We're Into It - Blog Party

One of my daily blog reads, Hope Studios, posted a list things that her family is into right now. I am joining the blog party with my own family's list of things we are into. With a 3 1/2 and a 5 1/2 year old, our list changes fairly frequently, but here are a few recent things we love.

Liam is really into Legos and Lincoln Logs. I am constantly amazed at all the things he builds. - The men are Ricardo and Jimbo and they are on a 2 seat helicopter

Peyton is into reading the Magic Tree House books - both kids are really excited about reading

Art- Liam created this robot by himself with tape, glue sticks, scissors, and paper

I am so into yarn and am doing both crochet and knitting (part of my stash, Thanks Grandma Lily!!!)

A sweet little crocheted sweater for a friend's baby

We all like games - card games, Uno, Cootie, Don't Break the Ice, Dominoes

Liam loves his stuffed elephant, Mr. PeanutsAnd Peyton loves her monkey, Mr. Bananas

I am still playing flute, 21 years after I began, in a wonderful concert bandMark and I are WAY too into coffee, especially locally roasted beans

I am really into reading God's word. I read the Bible in the NIV translation, and now I'm working on the Message translation. I love this version, but I miss my notes in the Study Bible I have. I make myself get up early every day to read it and it's been a great thing in my life.Thanks, Jennifer for doing this. I had a lot of fun thinking about the things we were into right now and taking some pictures of those things. It's cool to see how this will change as we all get a little bit older!

Liam - my superhero

Superhero Liam - "Mama, look how my cape blows."

I was trying to take a picture of his haircut and he hid under the bar and closed his eyes. I guess he thought I couldn't see him because he couldn't see me!

Liam has been talking a lot lately about death, killing, swords, superheros, etc. He loves to have his blanket pinned to his shirt so he can wear a cape. He is all boy and loves building with Legos and Lincoln Logs. He also likes to have a paper towel tube to be a flashlight, sword, and wand. What an imagination! Again, toys are way overrated. Give the boy a blanket, bucket, and paper tube and he's a superhero!

Another snow post....is it getting old yet?

Peyton was pretending to be a groundhog and was looking for her shadow - she was coming out of the tunnel that Mark dug for her

Like sister.....like brother

Mark was throwing the kids into fresh powderLiam wasn't a fan, but Peyton LOVED it

Mark is really great at playing in the snow. I don't mind being outside, but I'm not as good at coming up with games as he is. He made a snow fort for the kids, dug a tunnel in a huge mound of snow, and threw them into the snow. Peyton kept asking him to toss her. She loved being thrown around. Liam was happy to watch his sister get tossed around.

Harrisonburg city is on a one hour delay tomorrow after a full week off of school. It will be really nice to get the kids back into a routine. They have missed their friends and are both looking forward to school tomorrow. There is a slight chance of snow tomorrow afternoon, but I think any accumulation would be really minimal...at least I'm hoping for minimal!

Still snow.....it's getting a little bit old

Taking advantage of some sunshine to play

Our fantastic neighbor plowed us out several times. He was dumping snow on the kid's HUGE pile and they were so excited!Mark used one of the big piles in our yard to build another igloo for Peyton. Later he dug all the way through and made a tunnel!

We still have loads of snow on the ground, but the falling snow has stopped for now. The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday had called for an additional 5-12" in our area, but we only got about 3 inches! School was closed again today and JMU closed too so Mark is working from home again. The sun broke out from the clouds about an hour ago and it's really windy. There is a lot of snow blowing around and falling off of trees. I'm not sure if we'll venture out today or if we'll just stay in and find things to do.

Peyton and Liam have really been troopers. They have been really great at entertaining themselves and in going with the flow. We have been out of the routine for almost two weeks and it hasn't been easy on anyone, but we definitely feel blessed to have plenty to eat and that our power stayed on. Family members lost power and have not had an easy time at all. The snow is still really white and pretty too. It hasn't been driven on or plowed up yet so it's not grungy and dirty. I'm crossing my fingers that the city will get to our roads this afternoon so the kids can get back to school tomorrow. I don't want them to be going to school in late June!

More snow today

Liam had to work very hard to follow the girls

The snow was just below my knees!

Last night Mark scooped all the snow out of the middle of the igloo/ fort and it was completely full again this afternoon

The snow on our deck rail was crazy!

A peek of sunshine after about 34 hours of steady snow!

(If you click the top picture you might get an idea of how tall the snow is)

The snow finally stopped today around 5pm. We have more snow than my children have ever seen. The last time I remember this much snow was in 2001 - 2002. So it's been a while since we've had to deal with such volume. We went outside today around 3:30 to shovel our sidewalk and driveway and our shovel broke! Fortunately we have two of them and since only one was working, I was off the hook. I did do the sidewalk and made a path to the road, but Mark did the majority of the work. The snow is so deep on the sides of the driveway. I just hope it's a nice, slow melt, not a quick one that our gutters can't handle. Mark is out shoveling a path on the deck now for Randy. She has been a trooper, but has had some difficulty getting off the deck.

Peyton loved playing in the snow, but the snow got inside her sleeves and her arms and hands were so red. She and our neighbor went sledding and forged through the snow making big tubes through the snow. Liam had fun, but he really struggled to just walk from place to place. Mark had to go retrieve him a few times, but we didn't lose him in a drift! Big tall snow is not much fun when you're only 3 feet tall! We need to buy a sled. Last year Mark pulled the kids around the yard in a laundry basket tied to a rope. This year they used a huge plastic thing that goes under your clothes washer to hold the water if it floods. Seriously redneck sledding in this part of Harrisonburg!

Still no sign of snowplows and I have no idea when they'll show up. I don't expect them tonight, but maybe tomorrow. We haven't heard about church tomorrow or about school Sunday, but I have a feeling both will be canceled. Mark just measured in our backyard and we have 21 inches!

February SNOWMAGEDDON!

Peyton inside the igloo

Mark is like a little kid in the snow

(Click on the pictures to enlarge and see better detail of the igloo and the snow in our yard!)

We are seriously up to our eyeballs in snow in the 'burg. It has been falling steadily since about 6am. Reports are calling for 18 - 24 inches by the time it stops tomorrow, but we'll see. We stayed inside all day and then Peyton asked to go out around 4pm. Mark bundled up the kids and they went out. Once I saw the fort Mark was building, I went out too. He took a Rubbermaid storage container and filled it with snow and used it like you would use a bucket on the beach. He made quite a fort and the kids were so excited. After Liam and I came inside, he shoveled the inside of the fort all the way down to the grass. So it will be interesting to see how much snow we get overnight.

I am so grateful to have shelter tonight, to be warm and have plenty to eat. Our church is hosting the area thermal shelter this week and I've been praying for those needing shelter and those volunteering. It's not easy to organize and arrange with bad weather, but it's worse when your volunteers can't safely get there to help. I'm so glad we were able to be a part of this ministry this year. There are so many homeless in our area who so desperately need a place to sleep.