Snow Tubing

Peyton and Liam were incredible sports about the long wait. They hung out in the tubes and watched the other people in line.

We had a beautiful snowfall on Saturday, about 5-6 inches of powdery, lovely snow. We stayed inside almost all day and then went out around 4pm to shovel the walk and to get some air. I got 95% of the driveway shoveled when my neighbor came by with the Bobcat and did the last little bit. We had to shovel again today because it fell all night. Today all services at church were canceled, so Mark decided we should go snow tubing at Massanutten. We checked the guidelines and you had to be at least 36 inches to go and each person had to be in their own tube. They do allow an adult to go down holding the child's tube, so we figured the children would be fine. We got the tape measure and Liam was about 37 inches! We left the 'burg around 12 and drove up to the resort.

We got the final tickets for the 2-4pm slot and then went and ate lunch. We got all bundled up after lunch and rode the magic carpet to the top of the run. I had watched people go down but didn't realize how fast it was until Peyton and I went the first time. It goes incredibly fast and is crazy fun. I thought at least one of the kids would be nervous but they loved it! We only managed to get down the run 5 times in our two hour slot because it was so crowded. I think if we go again we'll go on a weekday. It's cheaper and less crowded then and would be even more fun. I get to go again on Wednesday night with the fourth and fifth graders from church. My children are not happy about that!

My silly boy

Liam and I were playing around with my camera yesterday. He is such a HAM! I love this boy.

The Barbie Cake

Peyton has been eyeballing this picture of a cake that looks like a Barbie dress for over a year. She gets out the creative cakes book and looks at it and asks when we can make it. We finally made the cake last week with two of her cousins and her Granna. We put 2-9 inch layers on the cutting board and stuck a cake on top (we cooked the top in a bowl) to make the dress. Then Granna cut a space in the cake and we stuck the Barbie inside. The kids decorated her dress and it was quite impressive to watch. Liam was pretty good with the icing bag. I was joking that he needed a Bobby Flay throwdown!

We are expecting snow of some sort tonight. The amounts keep changing and the severity keeps changing, so we'll see. I have a feeling we'll be missing dance class tomorrow, but whatever happens, I went to the store today so I am staying put tomorrow!

Random Stuff

I have been working on my first knitted prayer shawl - VERY slow going!

I crocheted a cozy for our French Press to help keep the coffee warm - it works great and the yarn came from the bag that my grandma-in-law gave me! (THANKS Grandma Lily!)

Not a whole lot going on in the Casa de Meadows these days. School, work, church, hanging out with the kids, nothing too out of the ordinary. Peyton was out of school Friday due to ice a sleet. She loved the fact that she only went to school two days last week! We have rain today and it's dreary! I don't normally mind winter, but for some reason I'm over it. I'm ready for spring already and it's still January!

We moved Liam into a big bed and he's loving that. He feels very grown up and does not want to be called a baby or referred to as a little boy. It's nice to see how independent he is getting. He is finally dressing himself, including shoes and socks. He used to ask us to help and now he tells us that he can do it by himself. I love that they can do more for themselves, but I also love that he still wants to be held and cuddled. Peyton is starting to not "need" hugs and kisses and it makes me a little sad, but she also loves to cuddle on the bed and read. She is reading to us now and it's awesome. Her teacher is sending home pretty tough books for her to read and I'm just amazed by her!

Feeling just blah

I have been feeling seriously blah this past week or so. The weather has gotten incredibly warmer, from the teens to the upper 40's, which is awesome, but I can't shake the yucky feeling of exhaustion and just blah. I have been trying hard to get motivated to do anything besides sitting on the couch with some knitting or crochet. I get the kids into bed and just want to be an enormous couch potato. I have got to shake this soon or I'll be tempted to stay in bed and not get up.

We are really busy this next few months with activities for the kids, school for Mark, and the many church activities I am engaged and involved with. They are all great things, but it can wear me down too. So hopefully I'll have a picture or two to post soon. I don't think I've touched my camera in over a week. I did take a few pictures of Liam's room with his big boy bed. No more crib in the Meadows' house at all!

Triple R Ranch Reunion - 300th Post

Mark and I found some low ropes activities in the woods and I thought the giant see-saw was cool!

I was especially excited to see that the fish bench was still in front of the lodge!

I had an incredible opportunity to re-visit my summer camp this past weekend. I was a camper at Triple R Ranch for 7 years and I was on barn staff as a junior and then senior staffer for 4 years. I hadn't been back to camp since 2001, when we went back for a funeral, and I was thrilled to be able to get back for an alumni reunion. It was just unbelievable to step back in time and relive some of my fondest memories. I felt like I was coming home again. I can't adequately express how much I loved being there and how awesome it was to see it again, and to see the exciting changes that are being made.

Triple R was an amazing place for me. It wasn't just a place to ride horses, experience nature, swim, hike, etc. It was a place where I experienced Jesus Christ. I saw people living for Him, worshiping Him, working hard to create a place where campers could have a ton of fun, but the priority was always to "know Christ and to make Him known." I am so pleased that campers are still coming there and walking away with a stronger relationship with Jesus. How awesome to know that new memories are being created, and that although buildings might change and programming might shift, as a new generation comes to camp, young people are getting a chance to know Jesus and to see firsthand people living for Him. It's awesome. I hope to be able to attend future reunions and to maybe one day send my own children there to camp.