Winter Break and a Snowstorm
On the third weekend of December, my schedule gave to me, a snowstorm and winter break. We actually started the weekend by having Jeff’s parents down. We went to Dome after Dark at the Botanical Center which has become one of my favorite things to do there. One of the boys characterized it as “super chill” and I think that is an apt description. They turn down the lights and have a color-changing glow on the plants. There are lanterns on tables, snacks, and lo-fi music playing. It’s incredibly relaxing.
The miniature trains were also out in the gardeners’ show house which all my guys love to see. This year there was a Japanese theme since the Botanical Center has been recently focusing on Asian Heritage. They celebrated Governor Ray welcoming refugees to our state and the cultural richness it gave to the area. I was really disappointed to have missed these events and hope the Ray Way Celebration is something the Botanical Center continues. I believe we will attend in the future. It looked like something that would be of great interest to us and many others.
We spent the rest of the weekend together with Jeff’s parents, watching Sam play basketball, going to a shop Jeff’s mom and I both have shopped at for each other online but hadn’t yet made it to in person – and we all found stuff we liked there! We enjoyed meals together, exchanged gifts, and played games.
The following week, Christmas break started for the boys and the weather took a turn for the worse. The windchills reached nearly -40 with the Real Feel in the -50s. We knew it was coming and had our groceries ready. We had all our Christmas shopping done. So, we were able to stay inside and spent most of the time baking treats for the neighbors as planned, which also helped to keep the house warmer. Sam had a day before the temperatures dipped too low he was able to play outside with a neighbor friend, and he bundled up to brave the weather to make gingerbread houses with that same friend on one of the really cold days. The dogs snuggled by the fire and we watched Christmas movies under blankets, wrapped presents with space heaters close by, and drank warm drinks until Christmas.
