The Abbott Kids

Fun in the Historic Snow

In case you missed it, we have been getting buried in snow over the last few weeks. Multiple snow storms (including a true blizzard!) have dumped multiple feet of snow in our area. The result is a historic amount of snow all around us.

Today we got the latest foot of snow left behind by a nor'easter making its way up the east coast. The snow subsided in the early afternoon and the sun actually came out, so we got to enjoy ourselves a little bit.

You can see how the piles of snow are dwarfing the children and in some places, the adults too!

We made a makeshift sledding hill from one of the monster piles of snow near the end of the driveway. With the sun out and a sled in hand (although missing from this photo set...), we actually forgot about the feet of snow that has us in winter's grasp.

Evie was happy to be outside after being cooped up for what seems like days on end.

Unfortunately, her outdoor play house is trapped in a snowy field. It might not break free until her birthday.

Our unofficial "snow stick" measures over 36 inches of snow in the middle of the field.

Karina did pretty well today; we've had less successful outings in the cold and snow, so this was a nice change.

Evie tried to make her way to the swing set, but it, too, was engulfed by snow.

First ponytail in the front

Nature walks

We've been taking advantage of the little trails and town conservation lands near our house lately. The girls especially enjoyed Fitch's Bridge which crosses the Nashua River. A little panic-inducing and constant vigilance needed since Karina has no self-preservation instincts at this age! But, we had a lot of fun throwing rocks at the ice in the wetlands nearby and getting some fresh air.

Evie was also apparently feeling very open to having her picture taken and gave me some great smiles!

This other location is also just around the corner from us, but we cut the trip a little close to naptime!

Bright lights

Another little seasonal activity we enjoyed was a quick trip to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to see some Christmas lights. It was nice to smell some fresh flowers and citrus trees, and see some plant life again in the conservatories. The visitor center was decorated with a number of trees and lights, but the biggest hit was an igloo made out of recycled, plastic milk jugs.

Christmas Season

It's been such a busy month with a million little memories. We've had so much fun watching Evie's excitement for Christmas grow each day and Karina just being her cheerful little self, happy to come along for the adventure!

Advent calendars with a daily piece of chocolate were a big hit!

We learned that IKEA is a magical wonderland for running and playing any time of the year.

We picked out a Christmas tree on a very chilly day, about 3 hours before Micah had to fly to North Carolina for orientation and training for his new job.

Decorating for Christmas is like discovering totes full of toys that we forgot we had.

Santa does not bring joy to our children. He brings catatonic behavior (Evie) and all out wailing (Karina). Evie told me on Christmas Eve she didn't want to be awake when Santa was at our house...She likes his presents but she doesn't like him.

Of course there are still images from the day itself and we went to several wonderful gatherings throughout the season. Plus, there are many more planned in the weeks ahead...we feel very fortunate for our family and friends. We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!