You know that I love snow, right??

Not yesterday I didn't.
Here is why the snowfall of January 30, 2010 was stupid.....
(1) It was a weekend. I have things to do. If it is going to snow, it needs to be on a weekday.
(2) I actually had plans to go out to a Japanese Steak House with my two best friends. Alone. No kids. Just us girls. After the month I have had, I REALLY needed some girl time, you know?
(3) and the WORST... On their way to basketball, Paul and Jake slid in the truck on the snow, hit a curb, spun out and hit the curb again, landed on the sidewalk. The boys were fine...the truck is not.

The tire is actually slanted.

The guy never moved the tire. That is how it looked. Bent.
The guy with the tow truck said "Bent Wheel axle- that's expensive!" The good news is that we have insurance and a rental car already and BOTH boys didn't get hurt. Thank God for that. Still, we are still dealing with the plumbing thing and Life seems so overwhelming right now. Just keeping the faith. That is all we can do.

So all week, we have watched this snowstorm. It kept moving south and the consensus was that we weren't getting anything- maybe a light dusting. Well, we got about 6 inches. Again, a waste on a Saturday.

That is why I think this weekend's snow was stupid.

Wordless Wednesday- Tunnel Vision

Stomach yuks

2010 has certainly had its hurdles for us. The saga continued on Wednesday when I was driving to pick up Miss M from the babysitters....

I got pulled over...

for speeding...

caught in a speed trap....

by 3 cops......

with J in the backseat asking a million questions....

I was speeding too, but didn't realize it. poo on me. Luckily, I didn't cry in front of the police officer nor did I give him a lame excuse. I simply said, "I was??" in a shamed voice as he told me I was going 55 in a 40. Who knew? By the grace of God he let me off with a verbal warning.

So feeling like I had won the lottery, I headed off to get the girl.

I walk in to the house and the sitter has M in the kitchen. M had thrown up all over her and her kitchen. M was crying. HORRIBLE!!

I cleaned her up and took her home, where she continued to throw up.

By Friday she was mostly better. Then Friday night, J started with it. Lasted about 12 hours. Then he got better.

Paul and I got to go to an ice hockey game with my sister and BIL. We got to go to dinner. So nice to get out.

Then Sunday came...and I got sick. Upset stomach, chills, body aches. Horrible.

So I called out today even though I still have to pick up J in a few hours.

I am hoping we are all on the mend.

BTW- My MIL is off oxygen and is making great improvements. YAY! Praise the Lord!

<3 My sister

So we have had a pretty difficult month....lots of stuff going on.....this week I pretty much lost it....on the verge of tears...cried.......sometimes things seem too hard to handle.......

Then I get a delivery!!!!
Look at what my sister sent........

to cheer me up and make me smile.....(well, I cried.... but happy tears)

Thanks Jules, for being who you are and truly making me smile! ...

Now if you only did pluming on the side....... ;P

Just playing...

With just a few pillows and blankets and all of the Snuggies....
the kids are entertained for an hour....
between the coffee table and the couch.....

hiding in the pillows....

and snuggling with each other.....(and one of daddy's DVDs)

they love each other......

Bad News

Crack in main sewer line found today.......not good....very expensive repair.....need prayers.....thanks!

Our Get-Away

The day after Christmas we packed up and headed out west to Blackwater Falls, West Virginia. We usually go there about every two years during the winter break. This is J's fourth trip, but Miss M has never been. There isn't whole lot to do there if you aren't a skier (Is that how you spell ski-er???) but there is hiking, sledding and an indoor pool and game room. Did I mention the beautiful landscape? The Lodge is sitting on the side of a huge canyon. Right from our balcony, you could look out and see the ravine! and the snow...it snowed every day there. They don't freak out about snow like they do where we live....as the kind man at the front desk said to me when I mentioned the 4 inches that fell over night....."This ain't nothin'!"

So I will take you on a picture walk of the week we spent there.

This is the side view from our room. There were always deer out there looking for food.

This picture is looking down form our balcony. J thought it was so cool to see the deer so close!

You know, when in a hotel, you need to find things to do! The kids had a ball playing slide on the air mattress. Luckily, it was a nice one that could handle the abuse. Sometimes, you just gotta let the kids play right?

Another favorite restaurant of our is the Sawmill. They made Mickey pancakes for J.

The kids played so well together especially for being in a hotel for so many days. Sibling Love.

If you look closely, you can see people on a bridge down by the falls. It was officially closed so these people were braving the slippery conditions. It was too far to walk with the kids on the icy steps (almost 200 of them) down to the falls but Paul and I really wanted to go. Our first vacation together was here and our first picture together was taken right on the end of that bridge.....

Miss M and her daddy..She looks so serious, doesn't she??

My boy- loving the falls. Can you see them in the background??

Here are the four of us at the falls overlook. I was freaking freezing and Paul has his coat unzipped!

The falls- aren't they gorgeous?

We traveled into Maryland to do some shopping and Miss M fell asleep with her hat sideways....

This was the planter outside one of our favorite restaurants, "Big John's Family Fixins" Perty huh? You know you are in West Virgina when...

The indoor pool was a God send.....It tired out both kids and gave them something to do.

The boys decided to go out and play one day while Miss M napped. I watched from the window.

Snow Angel!

The back of the lodge, and our room's balcony.

We didn't make this snowman. We watched two adults make it in the evening when the snow was crazy falling and the wind blowing. J insisted on a picture with it!

On your way to the main road is a little bridge. Gorgeous view in the snow isn't it?