Welcome back! Where have you been? We've missed you!
Okay, really, you didn't go anywhere. It is Kyle and I who moved, and it is I who hasn't blogged in over a year and a half! Yes, tis I who let us fall off the map, but now we're back, and better than ever.
Take a minute to browse the blog, you'll notice a few changes. Had the intention, did I, to change the background according to the seasons. I did change the background, although without posting anything, it was missed by all. I will keep updating
and keep posting, it makes much more sense that way. We have a picture of us posted as well. I hope to change that as often as we have another good picture to put in it's place. You can now also use your email to sign up for alerts when we have a new update. There is also a list of other blogs I love to read. Are you on that list and want me to remove you? Do you have one you think I should add? Let me know. I'm always up for more fun. Those blogs that have been updated most recently are listed at the top. You can also see what book has most recently made its home on my nightstand. I'm hoping to get moving on those as well. It seems like I always have far too many books to read and never enough time. I welcome any and all suggestions to make your visit more fun.
As for Saint Louis, I think it is now officially winter. Last year, we had our first snow on Thanksgiving, and while we did have a little bit of snow over Christmas this year (that mostly melted as soon as it hit the ground), I think we can safely say the first big snow of the season came on January 12th. From what I gather from our neighbors, this doesn't necessarily mean winter came late, it just means it might last longer into February and March than we'd like.
Here are a few pictures of the house earlier this year in Spring, and now again in Winter. It is interesting to see how quickly the leaves change color and fall off the trees. It's almost as if, during the first really cold night in Fall, all the leaves got together and agreed to turn colors and fall off the trees all in one night.
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| Beautiful spring day |
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Starting to turn into Fall...You'll also notice that Kyle removed that tree in front of the front door. We didn't like that you couldn't see the street from the peephole.
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| Winter has arrived. Leaves are gone, everything goes into dormant or hibernate mode. |
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| Backyard in early Spring when everything is so green. |
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| End of Summer, staring to be Fall |
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| Backyard in Winter |
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| Right side of yard |
I must say, as cold as it looks, 17 degrees with snow and the sun out really isn't that bad. It's the
wind that will bite you. A scarf and gloves become a girl's best friend out here, especially when you have to run in to work from the parking lot. My first purchase out here was a knee-length wool coat, and it makes such a huge difference! After living by the beach, with the cool air, and always having the option of putting a sweatshirt on to be a little warmer, I do think I enjoy Winter a bit more than Summer out here. With Winter, you can at least put clothes on to warm up. In Summer out here, you basically melt in your own "ick", plus mosquitoes love me, but I'll save that story for a post in Summer. Spring and Fall are really nice here, mostly because you get a break from how hot or cold it was in the previous season. We did get quite a large number of deer visiting our backyard towards the end of Summer, as you'll see in our upcoming post about all the little creatures that frequent our backyard.
In closing, I hope this blog finds you well. I promise to do a better job of sharing our adventures in the future. In the mean time, I wish you love, luck, and lollipops!
Mandi
