Them's my boys!

These last few weeks have been good to us, especially the boys......Xander was really struggling with middle school at the beginning of the year. It has been a lot of trial and error and a learning experience, but he's doing really well. This week he got no less than a 96% on his math test, spelling test and reading test. He made the middle school play and we find out his part on Tuesday! He worked really hard on the tryout script and is pleased as punch he is going to be a part of it. It is a great honor, as it is very competitive!

And, to make him even more happy, he scored a TOUCHDOWN during P.E. when they were playing flag football. The kids were so excited that they tried to carry him on their shoulders! You have to understand, Xander doesn't like football. He is not the aggressive type and prefers non-competitive, non-contact type sports. So, as he is telling me this story, I am amazed and so happy for him to gain some confidence in that area!

He also went to a birthday party on Saturday and when I went to pick him up, the mother raved about his athletic ability and how well-behaved he is. It was a girl's party and he was one of only three boys invited. He's quite popular with the ladies, though he doesn't "care" yet.
And Garrett competed in the districts for the pinewood derby for cub scouts. His car placed fourth overall in a very competitive race of about 35 boys.

If anyone has experienced pinewood derby, it is worse than church basketball. It is ever man for himself and every boy better be ready. The ward level wasn't too bad, but districts were a scream! It was no-nonsense and serious racing, folks! We arrived to have our car weighed, inspected, weighed again, checked in and no touching after that until race time. Some of the parents were jostling for best camera positions and more anxious than the boys were.

The family sitting next to me couldn't sit still and were yelling at their son and complaining about the race and being really annoying. I would cheer every time Garrett won his race and smile smugly, is that bad of me?

The fastest car got the all time race record, so it was a no contest. The other two cars that beat Garrett weren't much faster than his. He was thrilled and was so excited! We were excited for him! It was fun also, because his friend, Garrett, came over and we helped him with his car and he called us the other night to tell us he won the entire race and was going to districts also!!!

Yahhoooooooo! Good job boys!

Hmmmm.....

I guess the cutting and pasting didn't work with posting....I'll have to find the quote again...it was good.

Here's another one I found in the meantime.....

Always be a first-rate version of yourself

instead of a second-rate version of someone else.

Judy Garland

A reminder for myself....

White Snow and Black Beans

This is to remind us that it is summer somewhere in the world!

Oh, how I miss Hilton Head, South Carolina!

Yes, we are getting more of the white stuff as I type, but it is just a little and we are actually going back to school tomorrow - after 10 days of vacation! We do, of course, have a two hour delay, but school is open! I am sure there will be some parents literally throwing their children at the school doors tomorrow. I am a little sad, as I have truly loved every minute with them. We have relaxed and slowed down and just had a wonderful, low key, snowcation!

I read an article today at the dentist office that talked about how we are a society that is always living in the next moment. It talked about how we need to slow down and enjoy the moment that we are in. Like taking out the garbage at night and feeling the cold air on your skin and breathing in the freshness of the winter night and listening to the silence. I loved that, because that is exactly why I have loved this snow storm. I loved watching the big flakes fall and opening the door to listen to the frosty silence of freshly fallen snow. I loved rolling over one more time in the morning to snuggle in the arms of my husband and the kids jumping on the bed asking for waffles again that morning and me saying, "OK!" I loved listening to the kids play school and give concerts to their stuffed animals and their red cheeks and noses as they came inside from playing and declaring, "I'm starving!" I loved that we watched only four movies and two times it was Disney's Planet Earth (our favorite!) and the rest of the time was games and wrestling with dad and projects and just fun stuff! I especially loved that I was able to see my husband and have random moments to sit on the couch and talk and remember why I love him so much.

So, tomorrow we go back to school and life and schedules and routines, but the memories of this storm will always be a favorite of mine!

This post is also about some awesome and healthy brownies we made again tonight. The sister missionaries came over for Family Home Evening and we had them guess what was in them. Dark and gooey and really chocolatey....you'd never guess they are made with black beans!!!!

Try them, you will be amazed!

Here's the recipe.....

1 can black beans, drained

3 eggs

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup raw sugar or agave nectar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips and walnuts together until the black beans are thoroughly mixed. (The original recipe said to do this in a blender) Add chocolate chips and walnuts and pour batter into an 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

The first time we made them, they were a little crumbly, but they were moist and fudge-like the next day. (we all thought they better the next day)

The second time I made them, I added a box of french vanilla pudding (Chocolate would be great!) and undercooked them by about 2 minutes. They were really moist and had a somewhat pudding consistency. We will see what they taste like tomorrow!

Also, I used regular oil and regular sugar the second time around. I wasn't a huge fan of the coconut oil. I also haven't used nuts in them, since I didn't know if the sister missionaries had allergies and the first time I didn't want to waste the nuts if they turned out gross.

It was so fun to tell the kids that I made them brownies out of black beans....Garrett said he would never eat them and he loved them! Eleanor got really dramatic about it and loved them. I told the sisters they could eat them for breakfast and not feel guilty! Seriously, just try them!

Buen provecho!

The Big Fluffy White Stuff

Doing another entry on snow seems redundant, but this storm is amazing!!!

Last night when we went to bed, it was doing this.....(I know, I know, what a surprise!)
The walkway that Garrett had shoveled was almost covered again in snow....
And the cars weren't black anymore....they were white!
So, we snuggled up under the covers and went to sleep with this in our minds.....
And woke up to a blizzard...this is at 7am this morning....
They closed roads throughout the area. Fairfax County closed schools for two more days and told people to STAY HOME AND DON'T DRIVE! Even the snowplows had to be pulled off the roads because visibility was so bad.
Salt Lake emailed all the Stake Presidents to let them know they cancelled the broadcast we were supposed to have for Stake Conference this weekend. The entire region was to have the same broadcast and now we are told to just have church, if possible.

The wind was so bad that the windows are all covered in snow and the drifts are up to our window sills...
The kids have done amazingly well. We have plenty of things to keep us occupied and they have done several projects and colored quite a few things. Then, this morning, I found do-it-yourself calendars that were supposed to be for Christmas, so they drew and colored some more! Savannah was hysterical -she was coloring just like the big kids!
Not to mention, she was also very proud of herself!



Around 4:30pm it decided to stop snowing hard and just be miserably cold and windy. The amount of snow is hard to measure because of the snow drifts..how about A LOT, is that a fair measurement?!?!?
Jason's mom called us to congratulate us. I guess Oak Hill has the most snow in the Virginia area. I believe it!!!!


We also resorted to chasing games and Savannah thought they were the best...especially when dad would hide and jump out and scare them!

We also decided that Eleanor looks like Sarah Palin when she wears dad's glasses...hmmmm, we really have too much time on our hands!
Savannah was leading the music right before scripture study....by the looks of Xander, we weren't quite being reverent! She was the cutest little lamb, singing and knew just what to do!
So, there you have it. Another snow day down and who knows how many more to go!

Ironically enough, they are predicting another snow storm for Sunday and Monday. I guess little Puxatawney Phil was right this year! And now, it is snowing again...not much, but still snowing...

A free vacation!

As we speak, it is coming down. This picture doesn't do it justice....

Since it is early evening, you can't really see the snow...it's coming down even more now...and I love it! I am enjoying the quiet beauty, the stillness that snow brings. We have so many people who are sick of the snow and complaining. I am loving it. It's like going on a free vacation! We probably won't have another winter like this for many years, so it is exciting, novel and I don't have to pack the car. The kids are having the time of their lives. Jason, though he has shoveled enough snow for a lifetime, has sledded and played and relaxed and gotten so much done...just like a vacation! Now, mind you, the beach is my vacation of choice, but this is so much fun!

We had to disassemble the trampoline to get all the snow off. It took three neighbor men to get all the snow off without breaking it.

The last few days have been sunny and beautiful, but cold. Our road was plowed just yesterday and they didn't do a good job. We went to a neighborhood near us and got stuck. It took about ten people to get us out. The kids thought it was crazy - another memory that will stick in their minds forever!

Most of the main roads have been plowed, but they are one lane roads with a lot of snow on them still. My neighbor told me today that her mom was on the beltway going to see her parents and lanes would suddenly disappear because there were big snow banks on the 5 lane highway. She said it was very dangerous and scary!

Even at night, the view is beautiful!

Our lonely little snowman.....

We've been doing our best to keep ourselves entertained....

Savannah is loving the fact that there is a constant playmate....

Here's Xander writing his talk for our church at home on Sunday....

Eleanor loves being a big sister!

Getting ready to go out in the snow....

Let me see what I can find for you in my purse....

Reading in the shopping cart....notice the tiara mom? She wears it constantly!

Pushing the shopping cart around and around and around.....

Reading stories...

Snacking during the movie....

Watching Disney's movie, Earth.

We've done pedicures.....

And dad made Eleanor a special fairy princess pinewood derby car to race against the boys' cars....

So, it's been a fun vacation so far....and now with the snow coming down and the DC area expecting another 20 plus inches, we will be on this vacation for awhile!!!

HAPPY SNOW DAYS!

Church was cancelled for today, school is cancelled for tomorrow and the weatherman is telling us to expect 4-10 more inches of snow starting Tuesday late afternoon (where are we going to put it?!?). Jason spent 6 hours shoveling snow from the driveway, cars, sidewalk, road and trampoline. Then we had an impromptu neighborhood get-together for the Superbowl. It was fun and reminded me how blessed we are to have good neighbors.

I am blessed to have a wonderful husband and a warm home. We had church today at our house, complete with a special musical number (some violinist who is actually pretty good! :))

The children all gave talks and did a fabulous job. We took the sacrament and it made today seem just like it should. We are truly a blessed family. We have a beautiful home, a dad who is wonderful and caring and loving. We have plenty of food and are prepared for an emergency. We have great kids who always rise to the occasion and make me so proud.

So, I am enjoying the snow. I am enjoying the time with my family. As my husband said with tears in his eyes today, "Everything happens for a reason. I don't know the reason this time for all this snow, but I am loving every minute I am able to spend with you this winter."

I L.O.V.E. that man!

S*N*O*W*!*

The east coast has been getting quite a bit of snow lately....duh! As Garrett's coach put it in an email "Not to be obvious or anything, but basketball is cancelled today"

Last week we had a 2 hour delay on Monday, no school on Wednesday and Thursday everyone decided to get ready for THE BIG STORM! Here are some pictures of the snow on Wednesday...

Xander, Garrett and neighbor, Michael made a snow buffalo - very ingenious!

Dad, Xander and Garrett made snow angels after shoveling the driveway....and we made a snow bear....

So, Friday, we didn't have school since the snow was supposed to start, so Xander made snowmen...

Savannah the cutest little snowgirl...

Eleanor the snowprincess....

Garrett the snowboy...

And Xander the snowboy with his Russian hat on!

The backyard ...

So, the snow came....Jason shoveled the driveway about six times last night and still had to shovel about ten inches this morning.

Jason and Garrett spent most of the morning outside shoveling...

Garrett was such a great helper! We had blizzard like conditions, which made it cold and windy and since it was constantly snowing, it was hard to shovel, only to have it covered in snow a few minutes later!

This afternoon I decided to take the girls out and see what the weather was like....

Coats...check

Gloves....Check

Snowpants....Check

Snowboots....check

Scarves....check

Bundled up, ready to go out....Check!!!

Don't forget the gloves!

The snow princess...

Some Bunny looks so cute in her snow gear!

Looking at the kids outside....

Let's go!

So, when we were kids, we used to wrap plastic bags to keep the snow out. I guess boots were too expensive for all seven of us kids. So today, I used the ol' Johnson trick to keep the snow out. Really, I should get some snow gear, but if I do, it probably won't snow for another five years! And it worked! Warm feet, dry feet and I even put it up to my knees, since we had so much snow!

So, we went out to check it out....it was beautiful!

This is how deep the snow was around 2pm! Almost up to my hips!

Yahoo!

The snow was so deep and awesome, I couldn't help myself! It was so exhilarating!

Then...I couldn't get up! There was so much snow and I had no leverage!

So my neighbor Phil had to come "save" me!

YES! It was so fun and so worth it!

Here's Eleanor standing next to the snow pile in our driveway!

She's learning how to wink - is that the cutest picture!?!?!?

As you can see, the snow is deep!

Daddy with his snow bunny....

We took the girls on a walk to check out the neighborhood...

It was gorgeous!

Our neighbor, Phil, was the only one getting out of the neighborhood - he drove around on the snow to pack it down so we can get out eventually!

The air was crisp and cold and the snow blew around us - it was like being in a dreamland! The girls loved it and I took in every moment and made memories in my mind!

Here are the cars looking from our garage....

And the front of the cars....

Here's our house....notice how blurry it is...it's the blizzard snow while I take the picture....

Here's some of the awesomeness of the east coast blizzard!

And we have handsome Xander bug!

And our cute Garrett bear!

We built a snow mountain and the kids used it as a hill to sled down....

OOOPS!

Here's the older gang from the pipestem..see how deep the snow is?!?!?

This snow shovel has seen a lot of action!

Still snowing.....

Remember the snowmen? Here's Xander....the others are playing under the snow...literally!

The windows are frozen from the blowing snow...

These days seem a long time away!!!!