Had that big snow--now we are done

Last week we were out of school for a few days because of the snow.  The weather reports called for anywhere between 5 inches and 60 inches.  It was kind of stupid how broad the forecast was, but as it turns out--we got about 2 feet of snow.  Thankfully it did not last long, but while it was here the kids really enjoyed it.  We did realize that we needed to get the snow off of the trampoline quickly as it weighed down on the springs.

This is something really silly to share, but I was so happy with the end results!  When the kids were younger, I purchased snow bibs, boots and gloves for them all.  As the years have gone on, we have handed down outgrown ones to each other and Ryan has often worn clothes and boots of mine.  We often wear slicky athletic pants over sweatpants because I just have a hard time justifying paying for all of these things when we often have one big snow a year.  Seems like we can just make due for that one snow.  And they do.  Last year, I made note that all of the hand me downs were completely outgrown and the boots I loaned Ryan and then loaned Emily, had lost their soles.  Hard to use that way.  So, I knew this year I had to break down and purchase some more snow stuff.  The kids are at the age where they still like to go out in the snow, but they never stay long because they often get too cold.  Lack of proper clothing.  :)

The snow forecast was calling for snow to start on Friday.  On Thursday, I thought about the fact that I had nothing for them to wear if it snows the next day.  It is bad that I tend to think of these things in the 11th hour.  I called several places to find that all the thermal gloves in the city were gone.  I called and found that many places no longer had boots in stock.  I did find three pair, and the woman on the phone said she would hold them for me.  In addition, I found a sled (was down to only one of those last year too) that someone was selling on our work classifieds.  When I talked to her she told me about another person on the classifieds who had bibs and snow pants that they were giving away.  Jenny (my friend selling the sled) had grabbed them up to have extras for her older kids who don't play in the snow too often anymore.  She said I could have them since I could not find snow clothes anywhere in the city.  She also had an extra pair of bibs that her kids used to wear.  She gave us those as well.  I picked up the boots and layered several pair of gloves along with work gloves that seemed to push the water away a little bit.  THEY HAD THE BEST TIME IN THE SNOW!  For the first time in a few years they stayed outside all day long.  They took Loki out a few times, but since he doesn't have snow pants to wear, he got cold quickly.  We went sledding and had a blast.  Loki ran up and down the hill over and over following everyone and running in front of the sled a time or two--he seemed to enjoy getting run over though.  At one time, Ryan exclaimed, "this is the driest I have been in the snow ever!"  Of course he had been drier, just years ago and he does not remember.  I felt like a terrible parent knowing that he has been cold and wet for so many snows.  By far, the BEST snow we have had in a long time.  This, coming from a person who does not like snow at all.



Loki, Lydia, Ryan and Emily dressed in their new snow clothes.  Wish you could see their boots.  :)

We gave our wagon away several years ago.  The kids have been wanting to wagon Loki around, but have not had a wagon to do that with.  So, Ryan pulled out the fertilizer spreader, put a towel in the bottom and wrapped Loki up and let him ride in there.  It was so funny!!  Mike and I looked at them through the window and said (at the same time) "Looks like ET."  Though the picture was taken from inside and is not that good, you get the ET look.  Too funny!

Sledding fun!!

"Souperbowl" of Caring Kickoff

 Our whole youth and their mentors (well, those who are present)

 A portion of the 7th grade youth

 Club 56

Except for the fact that I am in two of them, I love these pictures!  Our church has a great youth program that consists of several different groups.  It starts when a kid is in the 5th grade.  They can belong to Club 56.  Club 56 is for 5th and 6th graders.  We do about 5 or 6 events a year that consist of bowling, dinner and a movie, and the best one which is purchasing and filling stockings for and delivering them to the Presbyterian Assisted Living facility in the area.  They have the most fun with that one.  There is a confirmation group and the high school group.  This year we had to start a 7th grade group.  The amount of 7th graders in our church (or whatever grade this group is in at the time) outnumbers all other age groups by about 15 kids.  It is really weird.  Ryan falls into this group.  Last year they were part of the Club 56 group and they were too big to go in with the confirmation group--which is what typically happens with the 7th graders.  So, they have their own group this year and hopefully next year we will have enough mentors for them to be in confirmation.  :)

Each year, during Superbowl time, our high school youth participate in the Souperbowl of Caring (a national online contest to see what church, in what state, can raise the most and then it is tallied all together to see what the nation earns).  This year, they asked us all to get on board with the project.  We met and planned our fundraising and food raising plans.  Decided where to donate everything and showed the kids (the best way we could) what it meant to be hungry.  While our kids will not ever truly know that, the exercise was really neat.  We had soup and sandwiches for lunch and donated all of our fundraising and food raising to First Step (a battered women's shelter in our area) and the MPC food pantry that is within our church and serves those who need it every Wednesday night.  We all lit candles to commemorate our kickoff and to honor those who are less fortunate.

Shorts and a Trampoline in December??

For Christmas, we gave the kids a Trampoline as a group gift.  So far they have loved that more than anything I believe we have ever given them.  They jump on it in the cold, snow, whatever.  I realize, Christmas is not the best time to receive a Trampoline, but the weather was so warm this December!  And into January it was quite warm.  We put it together on Christmas Day.  Dressed in shorts and then everyone proceeded to jump on it!  It was great!  Several years ago I did a post called "Best $30 I ever spent."  (Click on "Pool" or "Get all the balls out" to the right of this page and scroll to the bottom) Still totally agree with that as the trampoline was a good bit more than $30, but feel this is going to be enjoyed as much as that $30 pool was.  :)

 

Also, for Christmas the girls got gymnastic bars and a balance beam.  LOVING both of them!!!  I have not taken a picture of them on the beam, but will add one soon.  They are so enjoying being outside and playing.  Sadly, it is colder now and has been rainy.  Warm weather is coming though!!  Hopefully soon!!!  Love that when it is not raining and cold, they are spending so much time outside!!

This is a picture of Mike and the kids putting the trampoline together.  I like seeing them work together without fighting.  :)

Ryan's winter concert

I know I am constantly posting band pictures!!  I feel like when Emily first started playing softball.  Softball pics ALL THE TIME.  And soon, will be throwing a bunch of Lydia's theater pictures up.  Unfortunately, her theater stuff is kind of a one time pic opportunity thing.  Each time she has a performance.  With Ryan, band is such a new experience for us and we are just so proud of Ryan's accomplishments and his desire to play and learn so much about percussion.  Both his Middle School band director and his High School Marching Band director can't say enough about him and his ability!  They also mention how quickly he picks up music.  We do give my Uncle Bill snaps for this since there is NO ONE else in our family who has any kind of musical ability!  He just seems to have gotten Uncle Bill's musical genes in this one.  It's great!!

Ryan's middle school director does a spring concert and a winter concert.  During the winter concert the 4 middle school students who were part of the High School Marching Band were recognized ad well as the students who were picked for All City County Band.  There will be a posting of city county band later as I am writing this post so far away from when Winter Concert happened, that the City County Honors band has already happened.  :)  Since Ryan already stands on the stage, he stood on a chair to be recognized.

The 6th grade band played first (many more students as they are "trying out" band and are not completely sold on whether they will participate in 7th grade) and then the 7th and 8th graders came out.  As always, it was a nice concert.  Some students more talented than others, but certainly some students on their way up in the music department.

Traditions are great!

Last year our family started a new Christmas tradition.  Due to a "Secret Santa" exchange that Emily participated in last year, we started doing our own Secret Santa exchange.  Being that it is easier to shop with little kids at the Dollar Tree versus Target or Wal Mart, felt it made more sense to just repeat the success of last year and shop at Dollar Tree again.  Last night we went to Dollar Tree where everyone received their $2.25 to purchase their two items.

The excitement and build up for this activity this year was so huge!  The kids were so excited about making this shopping trip and picking for the person whose name they drew.  Wrapping their presents to their picked person had to happen last night as well.  So glad they enjoy this tradition!!  We will definitely make this an ongoing thing.  I do think we will stick with the Dollar Tree and not branch out to more expensive items.  :)  You can read my post from last year by clicking on Secret Santa or Great Days! in the labels on the side of the blog page.  Very much a great day!

After shopping, we walked next door to the pet store and purchased a dog tag for our new puppy, Loki.  Loki has been with us for about a month now, but he was an early Christmas present.  Had borrowed a selfie stick a few days before and took our one picture with the borrowed stick.  My family was COMPLETELY embarrassed to have to take this picture at the front of the PetSmart store.  I didn't see where this was a big deal, but thought I would share the photo (though not a good one) since it caused such an uproar.

After getting the dog tag, we continued our tradition by eating dinner out last night.  We went to O'Niels and as luck would have it--it was kids night!  All kids, 12 and under, eat for 99 cents!  Woo Hoo!!  And we all received a balloon animal.  I asked for the snowman, Emily has a teddy bear, Ryan has a laser gun, Lydia asked for a dog and Mike asked for the hot dog, in a bun, with mustard.  So cute!  All of them!  We have been there before on kids nights, but it has been a long time.  Fun night!!

Paradin' through town

Being part of the East Rockingham High School Marching Band, Ryan got to march in the Harrisonburg Christmas Parade and the Elkton Christmas Parade this year!  It has been many years since he has been in the parade.  There were a few years that we were in the parade for the Daycare where I worked and where the kids attended.

This time it was a true honor!  Carrying his heavy base drum, he marched almost two miles in the Harrisonburg Christmas Parade and marched about 3/4 of a mile in the Elkton one.  He was right on point with his marching and playing!!  Of course we are a bit bias, but pretty sure he was the best one out there.  :)

These two are from the Harrisonburg Parade.  My friend Rabia took them and sent them to me.  I was on the wrong side of the street and really did not see him well enough to get a picture.  He is the short 12 year old in between the tall 16 and 17 year olds.  :)

These shots are from the Elkton Parade.  Also not ones that I took. :)  A fellow band parent took the top one and my parents were able to come to the 65 degree Elkton Christmas Parade and my dad took the bottom two.  Ryan is kind of in the middle of the first and last picture, but towards the back of the middle picture.  So proud of what he is accomplishing and so excited at how much he loves it!!

S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G

Lydia and Emily made it into the Spelling Bee this year!!!  So exciting to have them both do so well as to beat out so many 5th graders to make it into the elite group!  While neither of them made it to the end, we are so proud of the accomplishment they made in making it as far as they did!!