backpack & put snowshoes on the 3 of us.  We did a longer hike.  Lai did okay for almost half of it & then joined her brother in the other pack.  The whining began.  But, we kept the course.  (I would rather be in the mountains with whiney kids than at home with whiney kids any day.)  Needless to say, by the end of our excursion Ax was walking with us, Lai stayed on daddy's back & I found myself saying; "we are going to finish our hike & we are going to like it!" Ultimately, I know we were all really glad we powered through.

Thank you Aunt Sue & family for the use of your condo.  I cannot tell you how many times we've heard, "when can we go back to our special home?".

Our prayers are with the families of the 4 that lost their lives in avalanches this weekend.  

Valentines Day.

Slumber Party.

This brave soul asked if Laila could spend the night...  

These 4 begged...  

We caved...

And, apparently all the kids slept pretty well.  Not bad for her first slumber party.  

Thank you auntie for providing such a fun, safe, loving environment. 

33.

I cannot remember the weather on my birthday in Seattle ever coming close to being as beautiful as it was for my birthday this year.  60 degrees in February, people!  My day was filled with yummy food & family.

Thanks for all your love.

Chocolate croissants with my parents. 

Salmon salad for lunch.  

Ended the day in my birthday-suit with a ga-jillion other ladies.  

Part Lion, part zebra.