Snowed In!!

This was the perfect blizzard. Lots of powdery snow + no ice = Lots of lovely scenery and cancellations without any power outages. It was awesome. There were two bummers that came with the snow. First, we couldn't get to our cabin we'd rented for our old-fashioned Christmas adventure. And second, my mom couldn't come up for Christmas. But, we had a wonderful time anyway!! It was so beautiful and exciting.

I had just told Isaac about the time when I was a kid and school was cancelled for a week because of an ice storm so we had to walk to the grocery store. He really wanted that experience, so even though we didn't really need anything, we made the hike to Wegman's just for fun. That backpack was a lot heavier on the way home--what a great idea to buy apples and milk!!! The drifts came up to my thighs and Isaac embraced every possible opportunity to fling himself into the snow facefirst. It was an awesome adventure.

Daman reliving his old Illinois days by building a super cool snow cave. I went in. . . once. The tunnel in was a little too claustrophobic for me. No idea why people do caving. Wackos.

Lucy giving her "Primary" talk. Church was cancelled since everyone was buried in snow so we had our own little Primary. It was so awesome! Here's a summary:

Conducting: Daman

Opening Song: Popcorn Popping (Lucy's choice)

Opening Prayer: Isaac

Welcome--everyone got the Hello song

Birthdays--we pretended it was Lucy and Isaac's birthday so they each got a sticker and a tootsie roll

Scripture: Lucy (2nd Article of Faith)

Talk: Isaac (He recited the 8th Article of Faith and said he liked it because it says the scriptures are true)

Singing Time: Daman, complete with Fast/Slow and Quiet/Loud signs for the songs

Sharing Time: Morgen; we talked about the Parable of the Ten Virgins and made little "lamps" out of playdough and put drops of oil (that looked alot like beans) in as we talked about things we can do to be ready when Jesus comes again

Closing Song: Nephi's Courage (Isaac's choice)

Closing Prayer: Lucy

It was a really sweet experience and I am so glad we did it. I love my children so much and cherish these moments with them. I am so grateful for a free blogspot that gives me a place to preserve these memories without touching a three ring binder or a gluestick.

O Christmas Tree. . .

Once again, we opted for the "Cut Your Own Tree" adventure this year. Sure Isaac wanted to get a tree from the stand down the street. Easier? Of course. But would Ma and Pa Ingalls do such a thing? I don't think so. Since Daman is a therapist we wanted to be super fair in making the decision so we put it to a vote. Isaac voted for the tree stand down the road, and then we put the vote to Lucy as follows: "Lucy, do you want to go pet a bunny???" (Did I mention the tree farm had bunnies?) Swaying the vote? I don't think so. Surprisingly, we won. We made the drive, said "Timber!" drank cider, held bunnies, and for just a moment pretended that we lived in simpler times.

The Lumberjack crew at work (this isn't actually our tree though--we found a really awesome tree they had just cut down on a far corner of the farm, so we snagged it, but we asked them if we could cut down a scraggly one just for the experience. They said yes, and even convinced Isaac that he'd be doing them a big favor--Christmas tree farmers are cool like that)

Lucy, enjoying the outdoor fire sitting area:

Cute and Cuddly (the bunny is pretty cute too)

Even though my face looks funny--I really love this picture and I really love Emma.

Lucy broke the record I think for longest bunny-holding session. And she got two separate sessions. She was loving the cuddly bunny gig.

Below is an early picture of the tree. The ornaments are now all clustered around the top. Can you guess why??? Hint: It is really cute and has four teeth and rhymes with Blemma.

The BIG Move

We have relocated. Sure it was only a whopping six miles away, but it is in another zip code, school, and ward. And we are a 15 minute walk to Wegmans--and that is a beautiful thing. The move was made much less stressful by the fact that our old house was being demolished after we moved. I highly recommend this plan. Moving out of a house soon to be levelled is pretty darn fun. Scratch the wall? Who cares! Need to use an axe to widen the doorway a bit? Go ahead! Still when a moving van is involved, so is stress, and it was a pretty hairy weekend. Lucy and Emma decided to get sick and since all beds were packed up they couldn't get a decent nap. But, we finally made it, got the U-Haul back in time and had plenty of leftover doughnuts from all the helpful movers and Grandma Lulu. Thanks everybody!!

The Big Truck Drivin' Team

I guess not all the beds were packed, we kept Grandma's lap out for emergencies. Thanks Lulu!!

Look at that counter space! Coming from our galley kitchen of one drawer and one square foot of counter space, this was quite a step up. Not bad for a basement apartment. Daman and Lucy seem to agree.

Granite countertops it had, flooring it didn't. Maybe other people have kids that don't spill, but we do not and carpet and mealtime are a very bad combination. Enter: IKEA and Daman's mad skills with wood. Voila--a handmade dining room, ready for spills and thrills.

Our very first family meal in our dining "nook." Someday I might have a house with a real dining room but for now I am totally okay with being able to vacuum my entire house in five minutes. Space is so overrated.

Giving of Thanks

It might be a little early to be announcing my New Year's Resolutions, but this is me, throwing caution to the wind. I solemnly vow to take more pictures of my family and our whimsical adventures. Below is the only picture we took on our awesome three day Thanksgiving holiday at my Mom's house: This was taken our first day and I don't think the camera left the car again. We did have a huge photo shoot with a photographer my mom lined up and those will certainly be making an appearance later. Just to whet the appetite. . . there will be Snuggies. It was a really wonderful holiday though. Mom had planned such great activities. But first, let's note the most important event: The Turkey Bowl during which I, Morgen, she of the uncoordinated hands and feet, made TWO touchdowns. Here's a replay: Quarterback throws, I catch, cue the dancing. Repeat. It was awesome. Then we ate turkey, then we played games, then we saw "The Blind Side," then I cried because I am so proud of Daman and the work he does with kids who've been dealt such rough hands in life, then we ate more, then we got pedicures and manicures and talked about boys (okay, Mom just talked about George Clooney). It was a really wonderful time with family. On the way home we stopped for a bit to visit my Dad and Lucinda, and miraculously took the camera out of the car. They have a great little "farm" with chickens that Melodi's dog tried to eat. I was so jealous. . of the chickens, not the dog.

WARNING! Intensely cute little girl holding speckled chicken below. . . .

Isaac loved basking in my Dad's war stories. My Dad loved being basked in. He sent Isaac some patches from his uniform in Vietnam and Isaac was so excited, he sewed them on his school backpack. I'm really proud of my Dad's military service and the greater appreciation for freedom and sacrifice it has given me.

Why Virginia Totally Rocks

These don't capture the true colors of Virginia in all her Autumn glory, but they do capture the sheer joy that comes from the combination of said leaves with three kids and trampoline.

BOO!!!

Out of the 58 pictures Isaac took of our four different jack'o'lanterns, this one is definitely the best--both the picture and the pumpkin. Pumpkins were buy one get one free at Safeway, so everyone but Emma got their own carving project. Roasted pumpkin seeds abounded. . .

From L to R: Isaac's masterpiece (he drew, I cut), My "Boo"--Well, I said I wanted one that said "Boo," and Daman did the rest, Lucy's Kitty-Kat--I drew and cut, Daman's scaaaary ghost.

TRUNK OR TREAT!!!

We've loved the trunk or treats at our ward for the last four years. This was our last one. First came the chili cookoff. Yum. There was also a pie contest. Didn't enter. Didn't win. Didn't taste. Hooray for me. The kids ran all over the place and pranced across the stage in costume to boot. And then came the real fun of wandering the parking lot begging for sugar in a variety of forms. We love this ward and have made wonderful memories here. We are sad to leave such good friends, but I'm sure grateful that my best friends, Daman, Ike, Lucy, and Emma go with me wherever I go.

Halloween Day

We started the day in costume early. Isaac already had a ninja turtle costume, but he got the bright idea to be a mummy. So, we tore up an old ghost costume and wrapped him up. This was quite a project!! But, he was so happy, and was determined to spend the day in it--and even brave the inevitable bathroom trip. A good friend got Lucy this dress at a two for one sale at the Disney store. I almost cried when she put it on. . isn't she beautiful. My little girl is growing up!!

Next came a trip to a little Halloween festival. My kids love face painting and when I see an event touting a face painting booth, I put it in my calendar. This was the best so far. The lady loved Ike's costume so much she went a little crazy with the mummy makeup!! He thought it was awesome and was in creepy mummy character the whole time!

Beauty and the Beast

Daman hoopin' it up in the hula contest--he didn't last long

And finally. . . let the real candy flow. Notice Isaac's change of costume. The mummy wrap was a little much, so he opted for the mummy-faced ninja turtle look. This is Ralph, our super cool over-protective neighbor. We will miss him when we make the move. He is such a sweet, hard-working guy. Our kids love screaming hello to him across the street as he walks his dog three times a day.

EMMA!!

I tried to make a slideshow, but it was a no-go, so I fiddled with a collage. Our pictures have been locked in Picasa and I am slowly figuring out how to get them out. Because of this sweet Emma has been sadly under-represented on our walls and in the blog. And now she's almost nine months old, has two whole teeth, and brings a whole new meaning to her nickname "Thumper." This lady never stops grooving, and that smile? She pretty much wears that all the time. She is just one beautiful gal and I am so grateful for her!

Kindergartener!!

So, in case you can't tell, Ike was kind of excited on his first day of school. And I am kind of excited that I figured out how to get pictures out of Picasa and on to the blog. Isaac is LOVING school. He was pretty bummed to miss a day of school for a weekend family trip. And I quote, "Mom, I learn something new every day. If I miss school, I won't learn that thing!" What a nerd. . . I am so proud.

Ready to walk to school! I love the fact that we can walk Isaac to school every day. He was ready to walk all by himself the second day. Not so fast buddy. I'm sad that we won't be able to at our new place, but driving to school is fun too.

The New 'Do

So, I did it. It is all chopped off. This picture maybe isn't the best, my hair kind of blends into the door, but you get the idea. The stylist wouldn't really listen to me, I am not so good at standing up for myself in the salon. So, it is a little long and poofy on top, but I might go back in today and have her take a little more off the top. Daman offered to do it for me, we'll see about that.

Our Newest Toy

Now that Emma sits at the family table she really thinks she's the junk. If she's not getting the attention she wants she gives a hearty squawk until someone looks at her - at which point she goes straight into her huge gummy grin and banging her head on the chair back. She's tons of fun. So we have this little routine we sometimes do to get the kids focused and arms folded for the prayer before a meal. And it goes a little som'n like this - hit it! (if you know the artist to that song I'll give you a nickle). As I was saying, it goes like this "Open shut them, open shut them, give a little clap (Clap twice). Open shut them, open shut them, fold them in your lap (huge grunt from Lucy). " If your not familiar with the Reynolds clap, be grateful you still have intact eardrums - for some reason some of the Reynolds have insanely loud (Hulk claps according to Lucy) 'claps'. We noticed one night that while we (I) was clapping Emma had a seizure of sorts, or that's what it looked like. So just to be sure we did it again, and again, and again - I had no idea kids could be so fun. Enjoy.

For some frustrating reason I couldn't get these videos uploaded onto the blog, so you'll have to check them out on youtube - very worth it though:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4AHd-urgWc
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhnlqeorqJI

Happy Birthday America

I often check in on my blog just to scan for updates on the blogs of family and friends to the right. And I am getting awfully tired of looking at the same old entry. So, today I plugged in the camera with resolve to input some sort of update. And, given the month, it might as well be a Patriotic one.

Pretty cool, huh?? I really wish I could take credit for this "Americasaurus" beyond that of buying the pan and coming up with the idea to make a birthday cake for America. But the true artistic genius belongs to Mr. D. Lucy has been dragging her dino cake pan around for a couple of days and so we made the dream come true. Well, I made a dang good chocolate cake anyway. We had an awesome trip to Lexington/Buena Vista VA for the actual holiday. Oh, it was so so wonderful and small, and quiet, and traffic free (it was also camera free, hence the dinocake headliner photo). I was filled with longing for those mountains and that pace of life. But, I digress.

After our small town patriotic revelry, we had a delayed Annual Reynolds Red White and Blue Breakfast. We usually have blue waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for breakfast and the Fourth. Then, we read the Declaration of Independence. We did it for dessert this time. That and pictured chocolate cake. God Bless America and all good food her lands provide. I really do love this wonderful country and all the freedoms we enjoy. I am grateful for a government that values human rights enough to question interrogation practices and even take human rights sometimes to an extreme. I am thankful that as a woman I can vote, work, learn, and speak however I want. I am thankful that I can worship as I please and pray where I want. I am grateful that I can travel with my family without fear (though there is a trepidation that comes with a road trip and three little ones, but that isn't America's fault) This is a blessed nation, made evident by the thousands of souls that still long to come here and live the dream of a better life. I pray for our troops, our President, and our Judges. God Bless Us All. Happy Birthday America.

A Bike, A Break (Two Actually), A Baby, A Blessing

So, for those who have not heard, while we were down in Florida for Emma's blessing, Daman went on a little bike ride with Reese. I heard the first twenty minutes were really fun. Until Daman was launched off his bike onto his head with only his poor arm bones between his skull and the rocks below. The bones kept him from breaking his neck, for which I am truly grateful, but it came with a price. He fractured both elbows, and even with a helmet, sustained a concussion serious enough to cause some scary short term memory loss. He was very confused when he found himself in Florida and when Reese reminded him he was there for Emma's blessing, he responded, "Emma? Emma? I know Isaac and Lucy. . " Very scary. He is recovering nicely, but for several days there I had four children. Daman couldn't feed, bathe, or dress himself. (I would like to mention here that concussions and pain medication mercifully cause constipation. . . if you get my meaning) But, when the doc told him no casts were necessary and the best thing he could do was to take off the slings as much as possible, my tough guy cast off those wussy slings and began a quest for full mobility recovery. I am lucky to have a husband that doesn't milk injuries--I think he'd still be playing the bathing card if possible though.

In any case, though he couldn't (and still can't!) hold Emma, he did remember her name in time to give her a blessing. We gathered at Reese and Kat's home and it was a sweet and wonderful experience. I am so grateful that so many people love my children. I am grateful that Daman is alive. I am grateful for righteous men in my life who hold the Priesthood of God to bless my husband on a bike trail and my precious baby girl in his arms. Emma is a sweet, gentle soul who has brought so much to our home. She has started squealing and squawking and we can't get enough. Isaac adores her, Lucy sings to her, and Daman and I just look at her and smile. We are very blessed. Even with two broken elbows.

My mom brought this dress (she came all the way from NC!!) and I absolutely love it--especially the darling bonnet.

Wonderful Grandparents!! Daman is trying to hide his slings here.

Rewind

So, had I been more blog-savvy, I would have started these catch up postings in reverse order, thus enabling my avid followers to get a better chronological flavor of our recent activities. Cleary I am not savvy, in fact right now my blog endurance is beginning to fade, so on to the beach. I have witnesses that heard Kris and Gary say that our day at the beach with them was the most perfect beach day they'd had in their years in Florida. Honest. It was stunning. Not too hot, with crystal clear water just the right height for little legs. And Emma slept or cooed peacefully the entire time. It was a delightful day. . .