Winter walk at a beach

It was a cold walk at the beach yesterday.  Brie was bundled up so well that I think she came back to the car the warmest of us all!  Well, except for Maddy.  Maddy kept wanting us to throw a stick in the water. Which we did not do.  But she'd go to the edge getting her feet in the waves while wet lapping up water.  Crazy dog.

We checked out the book "Dog Day" by Sarah Hayes from the library.  Brie loved the book and I'll leave with a video of her reenacting a bit from it.

Hopefully not our last ski!

We enjoyed a very springlike ski this afternoon out in Tug Hill.  It was a warm day - 50 degrees - hopefully it's not our last cross-country ski this year!  Many of the folks around here don't mind the mild winters, but Mat and I sure have enjoyed having snow to go play in for the past 4 weekends!!!  We don't want it to end. Brie had a good time today as well.  She loves riding in the chariot and happily takes her afternoon nap while we are out skiing.  When we get back to the trailhead she does a wee bit of skiing herself!  

We are super grateful for some friends who's daughter is a few years older than Brie and so she doesn't need the chariot any longer and they let us borrow it.  It is the perfect way to carry a child in the snow.

Visiting Vigo, the horse

Gabriella went and met our friend, Leah's horse, Vigo at the barn she's moved him to.  He's a beautiful white horse that she's had for about a year and is training.  Brie wasn't sure that she wanted too much to do with him, but she loved watching Leah ride the horse.  She also like the horse with bunny ears (a donkey).  But she never really got too close to them.

Our evening entertainment...

I think I was doing the dishes after dinner when I looked over and this was what Brie was doing!  She cracks us up!

Sad news

It was the beginning of great year, until I received a phone call from a friend this morning and learned that a mother of mutual friend of ours was killed tragically.  She was only 65 and didn't need to die.  Now her kids have lost the opportunity for her to be a part of their lives and getting to see her grandchild grow up.  It's just sad.  http://www2.wnct.com/news/2012/dec/30/10/breaking-fatal-shooting-investigation-underway-ar-2897255/

I don't think anyone is ever really prepared for death of a loved one and when circumstances are so sudden and violent there's no way to wrap your head around it.

And it was only 3 years ago around this time that a friend's sister was killed in my tiny hometown.  I'm not really liking this time of year right now.

Everyone always says it - but I guess I really need to live appreciating each day and the people in my life - because you never know when you will no longer be around or have that person in your life.