Just a little update...

All is well here! I've been busy with photo sessions, and editing has consumed most of my evenings, which is why I haven't been posting. But things really are going well. Busy, as always, but good!

This past weekend was pretty laid back, for a change. We had the town Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday morning, which was hilarious. We got about 6 inches of snow last week from winter storm Ukko and, while it has melted quite a bit, there was still a lot on the ground by the community center! It made hunting for eggs less-than-challenging. Can you see why? It was also VERY cold that morning, and the hunt itself really only lasted a few minutes. We had a few flurries of snow, even! But the kids were very happy with the candy they got, and are excited for another hunt this weekend (and another in May, when Orthodox Easter rolls around! They are really far apart this year). I snapped this really quickly before we ran inside to get warm. Not exactly your typical egg hunt, haha!
The rest of the weekend was spent mostly lounging around. We ran a few errands, and Nikos had ice skating yesterday, but he and Gus spent a lot of time playing Lego: Star Wars together (a gift from yiayia and papou this past week). I think that's one of my favorite games for the Wii, now. It's so fun!!

Anyway... This morning, I finished editing and uploading my most recent client gallery, so I was all caught up. I made it my mission to get the kids outside. This crazy-long winter has kept us cooped up more often than we like, and it was definitely time to get out and run around! Half of the yard was covered with snow, and half wasn't, so I made them wear their snow gear-- knowing full well that, if they didn't, they would wind up falling in the snow and getting soaked/freezing. Of course! I think it ended up being a good idea, particularly since it clouded over and got chilly while we were out there. I blew bubbles for them to pop until my fingers went numb, but then they were left to their own devices so I could put gloves on:
Meanwhile, I did some birdwatching. In the year that we've lived here, I have become mildly obsessed with all the amazing wildlife and plants that thrive here. The birds are my favorites! This little chickadee started visiting my window feeder this weekend, and I had gotten a good picture of him this morning:
While I was outside with the kids, I heard chirping, and followed the sound... only to find a good ten or more chickadees, talking to each other in the woods next to our house! I snapped this picture of one on a branch, but they were all over the area. SO CUTE!!
I had also planned to get some pictures of the robins that have overtaken our yard. A real sign of spring, even if we still have snow on the ground! They are the silliest birds! They're like pigeons! They just like to poke around in the grass for bugs, or worms, or seeds, or whatever it is that they eat. But of course, they flew off as soon as we went outside, and came back the minute we went in. I snapped this photo from the dining room-- which is also where I realized that the robins weren't the only birds poking around out there!
I sent this picture to my bird-nerd friend, who informed me that the little birds I saw were Juncos, or "Snowbirds." They aren't generally seen a lot in the spring/summer, so it is funny that they were down there foraging with the robins. Goes to show how mixed up our seasons are this year, haha!

Anyway... the forecast is looking nicer for the upcoming weeks, and I am looking forward to the real arrival of spring. It should be over 50 degrees on my birthday-- one week from today! I can't wait to feel warm again!! ------------------------- Oh! And while we're on the subject of birds... I don't think I shared this one from a few weeks ago! A mating pair of bluebirds, splashing in our rain gutters. SO CUTE!