Tubing at Letchworth

We had a ward activity at Letchworth State Park this weekend. All six of us were able to go, and all six of us had a great time tubing down the hill, getting snow in our boots, pants, wrists, faces, and hair. And there was also pizza, cocoa, and cookies at the lodge for snacks. The best part was having fun with family, church friends, and new friends we met tubing.

Miranda carrying her tube. She was awesome to go with anyone, but happy to run the slope by herself, too.

Travis had to forge a new sled path down the kiddie hill. It went much faster after he packed it down while riding the tube with Nica on his lap.

Nica plops in the snow after hiking to the top of the kiddie slope. Waiting for dad to bring her tube back up for her.

Travis had fun with Nica, but he also loved getting to fly down the faster hills.

At the front is Zoë followed by Mya Morphy and then a new friend Zoë made, Naomi bringing up the back.

A record! Fourteen-person train!

Megan after the train ride.

Zoë is the only one facing the camera as she walks uphill (backward) to get another train together. I love how animated she is.

Travis, Nica, me, and Megan at the back- we had fun riding down (although I got tons of snow kicked up in my face cuz Nica could barely fit her tube!)

Miranda loved the fast-and-bumpy ride.

Greg Pruoix brought his dog, Cinder, and ran a dog sled train. Eden Powell and Zoë are on his run with him and Cinder.

Megan flying down the hill.

Megan spinning at the bottom of her run.

Zoë spun around the whole way down, but loved every second.

Zoë made it as far as Megan did and they compare distances and spins at the end.

Another dog-sled-tube-train: Greg, Miranda, Pume Baldwin, and Eden Powell.

In the lodge there was cocoa, cookies, and even some cheese pizza. The warm fireplace let snow melt in hair and frozen mittens steam a little before the kids headed back outside. Above is Miranda, Eden P, and Pume B.

Megan sampled each cookie. I am not sure if she found a favorite.

Zoë was thawing for a minute before heading outside again. Look at those blue eyes!

Sadly, Nica took a tumble on the fast-and-bumpy ride sitting on Travis' lap; going over one particularly jumpy bump the tube was a little slower than its passengers and the Travis tucked Nica in and they did two barrel rolls! Sadly, Nica got a little based up and with that she was DONE, so she went into the lodge and warmed up by the fire.

I regret not having snow pants and not building a snowman. But these were minor and truly we all had a really great day together and with friends. 

Valentine's Day- Feed the Birds at Mendon Ponds

After heart-shaped pancakes, and a morning of some chores (girls at home, Travis at work), we headed to a nature preserve called Mendon Ponds. This place is famous for its birdlife- and especially that in the winter you can feed chickadees and other birds right from your hand!

The weather was freezing (22-degrees Farenheit), so be bundled up. I love how bright our jackets are in the snowy landscape. It wasn't snowing when we started out on the trail, but it quickly started and soon turned heavy. We ran into lots of people, it being a Saturday, but it was still amazing ho quiet and hushed everything was with the snowfall. And, how you could hear the little birds.

One of the most amazing parts was feeding the little birds. You had to stand still for about 5 minutes, holding out your hand without moving. Then you would hear a flutter of wings, and a flapping of more, and this little bird would land for a second on your fingers- you'd feel the grip of its tiny talons on your fingers, a slight pressure as it grabbed the seed, and then a push as the bird fluttered off.

Megan and Zoë as we started out on the trek.
Zoë got cold rather quickly (or was it boredom?) while Megan, despite not having snow pants on!, stuck it out to the end and was the last to leave.

Miranda- running before, falling (literally!) behind, probably trekked more than the rest of us.

I'm keeping pace with Zoë, so we aren't in the picture. Miranda is in front (you can almost see the red of her jacket), while Travis holds Megan's and Nica's hands.

See all that snowfall? And Miranda floundering in the snow? Zoë sitting in the snow between Nica and Megan? Travis carried the "Black Oil Sunflower Seed" that we used to lure in the birds.

Chickadee! It is hard to snap a picture with one hand in a snowstorm, holding perfectly still, and get that fast-flying bird in focus! I probably needed to adjust the settings, but I was glad I got any shot at all.

Zoë waiting and waiting and waiting...

Megan and Nica waiting and waiting and waiting...

Miranda and Travis waiting and.... oh, Miranda moved on...

and waiting...

Success!

Nica had some land on her head, but they flew off so quickly I couldn't get a shot.
Megan held so still that she had lots of little birds eating from her hand.

Zoë got some birds to land briefly on her head, too.

Travis, who walked away from all the movement and noise and stood under some trees had birds land on his head and his hand.

Miranda had a hard time holding still, but whens he calmed down enough, she did get a few to come and eat from her hand. It took a LOT of encouragement to keep her still!

She was so proud!

See that puffed-up cardinal!? They weren't brave enough to eat from your hand, but they were more than happy to wait for the people to move away and then they would swoop down to peck at the pieces left behind.

Megan waiting, Travis watching, Nica experimenting with binoculars, Miranda eating snow and Zoë already gone back to the van. Yep, this captures their personalities!

I love their expressions.

Look at this Sunshine face! Miranda is so happy and exuberant!

And, no trip outside wearing snow pants is complete for a five-year-old unless you have made a Snow Angel in the perfect clear patch of snow.

We really had a great Valentine's Day weekend. I got to spend two days with the people who are dearest to my heart. Sunday, due to wind chills, church was cancelled, so we spent the day as a family making oatmeal raisin cookies and playing games- a card game called Legretto that all 6 of us coudl play together, and video games on the Wii (Just Dance, Smash Brothers). Although I think a beach would be preferable, the snowy and sunny-snowy days were still beautiful and appreciated, and the time we had together in the snow and woods, feeding birds, at home eating good food and playing games brought warmth to my heart and peace.

Zoë's 12th Birthday

Zoë was so excited and happy! She has been looking forward to this milestone for quite some time. She was so eager to graduate from Primary at church and move forward- be more involved with programs and associations with the older girls. Her actual birthday was a quiet affair. We did a little bit of shopping (she got a new pump for her fish tank and she picked out a new video game, Just Dance 2015, for the Wii), had Burger King for dinner, and then came home for the cake.

The Parthenon- or at least my stylized approximation. Lemon cake covered in fondant. There are Greek God symbols on the round portion of the "building".

Zoë is TWELVE!

Skyping with family just before she blows out her candles.

Megan, Miranda, and Nica chatting with Grandma and Grandpa on Skype.

I had hoped to make more of Zoë's 12th birthday, but it was a quiet affair as the entire week before our house was hit by the FLU. Ugh. She postponed her party (a sleep-over with four friends from school) a week, and that will probably be the more exciting portion of her birthday. That, and maybe, entering Young Women's for the first time.