This is a post especially for my sister in Portland who wrote the family today to beg for sympathy about the dramatic and unusual snow and cold temperatures they are having there this week. I know they’re not used to it, and Portland doesn’t have snow removal equipment. Yep 21 is pretty cold, but it won’t last. It sounds like a fun adventure compared to what we have here in Chicago. It just doesn’t compare to 3 below, with a *30 below* wind chill. And our family in Minnesota is experiencing slightly colder temperatures.

I just have to give her a bit of a hard time about it. Some snow days at home with your kids during Christmas week sounds downright cozy and sweet.

Last weekend, we participated in a neighborhood meet-and-greet. Here we are on the local community blog, the Uptown Update, posing with a couple of our neighbors.

After the long winter, it is nice to get out and explore our ‘hood and get to meet a few folks on a lovely Spring day, even if it was in response to some hard stuff happening around us. We love our new home, and it was good to meet some other folks who are working towards positive change here.