The music

I'll be getting the Christmas music off just as soon as I can remember my user name for that web site! They will help you out if you forget your password but expect you to be able to remember your user name I guess!

***Update***
Obviously I got the music changed. Never did figure out my user name so I just started a new account! This time I wrote it down!

Testing out the sleigh. She had had braids in which is why her hair is so curly/frizzy.

Merry Christmas to all..

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas this year! We were so blessed to have lots of family around us and more of anything than we needed. Christmas Eve was at our house this year with Rick's side of the family. Since churches were all pretty much canceled due to the weather we had our own little candle light service which turned out to be really neat.

After everyone left I was sitting on the couch checking where Santa was on Norad with the kids. I had a little bell on the vest I was wearing and it made a little jingle. Paige's head popped up and she said, "I hear Santa!" I intentionally made the sound again and she bolted off my lap. I asked her where she was going and got, "No! Havta go bed else Santa can come!" She made a beeline up the stairs so I asked if she was going to tell Daddy good night. Without even looking back over her shoulder she yelled, "night Daddy!" Normally she would have turned around and gone back for a hug - not this time Santa was comming! She was so much fun this year with the whole Santa thing. Poor Trace is really struggling with what to think about it. He wants to believe but I think deep down he knows. I guess we did pretty good to make it ten years with him.

Christmas morning the kids found that Santa had not passed them by. He treated them all very well and got them what they had asked for. Between parents and grandparents I don't think there was much on their lists they didn't get! Although Caden did say there was one thing he didn't get and it happend to be the $100 Star Wars toy he has wanted forever - so sorry that's just not happening!

We still aren't done with family though. Rick's mom's side is getting together on Saturday and my side on Sunday. There won't be many gifts for us at either which is just fine with me!

As far as the weather is concerned around here - it has been a mess. We have more snow on the ground than this area has had in something like 50 years! More snow on Christmas Day than they have records for! I think there was about a foot our there and it was really pretty. Unfortunately they are NOT prepared for it here and do not have the snow plows needed. So most of the roads the snow just piled up on and got packed down with traffic. Then the cars with chains tore it all up so it is kinda like driving on ski mougles a total nightmare! The weather is supposed to start warming up into the 40's now so we should start to see it melt...

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

At this point it sounds like we are going to be house bound a bit longer. More freezing rain expected today. I've already done my baking, gifts are wrapped, house is clean (that's a miracle) now what? I imagine I could find a closet or two to clean out but I think I'm leaning more toward sewing. I can't remember the last time I had time to actually choose what I would do. Yes, she is asleep in there! It was too hard for her to walk in so I rigged up an old laundry basket and tucked her in nice and snug - maybe a little too snug! We were heading over to get the boys.

Just a shot of our house in the snow. Not that great...

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

This was too funny! Trace lured Paige over near him then grabbed her and took off down the hill! Normally I would have been upset with him for tricking her but somehow it just struck me as funny instead. She screamed the whole way down and was madder than a hornet by the time I got to her. When I asked her if it was fun and did she want to go again I got an emphatic "NO!" Caden on our little sledding hill.

Trace with his bright red, frozen face.

This was Paige the night before. We went for a little walk since we had no idea how much we would get or if we would even get any more.

This is a what we have now. Much more typical of the Northwest is this ice. It is about 1/4 inch thick and covers everything! Caden didn't believe it was there until I opened the door and started pounding on it!

We have had a couple of interesting days around here. The boys got an early Christmas vacation with classes canceled Wed, Thurs & Fri. Friday afternoon it started snowing and it continued through the night and ALL day Saturday. I've never seen snow literally come down all day without ever stopping. In the end we had about 7 inches at our house. The boys found a drainage ditch in our neighborhood and turned it into a sledding hill. It is about the size of a small lot for a house with the hill being about 10 feet high. So plenty of room for lots of kids. They spent most of the day over there and had a blast.

During the night the snow turned to freezing rain. I noticed it shimmering off the snow during the night and it was really pretty. Well, that's almost as much fun as far as the kids are concerned. So, they suited up and were off to the sledding hill by 9am. I have a feeling I won't be seeing much of them today!

Sledding Northwest style!

OK, so I'll admit, not everything about the northwest is great. School has been closed the last two days and likely will be out tomorrow. As Caden so kindly pointed out to me that means they will be out of school for 21 days! It would be one thing if there was actually snow thay could play in, but what you see is about all we get. There is actually a little ice they are sliding on that was put there deliberately by a hose. I told Caden that there might not be school and he looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Mom, there's no snow!" Yes, I know dear. Welcome to the Northwest.

Gingerbread Houses!

All I have left now is the Cinnabons on Christmas morning and I've fulfilled my motherly obligations for this year!

Sugar Cookies!

Just click on the picture and it will enlarge so you can see it better!

Just hanging out with Daddy

She got away Daddy!

Paige and Daddy playing

The accused...

Yes, Tigger chewed through our Christmas tree lights and no, it wasn't like Christmas Vacation!Apparently he has suffered no ill effects although the lower half of our tree is a little dark.

The scene of the crime...

Showers likely, drizzle, rain off and on, intermitent showers, mist, downpour, rain.
Just a few of the words that come to mind that the weather men out here use to describe the weather on a given day. However, for the past few days we are hearing things like; winter storm warning, blizzard conditions, snow possible, 5+ inches expected in the higher elevations, dangerous travel. Now, don't get me wrong, I grew up here. I understand that a little bit of snow is a BIG deal. But really shouldn't 'winter storm warning' be reserved for stuff more like we saw in Illinois? I know I may be eating my words by monday, but as of today the kids got off the bus without coats. It is supposed to be in the 20's early next week. You'd think we were expecting a polar ice storm! Now, 5 degrees with a wind chill of -5 and 8 inches of new snow on the ground with no plows in sight, a three car driveway that has to be shoveled and new snow still falling? Well that's a winter storm. Ok, that's enough of my little soap box. We are all just shaking our heads and rolling our eyes over here!

Yeah, I know, I could regret this ...
I actually hope I do though!

'Twas a soggy Sunday morning...

Look at that soaked jacket! Trace was willing to just take anything!

This was literally just a few minutes after getting out of the car!

...when we chose to get our Christmas tree! The best day for us to go and it hasn't rained all week. The weather man predicted rain but did we dress for it? Nooooo. We were dressed for semi cold and possibly snow - not rain. What was I thinking? I guess our mid-west Christmas tree hunting is still fresh in my memory! Of course it didn't just drizzle, or maybe even intermittent showers - it was a nice steady rain from the minute we got out of the car. We kept reminding each other that we were making memories - were we ever! Rick eventually found our tree and cut it down. While he tied it on the car I got three kids out of soaking clothing and into dry stuff. The other two families we went with were no where to be found but we headed for home anyway! We did much better than last time though, at least this one fit in the house! It is standing in our living room drying out at the moment (not like we could leave it outside to get dry).

The kids were thrilled to go "into the wilderness" for their tree once again. They especially love getting to do anything with their older cousins! Christmas tree: $5, Gas to get Christmas tree: $15, traipsing through the woods soaking wet: Priceless!

Merry Christmas

I know we can't go back, but this video and song are so touching. Maybe there is someone reading here that might feel that gentle tug in their heart. Maybe, just maybe another child will find their home soon. Adopting a child touches a place in your heart so deep. It streaches you and forces you to trust in God like never before. And the rewards are beyond anything you can ever imagine.

Our trip to the big guy

I decided to take the kids after school in the hope that it wouldn't be crowded. It paid off because we were the only ones there! Since there was no way I could/would pay $15 for one 5x7 picture I had to stand outside the little fence to use my own camera. Unfortunately I'm discovering that while my camera does well enough outside it is totally inadequate inside - especially from a distance. So none of the pictures were great but there is one I'll have to work with and see if it will do. Otherwise we'll have to go back for a 'retake'.
Trace wasn't too keen on the idea of actually going to sit with Santa. He asked me if Santa didn't already know what he wanted. In the end I gave him the perfect out by suggesting he take Paige up. He then made a point of telling Nana and Papa later that he only went so Paige would go! Both boys got their 'order' in and then it was Paige's turn. I doubt Santa gets very many two year olds who tell him what store their gift of choice is at! She told him, just as she keeps telling us, that she wants, "the baby and diaper changer in the big box with the little stroller - at Costco!" Of course she doesn't say it quite that clearly and she rattles it off so fast that someone usually has to interpret! Good thing Santa has finished his shopping for our house.
Things at our house are about the same at the moment. We are decorated for Christmas and this weekend we are hoping to hike up into the woods for our tree. Trace has started advanced unicycling. He is doing so well! Apparently they were riding around and shooting baskets at the same time the other day. In the next couple of weeks they will be learning to jump rope and hop on the unicycle. I'm pretty impressed! There were only a couple of kids who were moved to advanced after only one session of beginner so it's a big deal for Trace and we are awfully proud of him. Caden is doing really well in Chess club too. He really has a knack for it - unlike his mother! Every week he looks forward to playing with his buddy Saunders and they are getting pretty advanced themselves. Paige is excelling at being two! She is getting a little too smart for her britches though. We are in total shock that she can already recognize over half of the alphabet and even knows the sounds of a couple letters! That's about it for now...

Ah-HA!

I got it! Thanks Jill A.! Not only did I finally figure out how to fix the mess I'd made, but I was able to change the background for the first time EVER! While I was at it I added the actual Christmas card picture I will be using - since it is officially the season now.