snow fun

Let's see, let's see.  We finally got a little snow in combination with some warmer weather that has made sledding on our hill out back a hot attraction!!  Claire and Benson have been out often before and after school enjoying the free ride down the hill.  It's so great for them to be outside.  It's good for all our spirits :)  

The kids went outside this morning before school and got a little more out of the sledding hill than they anticipated.  The track had turned icy overnight and was as slick and smooth as could be early this morning.  That didn't stop the fun, though.  Oh wait.  Yes it did.  On about the 6th run down the hill,  Claire was cruising down the hill and her sled didn't make the turn to avoid the window.  And yep.  You guessed it.  She flew down the window seal and broke the double pane window leading into Jared's office.  Ouch.  Oops.  Oh man.  She was obviously very shaken up by the whole idea of what happened, but luckily wasn't hurt.  It just so happened that the whole thing was caught on camera...as I had stepped outside (in my slippers) for just a moment with pajama-girl-no-shoes-or-socks Mabel in one arm and the video camera in the other.  I was making a freezing-sacrifice for the team and getting some priceless sledding memories on camera.  It just so happened that this priceless memory turned into an actual finical withdrawal with the new window we have to replace now!  At least we could watch the replay though and see that it was her feet that hit the window...and it was otherwise a pretty graceful, clean fall.  She was upset though.  That's for sure.  That ended the sledding fun for the morning.  But not for the afternoon.  But this time Jared went out with the kids and fixed the track in a way that would ensure no lost children would zoom through the window and end up on his desk.  It's still a super fast track; but even Claire build up enough courage to take a few runs before dinner. 

Hang on Mabel!!

Hard to tell...but Claire is actually underneath that mask, somewhere.

Just today at breakfast Benson (out of nowhere) said as he was smiling at Mabel, "Isn't Mabel just the best, Mom?!  She is just so cute!"  He and I both STILL can't get over how much joy and love this little person has brought to our family!!  Our love for her is just overflowing, constantly.

Benson got to stay up later than the girls tonight to go to Jared's basketball game.  As he came to give me a hug goodnight, he said "I just can't wait to see Mabel in the morning!"  

We really love this 2-year old princess.  She means a lot to all of us for a lot of different reasons.

     

Benson and Claire wrote their names over and over again on their valentines while Mabel entertained (or bothered...depends on who you ask) the crew.  We're pretty excited for Valentines day around here.  It's kind of a cool day in our book  :)