Snow again!?

I just heard it on the news... snow is coming our way again!

Supposedly, by Saturday morning, we will be seeing more of the white stuff... and this time it will be lots more than the "dusting" we saw yesterday. The kids will be thrilled as they were so upset to wake this morning and find what we did have was melted...

I will be excited myself... there is just something about snow here that is kinda magical, and maybe it's because we don't usually have any?

I have lived in many places that have snow on a regular basis... I worked on a ranch in Colorado for a couple seasons and the snow I saw in the Rockies was unbelievable, and beautiful. As a flight attendant I traveled to many cities that were snow bound, and lived in Boston and up in Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory of Canada for awhile as well. I have never been THAT cold in my life again, and though it was awesome to see that area, I hope to never be THAT cold again! Brrr!

All that to say is it is different here... it is unusual and therefor more exciting, I think...

Now, maybe it will snow just enough for EJ to make those snow angels she dreamed about.

Yeah!

The kids were so excited to be outside in the snow!

It really came down hard for about 45 minutes before it turned into good 'ol frozen rain/sleet, which is still coming down. As you can see, some is staying on the ground, but not much at all.

We are still going to church, so this will be quick. The kids Easter play practice is tonight, and I just wanted to share the kids fun in the "snow" with yall first!

The weather man was right... it IS snowing!!!

It is really snowing!

At Cub's Mommy and Me program this morning (it's called Laptime, and held at the county library), we talked about snowflakes and snowmen... it must have worked because it is snowing here!

The view to my parents house, through our rock garden...

Now, if it would only stick... I'd love for the kids to have the opportunity to see it all white on the ground...

I was just at Reynie's house ( God, do you hear this Southern girl rambling? blogger and my sister in law) for a meeting... after it was over we were chatting, and when I turned to leave we saw the white stuff coming down! We were like two kids, and I rushed home to see if my kids were awake.

Mom was here watching them and so we gawked at the snow a bit... we live in the south, and snow is a rare thing here. Usually we get some snow flakes, and then a lot of ice. EJ was still awake so she got up to look. Absolutely thrilled, she immediately asked if she could go outside to make snow angels!

Um, it's snowing, but not snow angels snowing... we will be lucky for it to stay around long enough to pile up anywhere. It has happened in my lifetime, but maybe twice, and not for long!

Cub's Laptime artwork...
I don't know why his snowman has a black eye!

We have church activities tonight that are likely to get cancelled , so I think I will get the kids up and go outside to play for a little while... it may be a long time before they see this again!

Did they say Snow?!

Today is one of those magic marker all over the playroom days...
I pick it up, they drag it back out just because days...
Time to clean out the bathrooms (ie.. toilets) days...
No time for a shower days...
Too cold to go out to play days...
They even said we may see some snow this week days... (!?)
One of those "it is over yet?" days...

ilovemykids.ilovemykids.ilovemykids.ilovemykids....

I really really do...

I feel better now.

The weather and other ramblings...

The weather is nice again here, and I have to say I am thankful for the warmer temperatures. I know it doesn't feel like January, but that is fine with me. After the holidays we all got what I call "the crud" (something flu like is all I can say) and at the same time it was frigid outside as well... we are still recovering from it all.

The kids playing outside on their "4 Wheelers" from good 'ol Santa Claus!

I am STILL trying to get my Christmas cards out! I have to re-write the letter I always include, but I am going to get those cards out...

This week we are getting back into the swing of our "normal" routine... but what is normal, really?

For me it is usually chaos, with planned activities included on certain (most) days. Let's see... three days of Pre-K, EJ's dance class, Cub's Mommy and Me class, church on Sundays and Wednesday nights with AWANA, nursey and Children's Choir, and various other meetings for whatever club or committee Geoff and I are on as well. Oh yeah, and sometimes I add in a freelance writing assignment for a local magazine I work with...

Our house always looks like it needs attention, and I never knew laundry and dishes could pile up so fast!

In my mind I am still organized and the house is not really that messy ... but in reality, well, sometimes I just can't face reality!

In saying all that, I still would not change this "new" reality for the old one - ever. Having this never ending mound of housework and chaos is all so worth it to be married to the right person, have two beautiful children who we love so much, and the opportunity to be involved in the things we are. Who cares the laundry is a mile high?!

(Okay, if I am honest, I do care that I can't see over the laundry sometimes, but I am working on it... )

EJ is quick to learn, and asked me today why God made the earth. I was fixing to come up with an answer I thought would be easy for her to grasp when she said "I know Mommy... God made the earth because he loves us so much and wanted us to have a home." She was so proud of that answer, and I was too. I absolutely love church Pre-K and all that she learns there. My heart swells when she sweetly sings the Bible songs I remember from childhood and being at a church school.

Cub is beginning to talk much better, and he can even say his sister's name! Elizabeth is a hard name for such a little one to say, but I am impressed with his ability to get that one out... he still thinks he is Buzz Lightyear, and is adorable when he decides to "fly" instead of walk anywhere. He'll say "Mommy, me fly like Buzz" and off he goes, arms held out like wings, into the wild blue yonder. Usually the playroom - that is his domain... and right now it is in serious need of the invader called Mommy to go in to tidy it up a bit.

So, off I go while they nap to clean up something... where do I begin?!

Sweet "Maddie Lynn"

We lost a dear member of our family last Sunday... Maddie, our beautiful dog, passed away sometime during the night and Geoff found her on Sunday morning.


Maddie would have been 13 years old this April, so she was getting to be quite an old southern lady, in dog years - especially for such a big dog. We all knew her time was coming... she had lost a lot of weight and energy this past year, but she would still love on us like she was not aching at all.

Geoff got Maddie as a puppy to be a companion for his other Rottweiller, Rick... this was back when he and I were not dating, and I didn't see him that much (so hard to imagine that now!). I believe all 3 of them (!) were "thisclose" , and when I came back into the picture Maddie was in her prime. Rick had passed on to heaven (yes - I believe in that!) sometime earlier, but Maddie was in fine shape - and all about her master. I could see the adoration in her eyes for him, and I knew he loved that dog.

I loved her immediately - she really was just so sweet and ready to please. I loved her kisses.

But my cats were not so sure.

*BIG dog (she weighed more than me!), though harmless and with sweet nature, but zilch experience with cats + large family of farm cats, some with attitude = a little Trouble

So, the blending of our little family was interesting for a bit, but we worked it out.

As our children were born they both fell in love with her too. She stayed in a large pen connected to our wooden fence, and next to the kids playground and sandbox. I will never forget her excitement when we went out to play, or the joy of the kids laughter as she offered thousands of big 'ol sloppy dog kisses. She was a big dog, and we have small kids, but Maddie was gentle and kind. She only wanted to play and love on us - and we have lots of beautiful memories to remember about just that.

That is what I tried to tell the kids last Sunday morning as we stood in Maddie's pen for her little funeral. The tears were flowing from all of us, including Ganmomma and Gandiddy. Uncle BB had come to help as well, but had left before our goodbyes began. The tears in Geoff's eyes were as heartbreaking as the kids - I think even more so as I knew the connection they had.

The rain was picking up, and it had turned a bone chilling cold, so I was thankful to God that Maddie was up in heaven with new energy, an eternity of spring weather and the chance to run and play without pain.

We will miss her greatly.

Yep, still here...

I am still here... just trying to dig out from the holidays...

I still haven't even sent out our Christmas cards!