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.