Ryan and I were talking this weekend about how quickly our time at Fort Drum is winding down. Come June, we’ll be onto our next adventure in Washington at Fort Lewis. While we’re here though, we’re doing our best to find a balance between getting all the things done and seeing all the people we love while we still have time. Recently, our next door neighbors, Jo Ann and Mike, moved from their home here in Black River to their newly-built home at Oneida Lake. We’ve visited there before in the summer when it was just their camp house, but since they left, we haven’t had the time to really see them – or their new house.
Jo Ann invited us to spend the weekend with them, and we readily agreed. Spencer and Porter know them as Nana and Papa Mike, and they’re basically our second parents so we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spend time with some of our favorite people around. We packed up the car Saturday morning, and we drove the one and a half hours to spend a chilly (but not too chilly) weekend at the lake.
We spent most of Saturday playing inside since it was drizzly, but the boys had a blast seeing the lake frozen over and watching the ice fishermen out doing their work. After an early night since the boys decided to boycott naptime, Ryan and I played cards and enjoyed some quality time with Jo Ann and Mike. PSA – if you’re looking for a simple and fun card game, invest in Play Nine. We had a blast! It’s like golf and gambling all in one. Sold!
Snowsuit – Target (similar here) // Hat & Gloves – Target (similar here)
On Sunday, we planned to head back to Black River around lunch, so we spent the morning enjoying the slightly warmer weather (read: 50ish degrees), and we went for a little walk on the lake. The sun was just barely melting that top layer of ice, but the ice was frozen nearly a foot down, so we chanced it – and it was totally worth it. The boys thought it was the funniest thing to slip and fall, and though Spence managed to dunk his mittens, we all played hard.
It was a good weekend. I know the relaxing weekends here are numbered as our PCS gets closer and closer, so we’re soaking it up while we can. I’m grateful for the time and experiences we’ve had here, despite how we feel about Fort Drum, and weekends like this remind me how very blessed we are. We have a fantastic family that spans this country, and we’re so grateful that the military has afforded us these opportunities.
I’m linking up today with B Loved Boston for Weekending.
