Shrimp!

I got a great opportunity to go out with friends as they checked their shrimp pots this evening!  It was fun and they let me take a lot of pictures, but didn't make me earn my spot by pulling off any shrimp heads!  Thank you to Rob, Sanoe and family!

Leaves!

The kids and I went out in search of leaves and found some!  It was like a treasure hunt, and Cooper got into too.  He explained how everything worked and helped me hold onto Ponzi as I tried to get a good picture!  I know this may seem a bit crazy, but today is the last day of April and most of the trees are still bare...  I am ready for the beautiful green that the trees provide!  All of my Southern friends have been enjoying this year round or at least since February or March, so we are ready for it too!  Enjoy the pictures!

Cooper got out of the stroller to explain that butterflies go to flowers to drink nectar.  He has been learning about Spring in preschool and loves sharing his new knowledge!

 I think this is rhubarb!  

 The kids were playing in the front yard and found a bee on the ground!  It was very "interesting."  We are excited to be able to see the ground again!

This is along the front of our house.  The snow is melting and as soon as the ground is exposed to sunlight plants come up!  It is amazing!

End of April

The last week of April and Mariah and I went out for some snowshoeing with friends while Cooper was in preschool!  It is a great workout, and a fun excuse to get outside!

 Heading up hill with the kids on our back!  

Cooper's last day of swim lessons concluded with an exciting jump off the diving board!

So brave!

Ponzi and I found these flowers while Adam took the kids into the store for some shopping.  

Beautiful!

A fun app on my cell phone let me do this:)  

April has been such a busy month!  We have been working hard with the preschool, Cooper has been attending swimming lessons, and Mariah is busy growing and learning!  We are finding more flowers around town and the snow is still melting!  This is an area of constant change and it is amazing to see these plants pushing through the snow to bloom and the trees almost all have buds on them now.  I am hoping by next week we will finally be able to see leaves on the trees, I will post pictures as soon as I see one!  Enjoy the pictures!

Long Island

Today we had to wave goodbye to Adam and the crew of the Long Island as they got underway.  It looked like a beautiful day to be out on a boat as the water was as calm as can be!  We will be praying they have a safe trip and come home soon!  Adam and I are hoping that actually seeing the boat leave will help Cooper to understand why Dad won't be coming home tonight.  Cooper was very exciting as the boat honked its horn as it floated away!

Damage

As the snow is melting, damage is starting to show up...

 This car probably didn't look great before the snow, but it looks worse now!

A lot of homes have this problem...

 This is one of the few buildings that was destroyed by the snow as the roof caved in completely.

Another picture of the destroyed building.  

Some repairs are already taking place.

This is the fence around our backyard.  It use to be straight across...  

Along with the melting snow we are finding more and more signs of Spring!

Mariah in our front yard! The snow is shrinking, but we have a long way to go.

Mariah and I decided to walk around town today to get pictures of some of the damage, to show what 433 inches of snow can do!  It is incredible how much weight this is and looking at the signs around town and the buildings you can see lots of work that needs to be done.  There were also some pretty flowers in bloom and the trees have buds on them, we are excited for the summer!  There are already people out and about in tank tops and shorts!  I don't think we are ready for that yet, but it is around the corner!

Field Trip to the Hatchery!

Today we got to go to a fish hatchery!  It was under the guise of a "field trip" but I think all of the parents wanted to go more than the kids!  It was neat to see the fish as minnows and then as they grow.  It was amazing to know that the fish are kept at the Hatchery for over 2 years until they smolt.  They were still very tiny at 2 years old, only about 3 inches long.  They keep the water very cold so their metabolism stays low and they grow slower.  Fun facts from the hatchery!