Snow Week...again

It snowed last Sunday, probably the biggest snow the South has had in a long time. We think we had about 10inches total. It didn't really stop flurry-ing until Thursday. I know it was a big pain for much of the South, but in Sewanee, it's beautiful. It's fun. It's kept us home all week. Pretty much.
Our car got stuck in the driveway so ^J^ moved it to the gravel parking spot in front of the house. Then the plow came by and we had a big hunk of snow to try to drive over. It was fluffy and soft so we didn't think it would be a problem but when ^J^ tried, the car rebelled and slid the other direction into our yard. About a foot from the base of a large tree. So it stayed there, we used our generous neighbor's car when we needed to. Finally, yesterday, after lots of shovelling, pushing, and revving, we got out and it was just in time to avoid a total cabin fever meltdown. A trip to our local Piggly Wiggly seemed like a major adventure out into the world. We stocked up on a few essentials (you know, milk, cheese, dill pickle chips), got some movies at the library and came back home to settle in for the weekend. Sledding has been our one sanity-saver. As soon as the kids start to get stir-crazy, we don all our layers (it takes a good 15 minutes to get ready) and head down to the pond behind our house where we've finally discovered an awesome hill within walking distance. Both kids now love sledding and it's super-fun to watch them race and come up with new ways of sledding: backwards, on their knees, on their bellies(superman-style), etc.
Tomorrow it's finally supposed to be in the 40s but I think this snow will be here a while still. Probably just melt in time for the next system to come through, and Winter really has just begun...sigh.

All bundled up and ready to go!

Lots of snow!

Sledding is so fun!

Don't you love the hand-knitted items for a snowgirl?

Our street

Helping Daddy shovel the car out

Shovelling is kinda fun!

That's one way to make a snowball!

Dogs love snow too!



So much fun!



Christmas Recap

Christmas was magical this year to the kids. Santa is a BIG deal now and the magic of all that is so fun to watch. Scooters were the big requests this year and they've been such a hit! How are scooters a hit in the winter you might ask (especially with close to 10 inches of snow currently on the ground)? Well, we've discovered they are actually great indoors too because of the hardwood floors and the "loop" around the house. Yesterday, at a peak of cabin fever, the kids had a scooter race around the loop while ^J^ and I sat on the couch and acted as spectators and announcers. On Christmas morning, the kids just had to take a scooter ride outside so we headed down to the pond which was barely iced over and they had a blast playing with the paper thin sheets of ice. Later that day we headed to Atlanta to do Christmas with my family which was fun and relaxing because we got to spend the whole day there. It also snowed which is a rare event anytime in Atlanta, but especially on Christmas. I think I was in middle school the last time that happened. Here are some pictures to enjoy:

Christmas Eve

Reading The Night Before Christmas

Cookies and Milk for Santa

Santa came!

Christmas Morning

Discovering her scooter

He was so sleepy but *A* lured him out of bed with presents.

Vroom!

(H) would fish them out and *A* would throw the ice on the iced pond and watch it shatter.

The Recap Begins...

It's been a really great Christmas break so far, and it's still going, at least for me. This week the kids are back in school, ^J^ is taking his BIG ordination exams, and I'm off for 2 more weeks. Next week ^J^ and I will have off together which will be nice, we can get some things done and organized for the upcoming semester, the LAST semester here. Oh my goodness. Perhaps we'll start packing boxes. glup.
The week before break we had a pretty big snow so school was actually cancelled for 4 days, the last day we had planned to not send the kids because we needed to be in Atlanta to prepare for ^J^'s ordination to the diaconate. So they basically have had 3 weeks off school instead of 2.

Speaking of Ordination, it was a great day and a beautiful service followed by a ton of pictures. We joked that it was like getting married again and being tired of smiling. There were so many people there from all parts of our lives, college friends, extended family, Sewanee friends. It was so fun to have all that support and share the day with everyone. Afterwards we went across the street for pizza and beer with family and friends and it was a perfect way to end the day. Here are some photos:

The 7 ordinands from Atlanta

^J^ and our bishop

With the priests who have helped us along the way.



 

More holiday recap coming soon...