Let It Snow?

(just outside our front door) The only reason we did not make it to Oregon......SNoW!!! Don't get me wrong. We love SnOW. Just not right now! Wouldn't it be nice if we could pick and choose the weather? With icy conditions, closure of many roads and a dismal forecast we did the only safe thing and stayed home, which none of us are happy about. We are sooooo missing all of our family in Oregon, Bruce's brothers wedding and all of the cousins.

Well there's not much else we can do but play in it....

and shovel it.

Christmas Day in our Town

This morning we awoke to the sights and sounds of Christmas. Santa visited us a day early. Being so far North really pays off. We plan to leave for Oregon tomorrow if the weather cooperates. The kids woke up at various times throughout the night wandering into the living room to see what Santa had left. At one point Bruce got up and found Parker in the living room with all of his presents around him sound asleep. The one thing we told the kids before we went to bed was not to wake us until 7am. They faithfully obeyed this command. Various times throughout the night, they enjoyed going through their stockings and finding the many treasures inside while Bruce and I enjoyed the comforts of our bed. At 7am sharp they woke us and we enjoyed a relaxed morning. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Birthday Wishes

Happy Birthday Missy

Happy Birthday to my fabulous friend. I have known Katie for 16 years. I first met her when she was sweet, young, energetic, full of life and an appetite to boot. She could eat me under the Sizzlers table at the all you can eat buffet, that was many young women's camps ago. She is now a busy, crazy, beautiful, quick whit, wife, mother of four beautiful kids and still an appetite that could (i believe) still eat me under the table and yet manages to look fabulous. I love you Katie. Have a fabulous Day. "The birthday card is in the mail (I only sent it yesterday)...talk to your mailman.

On the 5th, 6th and 7th day of Christmas...

We received more white stuff.

The sheet rockers added to our Christmas CHEER. Thousands of pounds (72 sheets of sheet rock) later our cement walls are no longer naked. It's a festivus miracle!

* Hard to read the labels on the pictures. #1 starting at the left, The hallway into the girls kingdom, 2. Bailey's room. Top right Hannah's room, middle right Sidney's room and bottom right, the girls room side, by side, by side...Sisters:)

One the Second, Third and 4th Day of Christmas...

My True Love (didn't have anything to do with it) but we received ....Snow and frigid cold temperatures. The past couple of mornings we awoke to -20 and it reached a high of -7. Reportedly these are going to be the temperatures until Christmas.BRrrrrrr!

One the First Day of Christmas...

My true love gave to me - insulation to help hold in the heat.(Trying to keep with the rhyme of the song, I know pretty bad)

Just a few steps closer to finishing the basement.

The Reason for the Season

Less than two weeks until Christmas. This is the season I wait all year for. I love this time of year. I share in President Hinckley's thoughts:

"We honor His birth. But without His death that birth would have been but one more birth. It was the redemption which He worked out in the Garden of Gethsemane and upon the cross of Calvary which made His gift immortal, universal, and everlasting. His was a great Atonement for the sins of all mankind. He was the resurrection and the life, “the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). Because of Him all men will be raised from the grave.
But beyond this He taught us the way, the truth, and the life. He gave the keys through which we may go on to immortality and eternal life.
We love Him. We honor Him. We thank Him. We worship Him. He has done for each of us and for all mankind that which none other could have done. God be thanked for the gift of His Beloved Son, our Savior, the Redeemer of the world, the Lamb without blemish who was offered as a sacrifice for all mankind."

Joy to the world, the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King! Let ev’ry heart prepare him room, And Saints and angels sing. (“Joy to the World,” Hymns, no. 201)