Faithfully Fit: ....avoiding the funk.....

.....I always look forward to free days where we have no obligations, no school, no appointments; I let the chores sit unscathed and leave the schedule open for nothing or a whole lot of everything.....

.....and then to find a beauty of a day like that which is also a free one for our friends has been rare as of late; as all of our lives have started to become richly filled with activity..... and life tends to get busier as children get older.....so it's a blessing on a cold January day to run out for a 4.5 hour jaunt so our littles could zip around the zoo, ignoring the icy chill; but soaking in the sunlight.....and most importantly, enjoying themselves and one another.....

....retreating inside not only to see penguins leap, dive and glide, but so we could thaw our hands and retrieve from the chill of the blowing wind.....

.....and watching the penguins as you see your own reflection against the glass is also pretty entertaining too.....

.....and days like this are also good for a Momma's soul too.....because it's fairly easy to fall into a post Christmas funk during the January and February months when you live in the northeast....the let down of the holidays occurs; just as all of the brightly, warm glowing lights are being taken down from trees and window displays....the same lights that added so much energy and fervor to a city that anticipated Christmas......and family and cozy home dwelling just weeks ago........the beauty of the city vanishes and we are left with bare trees, dirty snow covered streets, piles of trash that built up from the shut down of the blizzard, cold and grey days without a glimpse of spring in sight.....

.....so to see the children nestled together to get a good glimpse of the geese; laughing, giggling and hollering out with wonder as Elsie screamed, heelllo duckkkk at the top of her lungs, helps to alleviate some of the blues that can be associated with this time of year......

.......because there really isn't anything better than seeing your babes elated with simplicity.....

......and watching our toddlers with sheer excitement bask in the activity of having a hot chocolate with mini marsh mellows after a cold morning walk also warms the soul and makes for a good morning......

Callie insisted upon changing into her PJs for this occasion

......because it really is the small things that add up to one big, exquisite thing.....

....so grey skis, ugly streets overloaded with trash, brown Christmas trees that have been stacked on corners for days can not interrupt the beauty that stems from spending time with friends.......passing our time with joyful occasions that infuse the indoor fun with variety as we wait for the outdoor activities that will come more frequently with spring.....

.....so in the meantime, we enjoy the inside and bake......