Its been...one week

My Snow Angels!

A full week of snow days!!! Yesterday I took an outing with the kids to the Library and the store. The streets were messy, but it was all slush. They could have gone to school, but it was very icy in the morning, so I suppose erring on the side of safety is a good thing. It was looking like they could go to school today but the temperature dropped and it snowed some more and there is a slick layer of ice under that lovely white stuff. Very deceiving!

Yesterday Jake had his friend Adam over. They wanted to go back to Camp Ireland, and I was in the middle of something and said sure(the busy mother in me)! After they left I started thinking about it and got worried(again, the mother in me), there is a creek that runs through the camp and a big suspension bridge and my imagination ran away with all the things they could get into trouble with in the snow. So I put on my warm gear and went for a walk on my own. It is really beautiful back there right now, snow everywhere and mostly untouched. I had to cross the bridge and go pretty far before I found them, and even then I had to yell Jake's name to get a response. They were doing fine, so after warning them not to go near the water and to be very very careful, they walked me back across the bridge. I came home on my own while they went exploring a bit more. Adam was able to stay and have dinner with us which was fun. He and Jake are a lot alike and they get along really well.

We have less than a week until Christmas and our shopping is NOT done. I am usually done shopping for Christmas by the first of December, so this is freaking me out some!! The forecast shows a heatwave next week that will keep us in the 40's so hopefully Richard and I can get out and find a few more gifts.

We started a tradition many years ago where we buy the kids each three gifts, and they get one from Santa. I have always loved Christmas and when Adrienne and Jake were small I went WAY overboard and bought them each tons of gifts, whether I could afford it or not(and mostly I could NOT). The kids got so many gifts that some items would stay in their boxes for days, even weeks after Christmas. It seemed like the kids did not play with what I got them and it was frustrating! Then shortly after Richard and I were married I was visiting teaching with my sweet companion Maury Ennis and she told me how they only buy three gifts for each child and that it represents the gifts the wise men brought Christ when he was born. I remember thinking how hard that would be to buy only three gifts. But after telling Richard about it, we decided it was a good idea. We have done that since, and we truly have to ponder our gifts and get them practical things they need as well as fun things we know they really want. It is far more meaningful and it helps us focus more on what Christmas is really all about. To share the fun of giving, the kids each draw someone's name from the Santa hat and get a gift for one of their siblings. We still have to take them out to get each other gifts!! We are going to be busy next week!!

I blogged about Annalina never wanting to play in the snow again, but that has changed. It is amazing what the difference between 14 degrees and 30 degrees will do as far as playing outside goes. She saw other kids out there and decided to give it another try. We bundled her up and she and Joseph stayed out for quite a while. The snow on Wednesday was nice and powdery and packed together just right for the perfect snowballs!

Wednesday the older kids walked over the Glencoe High School to meet some friends for a snowball fight. It sounds like they had a lot of fun! I am glad they had some warm snow gear from all the youth trips up to Mt Hood.