Maybe not earth shattering...

... but our freeze warning did materialize the whole weekend with as low as 12 deg F! For this area, monumental since the last major snow was about 8 years ago.


Ok, lots to catch you up on, but will have to come back later to share. See ya later!

Brrr!!!

Our area was issued a FREEZE WARNING by tomorrow and Friday. We're talking in the teens! (I know most in the East Coast are probably yawning at this revelation, but hey this is north Texas, humidity's our game) Hopefully, it won't be too bad. More snow is welcome but without the major sting of gusty arctic winds.

We'll see... Right now it's 45 deg F.

How's your neck of the woods?

Still tired... but, we made STATE!!!

This post would be for today, yesterday, alright this whole week! I was so tired from yesterday that I actually fell asleep before midnight. (Did you hear me, before midnight!) I couldn't believe it either! (**imagine "in total shock" face**) Ok, still too tired to even write anything else, so here are the pictures instead... See all of them (wake up!- If I had to stay up, you can, too!)

The day after Michelle arrived: fo-ggy!

The Hawaiian Haystack dinner (yummy!!!)

Michelle getting her pedicure (do you think she's having fun?)

Look at the ten pretty little piggies... awww...

This is last Sunday's lunch: Dutch babies or Blown-up pancakes

And here are Lisa's Ac Dec medals
(now that's the bling I can get into!)

This is an outright shameless bragging ladies...
Her team competed out of 31 schools!

Gold- Hebron's Top Scholastic Decathlete

Silver- Essay Competition

Bronze- 3rd Super Quiz Relay

Bronze- (with red ribbon) 5th place Overall Team

and... THEY MADE STATE!!! Yeah!

Also, been too busy reading others' blogs so I definitely will have some better ideas to post soon (hopefully...)

Brrrr!!!

While parts of California, Arizona and pretty sure Florida, are having some respite from the snow and cold, North Texas is being pelted with warnings of

ICE STORM!!!

Ice can slick up roads to dangerous levels, ground planes and strand cars on overpasses. In short, NOT FUN!

We had no seminary or school today; which is indicative of how dangerous the roads are (our school district has not closed their school until today in years). We spent the day doing laundry and just relaxing... (I mean pjs & winter socks under blankets relaxing) Aaahh... (I even managed to squeeze in a nap, yay!)

NO seminary again tomorrow as our warning extends to tomorrow AM. We don't know about another "snow day" though...

Charlie and I (he's off today, so such a blessing; we're all home!) got some soups and other provisions to keep us comfortable today like chips, chocolate angel food cake, berries, and microwaveable dishes (things we can eat while we are cozy in our blankets!) :-D.

Check these out:

We may not have an all-out snow fest like in other states, but we have, icy rain!!! This is in my patio; marvel at my "coated" table and my "sprinkled" herb pot.

I can't wait to take pictures of my trees again tomorrow morning! (Charlie wouldn't let me take pictures now...) :-(

How's the weather where you are?

Full of Surprises!

Today, the forecast was wet, cold and maybe icy conditions. Well, this is what they meant:

This is not snow, not mere water droplets either, but genuine icicles, on every branch! Amazing!(remember, I'm a tropical girl) I was so happy to see this lovely view that I grabbed the camera, opened the door, and took shot after shot, all the while, in my pj's and barefeet, not caring how cold it was! Or should I say, "crisply chilled moist afternoon air"; nah, it was cold!




I could never get enough of our trees right outside our living room window! Each season of their lives, witnessing all of the surprises they (there's three of them) bring to my four senses does nothing short of rendering me speechless! (you read right, only four since I don't dare taste anything off the trees!)

We've been admiring icicles, big and small in Utah (of course, you'll find them there during the winter months, it snows there!), but to see it here, after the warm days we've been enjoying, is truly unbelievable to me. It's a testimony that if nature can adapt to life's abrupt changes, we can, too! Jasmine and Ian thought that it was pretty cool too, as most of the trees are similarly endowed with beautiful icicles.

These pictures remind me of the "Hot Chocolate" email that I got about how we treat life.

Ok, more tomorrow! Bye for now...

December 19 (6 Days to go...)

If I would have posted this last night, it would have born the title, "A Day in the Life of a 1st grader."

I went to Ian's classroom Breakfast Winter Party in the morning and helped them with musical book exchange & winter bingo games plus their "breakfast snack" of muffins, grapes, cheese and fruit punch. I had a great time taking pictures. Though today was an "early release" day, it was still packed with worksheets, reading and conditional learning. On a typical day, this is how they normally get things done:

1. Attendance, Pledge of Allegiance (both federal and state) and lunch count
2. Calendar and Superstar (aka Line Leader)
3. Homework check and instruction
4. More instruction and in class work
5. Recess, lunch and bathroom break
6. Downtime
7. More instruction
8. Class work
9. Homework pickup
10. Clean-up and more staying put
11. Lining up and...
12. Remembering if you are a "bus or car rider".

It's fun, but very exhausting at the same time. Often, Ian comes home so tired that when he hits the couch, he's out like a light!

We also had a late lunch, a gift exchange with one of Lisa's school friends, Daniel, a quick trip to Target, three rounds of Rummikub, a great dinner, video games and we all watched "Bridge to Terabithia" for the first time. Of course, since we were all home, we read a Christmas story.

Story: History of Silent Night (Stille Nacht)

Song: Silent Night

We had an awesome day! What a great kickoff for our Winter break. :P