A Good Week

So far, the kids are loving February as school was cancelled on Friday and they had a long weekend! Addie had Girl Scouts this week - cookie tasting time!!  We spent time with Grandpa Chuck and Marie on Saturday and Mr Bob and Ms Annie on Sunday.  We hope all our family and friends are staying warm AND healthy!!

Ayson working on another paper mache master piece

Hi Thunder!

Thursday afternoon was a balmy 34 degrees so Amy went for a walk in the orchard - the kiddos did not want to join.  The kids had Friday off from school due to the super cold temps and wind chill that arrived Friday morning.  The kids used the day off "chilling" and catching up on sleep.

After Addie's ice skating lesson, Grandpa Chuck and Marie came over for a visit!  They were amazed at the progress Adam has made on the kitchen!

Addie showing Grandpa ALL of her horses.

For dessert, the boys made apple pie - yum!

On Sunday we all slept in and then helped cut wood and Mr Bob's and Ms Annie's house.  The temperature was a balmy 40 degrees!!!

Bob and Ayson taking a load of wood down the road to our house.

Addie wanted to pretend to be a sled dog and haul the sticks for kindling to Annie and Bob's house.

A tired Addie!

But of course after she had hot chocolate from Ms Annie, she found enough energy to roll down a hill.

Ah, a hot chocolate break!

Another load of wood to the house!

After the wood cutting, Mr Bob and Ms Annie invited us in for an impromptu visit complete with snacks, wine, and smores for the kiddos!  Thank you for the wood and a fun afternoon, Bob and Annie!!

 

Goodbye January!

It's hard to believe that 29 days of the year 2023 have already slipped by!  We are sending good thoughts to all of our family and friends!!

On Saturday afternoon, Adam and Mr Bob cut down five trees and then started cutting the trees for firewood for next winter.  Afterwards, Ms Annie and Mr Bob came to our house for dinner.

Appetizers!  

Fun with friends.  Ayson pulled up a comfy chair so that he was not left out.

Virtual reality!  We had Annie and Bob try a few virtual reality tutorial and games :)

Watching what Ms Annie was doing on Ayson's phone.

 Mr Bob's turn!

Cookies!!  Yum!  Ms Annie made Heath/chocolate chip cookies and we all loved them!  Thanks for the visit, Annie and Bob!

Pancakes, Skating, and Waffles!!

A quick week with Monday as Martin Luther King Jr Day, Amy away for work Tuesday through Friday, and weekend activities.  We hope everyone is staying healthy and getting outside!!

On Martin Luther King Jr Day, we used the day to recharge and get ready for the week.  Ayson wanted to make waffles but he ended up making pancakes instead (with the goal of making waffles over the weekend).

Thanks for making breakfast, Ayson!!

On Tuesday, Amy traveled to West Virginia to attend a course at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC).  There is an amazing new addition to NCTC - a Totem Pole created by the House of Tears Carvers of the Lummi Nation. The Sacred Sites Totem Pole was transported from the state of Washington to Washington, D.C. on a two-week journey they named the “Red Road to D.C."  One of the stops along the journey included the Straits of Mackinac, Michigan.

A view of the Potamic River through the trees while walking to class.

On Saturday, Addie started taking skating lessons again at Sunnycrest ice rink!

That evening, we all went skating at the Onondaga Nation ice rink with friends and Addie had fun skating with friends and watching the Zamboni resurface the ice.  The kids and Adam thought the ice was much nicer (slipperier) than Sunnycrest (the Nation has a newer rink and building).

On Sunday, we had waffles!!  Thanks, Ayson!!

A Visit with Friends

We hope our friends and family are doing well and staying healthy!  On Saturday, we invited our Congolese friends over for the day.  We bundled them up in extra coats and took them to Labrador Unique Area to see the waterfall (Tinker Falls).  Their son, Robert, turned 13 on Friday and Robert and Ayson had fun goofing around in the snow.  Our friend Kate stopped over too (she introduced us to the Congolese family) and it was fun to watch her interactions with them :)

Tabaro with Adam in the background.  Marcelene (youngest daughter), Benigne (Mother), and part of Robert's coat are also in the photo.

Amy and Benigne

Tabaro is a carpenter and he now works at the Stickley furniture company.  However, on Saturday he was a hair stylist :)

It was fun to introduce the family to the waterfall, eating snow, Baby Shark on the piano (Marcelene LOVED Baby Shark!), watch the boys play catch, and watch the girls dance for everyone.  The two oldest girls were in a dance troop in Burundi, while they were in a refugee camp.

Hello 2023!

A short week with Monday as the New Year holiday made the week fly by for A^4!  We hope everyone has a wonderful 2023!!  Ayson helped with Addie's Girl Scout troop on Thursday, we celebrated Christmas with Adam's family on Saturday, and went for a hike and ice skating on Sunday.

Amy out on a site visit for work Tuesday afternoon - check out the entwined trees and the moss covered trunk!

Cool fog along the tree covered hill side.

On Thursday, Ayson and Amy assisted Addie's Girl Scout troop in the building of little robots that use code.  Thank you, Ayson!

On Saturday, we went to Aunt Julie and Uncle Dan's house to celebrate Christmas with the family.

The boys had fun playing on-line games...while sitting next to each other...haha.

Gift opening time!

On Sunday, we went for a hike at Pratt's Falls.

Addie showing Amy the needle ice.

While the boys checked out the archery range.

The wooden border fence was covered in moss.

The kids are never to old to step on a fresh area of ice!

Addie and Amy went ice skating Sunday afternoon while Adam and Ayson stayed home and worked on the kitchen (no pictures).

Ayson checking out the meditation bowl (a Christmas gift from Ms Annie and Mr Bob).