Too Much Snow

Lately, the snow just won't stop coming. This is our first year here, when we've really had to deal with heavy lake effect snow! Maybe it's mostly that driveway that seems to have gotten longer since September.
The snow has kept us inside a lot this year. Two days of canceled church and our school district has declard seven snow days this month. Now, this homebody doesn't mind too much; I'm fine with drinking some hot chocolate and spending the day in my jammies with a book. But Jared cries when there isn't preschool and asks if we are going to have to stay inside forever.

And because it is so cold, the snow is like powder and won't stay put. So even when it hasn't snowed, the wind blows our piles and we have to shovel again. (We meaning Ken and Ruth and sometimes a little helper.)

Late night shoveling

Ruth and Jared made this fort before the cold front came, so the snow actually held together. Each boulder is about three feet high. I love watching how the snow drifts around it!

Ken got home from a business trip. And shoveled. (Do you see Jared with a push broom cleaning off Ruth's car?)

Rosie likes to "shovel" with a rake.

One morning Ruth got stuck in our unshoveled driveway and couldn't get to work. Or maybe this was the day she got home and couldn't get her car up our driveway.

Our porch drift.

I am just hoping that I can keep up this trend of hanging out indoors and avoiding shoveling!

Happy Birthday, Happy New Years!

My dad's birthday is on new year's eve, so we get to celebrate both together!

Jared wanted to get his grandpa a gift. He decided that since grandpa likes scary things (like growling at grandchildren) he would make him a scary dinosaur book. He picked pictures from wikipedia and typed it up with very little help. It was so sweet.

Candles in the blueberry torte.

Party favors for new year's eve!

This picture includes Great Lisa (so named by Jared), who came out for a surprise visit.

Happy new years!

Christmas 2013

 Our Christmas was wonderful and busy this year!

The Murrays made a Hawaiian themed dinner

Vance coordinated the building of gingerbread houses. Sidenote: don't ask me to build you a house.

The three oldest cousins present slept together. It involved a lot of mischief with Lincoln and Rosie, while Jared slept through it all.

 Lincoln and Rosie were Joseph and Mary.

Jared and my dad were shepherds, with baby Lauren as a sheep.

Ruth was an angel- what else would she be?

Two of our three wisemen.

Christmas morning!

Jared is sporting his cool watch!

Who is excited for new underwear?

Rosie likes shrimp. Mostly cocktail sauce, but shrimp too.

Sledding at the pond.

Right after sledding Rosie got into some medicine that wasn't her own. And needed to go to the emergency room! Gah!

Fortunately, the charcoal did its magic and she did extraordinarily well.

Sisters chilling on Pete's new bean bag.

My green dinner (that my mother and sisters made, since I was at the hospital all day) trying to rival Lisa cool theme!

The each got their own cookies!

Rosie's favorite gift of all- a rocking zebra! It was the rocking horse my family had growing up, all gussied up for the new generation!

Pre-Christmas Christmas