The Clarks: March 2008

Fun in the Snow

Since we know the snow won't be around for long (by next week it is supposed to be 10c/50f), I took Elizabeth and Peter to Kadriorg Park, which is near our house. Peter had fun digging in the snow and throwing it while Elizabeth, always creative, started work on a snow man.

Elizabeth and Peter with her creation.

Later, she added her hat.

There was plenty of untouched snow for making snow angels.

Peter kept making different angels!

The main reason we went to the park was because Elizabeth had walked there the day before and was fascinated by the birds on the half-frozen pond. Always the nature lover, she wanted to get pictures to remember the scene. These are just a few.

Kevad Eestis (Spring in Estonia)!

We had one of the mildest winters in ages here, and so now that it is spring we had a storm that brought more snow than we had through the whole winter combined. This is the view from outside of our apartment building this morning

It snowed steadily for 36 hours and we easily had 18 inches (45 centimeters) of snow on the ground across from our house. It was actually fun to watch the storm because we hadn't seen anything like it this year. But driving was not fun!

The snow did make the yard of the restaurant across the street look like a beautiful country scene.

And the vacant lot that faces our house had all the mud and debris covered by a blanket of white.

Outside of the corps was also wintery white. I had to wade through a tall snow bank to get across the street and take this picture.

But the wind had blown the snow into huge piles in the back of our building.

It even blocked the emergency exit from our chapel!

And our neighbours will have to do quite a bit of work before they can go anywhere today!

Mama

In Loving Memory of
Evelyn Alice Groff Smith Banks
21 May 1940 - 24 March 2005

International Women's Day

I'm thinking today about the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) and the "communion of saints" -- all the wonderful women who have influenced my life!

Grammy Reny
Aunt Esther
Mama
Aunt Joann
Mrs. Bamford
Mrs. Smith

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

The thought of these women cheering me on from the stands as I run this race of life (as step-daughter, sister, wife, mother, officer, friend, cousin, neighbor) gives me great encouragement!

Evelyn

more on Peter's birthday

http://tartu.blogspot.com/2005/03/peter-is-one-year-old-toda_110991422118044919.html

I just remembered this post I had written 3 years ago.

I wrote on Peter's birthday card that he is the blond-haired, blue-eyed, born-at-home boy who made all our dreams come true! :-)

Evelyn

Peter's Birthday

Today we had our family celebration of Peter's birthday. When he first woke up, Elizabeth said, "Now you're 4!" and he replied, "No, we didn't have cake yet!!"