C basketball game and K choir concert

Last Thursday was a very busy night for our family.  C had a basketball game and, at almost the same time, K had a choir concert.  CK had a stake meeting that overlapped both.

But, after thinking through it all, I physically could not drive them both to their respective locations, let alone support them in their events.  So, CK didn't go to his meeting, but fulfilled one of his greater rolls as "Dad." 

So, CK, J, and V went to C's game.  K and I went to her concert.  K was able to be ready quickly for her concert, so the two of us got to go and see the beginning of C's game.  Supporting him was worth the money we spent to get in for just half a game.

Here is C taking some free throws.  Go #2!!

And here is K singing with her choir.  It was beautiful.  I was grateful that I went.  I am glad I got to see both her sing and C play.  It made for a long night, but so worth it.

I think this picture was the next day.  I just had to take a picture of my gorgeous girl.  She is gorgeous inside and out.

Finally, we had some very good friends come visit in our area.  We got to see them twice while they were here.  I have a picture or two more to share about their visit, but this one just is priceless.  E was about V's age when they lived here.  V dislikes going with anyone not in her family, even if she knows them well, so it was surprising how much she loved E.  She just let E carry her around everywhere.  That is unusual for her.  It was cool. 

I am blessed to have this family in our lives.  I am so blessed with their amazing support with all I have been through.  Their prayers sustained me and their vocal support was so needed.  I am blessed.

15 months already!

V is already 15 months old!  Crazy!  She is so much fun.  She loves to talk.  She loves to dance.  She loves to kneel down for family prayer with us.  She loves to play with her siblings.  She loves to throw mini-tantrums.  She loves to assert her own will by either saying "Yes" or shaking her head "No."

She doesn't like staying still long enough for me to take her picture.  She has a beautiful smile that I rarely get to capture with a picture.  How glad we are that she is part of our family.  We wouldn't be complete without her.  We are so blessed.

 

C's Band Concert

C's band concert was Thursday.  With so many things getting canceled and rescheduled due to the days of school missed, they didn't play in the high school auditorium as originally planned.  They played in the middle school gym. They all took it in stride and they played very well.  C is in honor band, the top band and he had to try out for it.  We listened to symphonic band before them.  They did well, but they were definitely a notch more skilled and the music was really good.  I was impressed that 7th and 8th graders sounded so well together. 

It was difficult to get pictures of him, but look closely and you can spot C right in front of the big tuba.

I am proud of him.  He plays sports and he does band and he has participated in whiz quiz.  He is also heavily involved in scouts and church and I am impressed with all he does with his life - especially that he does it so very well. 

Finally, I just tacked it on to this post....

I actually completed a project.  I am not a sewer, but I would like to be.  I had a dear friend have a sweet little baby girl and I wanted to make her something just for her, so I attempted something I had never done before....I pieced a simple baby quilt.  It is not fancy at all, but I am so glad that I completed it!  It has been done for a couple of weeks, but with the storms and all, I finally had the opportunity to take it to her on Thursday.  :)

The rest of the ice storm 2013

So, we had no school on Friday, but then....all events were canceled for Saturday, church was canceled on Sunday, School was canceled on Monday, and School was again canceled on Tuesday.  This was a lot of ice and we were definitely iced in.  I am so grateful that even though we did get stir-crazy that we had each other and that we had plenty of food and heat.  We played games, we made cookies, we roasted Marshmallows, we did some cleaning.  It was a good break from life - although I was definitely ready to get back to the routine and schedule by Wednesday!

 Our doggie is looking so old.  She is 11 in human years, which roughly is about 77 in dog years.  In our new home, she is usually an outside dog.  When it gets very hot, we bring her in.  This time it was very cold and she spent most of every day and night inside.  V just loved her.  She is a great dog.  She never barks.  She never licks.  She is always obedient.  She is just a very good dog.  I see her aging and I am sad that she will eventually become even older and pass away.

 Road still a sheet of ice on Monday (or maybe that was Tuesday).

 I didn't capture this exactly.  C and K were really using J as a "hockey puck" and sliding him back and forth on the ice.

 Roasting marshmallows...thanks, K!

 I forgot to take a picture of the icicles on our bushes.  This picture was taken either Wednesday or Thursday...AFTER the kids went back to school.

 Ice.  Mostly shoveled onto the lawn from our driveway (again, Wednesday or Thursday).

 These two of icicles on the roof I am certain were taken Thursday.  I don't know why I didn't do it before, they weren't nearly as long when I remember to take pictures.

There you have it...ice storm in Texas.  I am so glad that we don't have the infrastructure to make the ice melt off every road immediately.  We get storms every year, but only every 3-4 years this big.  I think it would be a waste of my tax dollars to have the equipment to clear off every single road.  I will just stay in and enjoy it, thank-you very much!

No School!!! (Iced In)

Friday, December 6, we did not have school.  Most everything was shut down around here due to the ice storm that came through our area Thursday night.  It was so loud on the front of our house (North facing) that K had to move to the floor of the ping pong room during the middle of the night.

This is what it looked like Friday morning:

This is NOT snow.  It is pure ice.

Above is one of those North-facing windows....completely iced over.  We couldn't see out of them at all.

Of course, the kids went out "sledding" on the ice.  We used cookie sheets and they sled down the icy driveway.  They had so much fun.  They went out later in the day and played again.  Then, yesterday (Saturday) they had cabin fever and I forced them to play for 15 minutes.  It was over an hour later and dark and I was calling them in.

The cabin fever came from being in the house for a couple days straight.  Almost everything was canceled yesterday.  We went from a busy Saturday to a very not-busy Saturday.  It was nice. 

Friday night, we decorated the tree.

We also watched a movie as family while a fire burned in the fireplace.  It was awesome.  We were all gathered together.  V just walked around the kids that were on the floor.  We laughed.  We loved being together.

Yesterday, we cleaned.  We made cookies.  I sewed (until my sewing machine had issues).  CK and I shopped a little online.

Now, today (Sunday), we are still iced in.  The roads are still quite dangerous - 1-3" solid ice.  Church was canceled.  We are getting ready to have "church" at home.  I love the Spirit in our home.  We will begin by having song and prayer and then each of us have prepared short talks.  We will close with a song and prayer.  Next we will have "Sunday School" and have our family Book of Mormon scripture study.  Then we will have some time set aside for "Young Women" (Personal Progress) and "Young Men" (Duty to God) and "Primary" (reading from the Friend).  CK and I will help the kids.  I am so grateful that we can have the Sabbath day at home, even without formal church being held.

I am also so grateful that we have not been among the hundreds of thousands of people that have lost power.  I am grateful that our heaters are working.  I am grateful that we have plenty of food to eat.  I am so grateful.

Today, we are supposed to finally go above freezing.  Forecasts vary about whether it will be enough to melt the ice or not.  We will see if school and everything else is canceled again tomorrow.  If so, we will spend another day together and love (almost) every minute.  More sledding.  More studying.  More games.  More peace.

It's the Little Things: Feliz Navidad

J and I just had a cool experience that I wanted to document and share. 

I was driving J to school and asked him what his favorite Christmas song is.  He said, "'Feliz Navidad,' but I haven't heard it this year."  I told him I hadn't either and said that we should turn on the Christmas music station to see if it happened to be on.

IT WAS!  It was the coolest thing ever.  I turned the station and it was right at the beginning of the song.  J and I sang loudly as I drove.  It is a heart-moment I don't want to forget.  I don't know if the Lord had any influence on what song was on the radio at that moment, but I do believe that He is more aware and involved in our lives than we know.  He indeed might have wanted J and I to feel that He is there and aware of us....even just driving to school. 

Either way, it was a touching moment for us both.  I will cherish it.