I have been feeling the urge to "blog it" lately. Ben's writing is always so thoughtful and witty, and I find myself easily smiling with adoration at whatever musings he has. The love of writing is strong with both of us, and while I have let mine slip to the background a bit, I've been pleased that the need to write has crept up on me rather forcefully lately. So, there you have it. And here I am!
As Ben detailed, life with our two wonderful boys is always full of newness and fun. The snow has indeed brought about some serious sledding, hot chocolate sipping, and a special child-like wonder among those of us older than 7. Yesterday we had all our neighbors and kids over to indulge in the Grahamadega run in our backyard. The slope is just enough to produce some serious speed, and the banked turns provide some additional lift before plummeting towards the fence. All the adults took turns catching the kids at the bottom, assisting in the launch from the top, and helping tired kids carry sleds back up the hill. Afterwards we all came inside to scarf down sausage casserole I had made that morning, hot cocoa and coffee, and the adults chatted about work and family and life while the kids ran around squealing like banshees and generally trashing the house. All of us gathered around in the kitchen with our bedheads and chapped lips and sleep-deprived-snow excited children. It was beautiful.
The afternoon sledding adventures also included journeying across the street to build a snowman in our neighbor's front yard and engage in a little snowball throwing. There was sugar cookie eating, tunnel constructing, and swinging. And already this morning our other neighbor brought over a hot thermos of special super chocolatey hot chocolate, and the kids are already getting suited up for the next round of snow mayhem.
Last night I was up in the wee hours of the morning as usual, attempting to soothe Avery back to sleep. As I made my way back to bed, I pulled back the blinds and looked out at the front yard, the snow seeming to glow just a little from the white brightness. It was then that I had a great birds eye view of the footprints. They came across our neighbor's driveway to the left, creating a path that led up to our front door. And again from across the street, circling around the tree and down towards the backyard. They wove a path between our three families houses, big prints and little prints, sled tracks carried behind.
It was then that I was struck with this awareness of community. Ben and I always talk about the importance of community, both for ourselves as parents, and for our children. But looking out at the footprints, traveling back and forth between households, remembering our day filled with fellowship and laughter, food and camaraderie, I felt so thankful for the community we have created right here in our own little neck of Meadow Lake Road. I'll admit that I wasn't particularly raised with this type of community, which I think it why it stands out to me, and has been something I have always wanted for my own kids. And so, the footprints grow to symbolize more to me than just tracks. They are a joining...a linking...a partnership. They are markings of our Community. One that we will all be fed and nurtured by. Whether it's through passing the communion cup of hot cocoa around, or catching each others kids as they fly down the Grahamadega run. We are a village.
As Ben detailed, life with our two wonderful boys is always full of newness and fun. The snow has indeed brought about some serious sledding, hot chocolate sipping, and a special child-like wonder among those of us older than 7. Yesterday we had all our neighbors and kids over to indulge in the Grahamadega run in our backyard. The slope is just enough to produce some serious speed, and the banked turns provide some additional lift before plummeting towards the fence. All the adults took turns catching the kids at the bottom, assisting in the launch from the top, and helping tired kids carry sleds back up the hill. Afterwards we all came inside to scarf down sausage casserole I had made that morning, hot cocoa and coffee, and the adults chatted about work and family and life while the kids ran around squealing like banshees and generally trashing the house. All of us gathered around in the kitchen with our bedheads and chapped lips and sleep-deprived-snow excited children. It was beautiful.
The afternoon sledding adventures also included journeying across the street to build a snowman in our neighbor's front yard and engage in a little snowball throwing. There was sugar cookie eating, tunnel constructing, and swinging. And already this morning our other neighbor brought over a hot thermos of special super chocolatey hot chocolate, and the kids are already getting suited up for the next round of snow mayhem.
Last night I was up in the wee hours of the morning as usual, attempting to soothe Avery back to sleep. As I made my way back to bed, I pulled back the blinds and looked out at the front yard, the snow seeming to glow just a little from the white brightness. It was then that I had a great birds eye view of the footprints. They came across our neighbor's driveway to the left, creating a path that led up to our front door. And again from across the street, circling around the tree and down towards the backyard. They wove a path between our three families houses, big prints and little prints, sled tracks carried behind.
It was then that I was struck with this awareness of community. Ben and I always talk about the importance of community, both for ourselves as parents, and for our children. But looking out at the footprints, traveling back and forth between households, remembering our day filled with fellowship and laughter, food and camaraderie, I felt so thankful for the community we have created right here in our own little neck of Meadow Lake Road. I'll admit that I wasn't particularly raised with this type of community, which I think it why it stands out to me, and has been something I have always wanted for my own kids. And so, the footprints grow to symbolize more to me than just tracks. They are a joining...a linking...a partnership. They are markings of our Community. One that we will all be fed and nurtured by. Whether it's through passing the communion cup of hot cocoa around, or catching each others kids as they fly down the Grahamadega run. We are a village.
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