Cousin Visit!!!!

It all started as a perfectly peaceful beautiful winter snowstorm...

Then, the COUSINS came and the ELECTRICITY WENT OUT...and it was all-out WAR!

Snow wars, that is.  They divided themselves into teams and made flags to put on their snow forts.  They spent most of their weekend outside in the beautiful 8 inches of snow.  Going UP our long driveway...

And then DOWN the long driveway--but usually on sled--over and over and over again.  They were so sleepy by bedtime!

Of course, they had a great time snowball fighting...

Angel cousins making snow angels...

You'll notice in the next picture that it was all fun and games until someone got hurt.  In this case, it was Lauren.  She took a snowball to the face no less than 4 times, thanks to one boy who shall remain nameless to protect his privacy--right, CODY????  Poor girl, she took it like a trooper, though.

Lauren and William spent lots of time hanging out.  They like to remind people that they are only 6 weeks apart in age.  They are not only cousins, but good friends.

The dogs loved chasing the sleds down the hill, then tackling the riders.

Inside, drying out, relaxing and warming up...  Jared (and John Wesley---shhhhh don't tell him I told you) enjoyed the Thomas the Train set that Trenton so nicely passed down to Jared.

The kids all decorated gingerbread men (or women) one afternoon.

Thankful for my collection of Christmas mugs.  The snowstorm caught me without any paper or plastic ware, so I had each kid pick a cup and made it THEIRS for the duration.  (We did wash them occasionally. :))

The power outage also meant my Mom & Dad didn't have heat.  So they came over to stay with us, joining in on the fun.  The more the merrier!  There were 15 of us in our "little house" that weekend.  Yes, we were walking over and around each other; yes, it was a little chaotic; and yes, it was FUN!

The kids emptied this gallon jar of pickles in one day.  Trenton, Lauren and William decided to drink the juice--all of it.  YUCK!

Jared (pictured here with Lena) and MaKenzie had fun sledding, too!

What's more fun than spending a cold, winter day inside playing a long game of Monopoly???

We were blessed to have the wall-mounted heater to keep us warm and cozy.  With no electric, we couldn't use the dryer to dry gloves and coats between trips outside.  This is "the little heater who could!"

Every available spot that could hold a hanger was put into use to dry the wet outside clothes.

The next afternoon, we made delicious snow cream!

The kids decided it should be green, alien snow cream--so it was.

The kids had a great time.  The electric being out made it all the more fun.  I'm sure my kids (and I hope Lauren, Jake and Trenton) will look back fondly on this weekend visit for many years to come.

And, I'm not even going to TRY to explain this one...

William & Matthew

I glanced over at the table to look in on the kids as they were working on their schoolwork yesterday afternoon, and this was what I saw.  I just love how William was holding Matthew while he worked and not even thinking about it.

What Do YOU Want For Christmas?

I think this video speaks for itself.  Enjoy.

September? December? At least they both end in -ber....

So, Lena and MaKenzie's birthdays are in September.  We usually celebrate them together since they are only a day apart.  Back in September, on MaKenzie's birthday, we had to go pick up the goats.  Mom & Dad kept the kids and while we were gone, Grandma baked the girls a yummy chocolate birthday cake.  So, we celebrated at their house that night, and I called it good--and it was!

However, I had purchased all the necessary items to make a castle cake for the girls way back in the beginning of September, before their birthdays.  The stuff has been moved from pillar to post around my kitchen for a couple months now--remember the "not much space" issue?  Well, finally we decided the kitchen was too valuable (space-wise) to be taken up with the cake mixes, decorations, etc, and we moved it all to my bedroom.  All the while--the WHOLE 3 months--Lena's been saying, "Mommy, when are you going to make my cake?"  So yesterday, during my "peaceful winter morning", while the girls played in the snow on the porch (aren't they cute all bundled up in the hats and scarf Aunt Robyn made?), I baked their cake.  Today we had Grandma & Grandpa over & we had a 1/4 birthday celebration.  They are officially 1/4 year older.  Who else do you know that celebrates 1/4 birthdays??  I know--we're the only weird ones.  I get that.  :)

Peaceful Winter Morning...

What a peaceful morning I've had.  Harold and the four older boys plus Jared left around 6:30.  Harold had an elders' meeting at church, then all of the men and men-in-training from church are going to get together for what we call "Mountain Men's Breakfast".  They have that every month. 

As I was seeing Harold and the boys out the door, I noticed it was beginning to snow.  I went back to my bedroom to decide whether I was going to go back to sleep or start the day.  I got to pick because the rest of the kids who were here--Lena, MaKenzie, and Matthew--would still sleep for a few hours.  I couldn't sleep (I know--unusual for me, right?), so I sat and leisurely enjoyed a couple of magazines I'd been wanting to read.  I took my shower and headed for the kitchen.  I couldn't believe what I saw as I looked out my kitchen window...SNOW!  Beautiful snow, about an inch of it already--it had only been an hour or so!

What I don't think you can see in the picture above is the sweet little cabin that is at the foot of the hill.  When I look out my window in the winter (because the tree leaves are off--otherwise I can't see the cabin) as I'm in the kitchen washing dishes is this little lodge-vacation-like scene.  I can pretend I'm in Gatlinburg while I wash my dishes!  I love it!

And here is the driveway.  I guess going into town will have to wait.  That's okay, 'cause what's here is WAY better than what I'll find in town.  So many sweet little treasures.

Like these little mittens that my boys used to wear.  I couldn't bear to throw them away, so the year when I discovered nobody would be able to wear them, I hung them on our Christmas tree.  They've been there every year since.  I love them!  The paper chain is at least a few years old.  It's getting a little fragile in places.

And look at that sweet little handprint on that mitten!  That was made about 10 years ago!  And the little reindeer below?  His face is a traced shoe print from when Cody was two (also 10 years ago now) and his antlers are my sweet boy's two-year-old handprints.  Right in back of the right antlers/hand you can see a little red sweater ornament with a white snowflake on it.  That was given to me by Sharon Grant one year in the Christmas cards she sent out.  The little rainbow colored star at the bottom right corner was an impromptu decoration Cody made one year and just hung on the tree with no prompting.   That was about 4 years ago I guess. 

So, this peaceful winter morning, I think I'll just enjoy the quiet (well, relatively quiet anyway--there are still 3 children here after all!) and admire the snow from the warmth of my little house.

Distractions?

Often I find myself so "busy" doing "GOOD" things that I am distracted from the things that are "BEST."  I saw this video on Ginger's blog and thought it was very true.  Just wanted to share.

~By the way, you might want to scroll to the bottom of the page and press PAUSE on the music player.~ 

Happy Birthday, My Sweet Jared!

How can it be that seven years have come and gone?  Nearly seven years ago now that I first saw your sweet face and your big blue eyes, then unseeing, and your ears not hearing.

You stole my heart that very first night I met you in the hospital.  I knew you were mine, even if you never were really.  I knew that I wanted to be your eyes and ears for as long as you needed me.

But, miracle of miracles!  You experienced God's healing.  Oh, how I would love to take you to see that doctor who said you would never see, walk or talk.  You could tell HIM a few things.  More than a few, actually.

What would a boy who can't see need with this toy?  Nothing!  You can see and you can talk all the ears off a field full of cornstalks!

And, what happened to that little baby that I held and rocked, whose hand we pressed to his Daddy's whiskers so he would know who had him, whose Mommy wore the same perfume (a little too strong) for months so you could smell it and you would know I was near?

That baby grew up into a fine young boy who knows exactly what he wants and isn't a bit shy about telling whoever will listen!  So, take that Mr. Doctor and thank you, Jesus!  Happy Birthday my sweet boy, it is my great privilege and honor to be called your Mommy.