Lexi is attending an ice skating birthday party tomorrow for her friends who are identical twins ... I thought it would the the perfect occasion to pull out my new Sizzix Die of a skating snowman!
It is now Day 4 of Snowpocalypse 2011 here in Atlanta ... the public schools will be closed again tomorrow making it officially a full week off of school for them. So thankful we homeschool and can continue on - we would much prefer to have time off when it is sunny and warm outside! Though we did enjoy again some playtime out in the snow - I think my kids are becoming less enthralled with the whole idea as more of the snow turns into thick chunks of ice.
Today it was all about the ice ... we knocked down some of the icicles hanging from our gutters to take a closer look,
then we created a snow village with icicles and ice sheets - complete with a lit candle (thanks to our friend Robyn for this great idea),
and while an out and about for lunch we even took time to look at a fountain near our home which was now an ice fountain.
So thankful my husband had the ability to work from home this week ... the roads are so icy. Even roads that have been "de-iced" and plowed are icy again from the melting and then refreezing that occurs each night.
The kids are enjoying all the fun that snow brings with it! For the last two days we have enjoyed sledding, snow ball fights, and just playing in the snow. We even managed to get all of our school work done! 
Six inches of snow up North may not sound like much but, here in the South it brings everything to a stand still. I must remember in the future when preparing for a "snowpocalypse" to buy food for several more days than what the weather man predicts we will be snowed in for. 
I am thankful for great neighbors ... one neighbor with 4 wheel drive bought us milk when she braved our street and headed out to the store, another neighbor brought us homemade soup and pasta, while another neighbor helped us shovel our driveway and the hill in front of our home so that tomorrow we should be able to get out and get some groceries. (Our driveway sits in a precarious spot - when the road in front of our house ices over and we back out we just slide down the hill sideways - we have been lucky in the past to avoid the neighbor's mailbox but, only by inches. This year I was prepared and actually bought an ice melt product but, to get the product to work you must clear as much snow and ice as possible from the road.)
"The first fall of snow is not only an event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quiet different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" ~ JB Priestly
We made it through our first week back in school after the holidays! This is always one of the hardest weeks of the year. We are coming off of a busy holiday season - full of excitement and always fun things to look forward to. We then jump into a month which is always a struggle - nothing fun to look forward to and cold weather that keeps us stuck inside our home.
I am so happy to have finally made it into the doctor today ... after suffering for three weeks from a horrible sore throat. I am glad it was not strep - just a sinus infection which was the cause. Hopeful that a weekend on meds will have me feeling better by Monday. Though Monday is beginning to look like a snow day!
Today it is back to our normal routine ... schooling, ballet, tutoring, Wednesday Night church and soon, baseball.
(pictured above my husband and the kids making homemade rootbeer)
So, for now, it is back to our crazy life! Already looking forward to winter break!
Last night we welcomed the New Year with some friends ... we decided it would be fun to let the kids celebrate Midnight at 8pm. We enjoyed snack foods and the kids played until the designated hour when we had a balloon drop and wished everyone a Happy New Year!
After our guests left our kids still wanted to try and make it to Midnight ... Devin was the only one who succeeded. I have to say ... I barely made it to Midnight and even at that did not even finish my glass of champagne. I think I might need that 8PM celebration more than the kids.
Today we began the "fun" task of packing away Christmas. As I pack away each item it always gets me thinking ... "what does God have planned for us this year - when I unpack these items next Christmas what will our year have been like". As I carefully put away all the precious ornaments the kids have made this year - many with their picture on it - I think how each child will be a year older next Christmas. I will have a ten year old and my youngest will be seven ... I just can not even believe that.
