Week Off

I'm back.

It's been kind of quiet around here this last week. Mostly because Mike took Wednesday-Sunday off this last week!

It was an unexpected surprise, and we all enjoyed it very much!

What did we do with our time off? Nothing!

It was awesome. Most days we were all in our pajamas until late and only got in clothing to go out and do something fun.

The kids still had school. I had not planned for them to have a break last week, but this week, and I wasn't about to give up my week-off-for-Thanksgiving.

But it was good, dad got to teach a bit, we got our two book dates that we owed completed, Mike and I went on a date, we all played a TON of Shang hi and we even got to go to the Orchard together as a family Saturday night! How fun was that?!

Last night Mike left for the Orchard-year-planning-overnight- trip. Today the kids and I will do the thanksgiving shopping for Mitchell/Jones Thanksgiving feast and take all the stuff to Paula's in preparation for our great day together.

Still waiting on snow. Real snow. We have had cold and flurries, but we need real snow. The kids are going crazy and unless there is snow on the ground there isn't much playing outside when it is this cold.

So, Please let it snow!!!

Kristen

The big snow hasn't hit yet. I am having my doubts that it is really going to dump as much snow as they say. Just some flurries so far.

So I am sitting here listening to the kids eat their lunch and devouring a delicious chicken salad sandwich made from the chicken I made last night from this recipe here. I highly recommend it it tastes just like a rotisserie chicken. But you must, must, must, make gravy with the drippings because it made for the best mashed potatoes and gravy ever!!!

My main goal today is to make sure the snow doesn't get too deep before we shovel the driveway.

Kristen

Update: I take it back it is snowing really hard now with huge snow flakes.

Yikes!! More Snow!!!

I took this picture on Friday after Mike had cleared half of the drive way and before he hurt his back out doing it. He was a trooper though and took some Ibuprofin and went sledding with us anyways.

We got about 7 inches last Friday. Then Sunday night we got another 4+ inches. I got to shovel the whole driveway myself that time.

Now they are saying we are going to be getting 6-12 inches between tonight and tomorrow!!

I keep asking God to send me a snow blower but he isn't doing it. He must think that all this shoveling of snow is building my character somehow.

Kristen

-7 Feels Like -24

I am not complaining, because we have had a fairly mild winter, for Il., but I have to say when I woke up and checked the weather this morning and saw "feels like -24" my heart dropped a little.

You know it is cold when you look forward to the high of 22 predicted for tomorrow.

Kristen

December Snow

There are no girl pictures here because they were on a date with their daddy. The boys made the snow man all on their own, for the first time ever!! Frosty had to have his eyes, mouth and buttons collected before Jasmine met him because they were items that are toxic to her. She did try and knock his head off and run off with his scarf this morning.

Kristen

Snow!!

I woke up to Seth and Joshi running through the house squealing with delight that it had snowed. This was a tad disturbing at 7:00 this morning. And before you think I am just lazy I only got about 2 hours of sleep last night because of this blasted sore throat. I had come down stairs and made a cup of hot tea at 5a.m. hoping to make the throat a little bearable and had just drifted off on the couch at about 6:15, snow gently falling out side, when I was jolted awake by the little Misters.

They are really wound up. I can't really blame them. They have been trapped in this house for so many days with a sick mommy. I welcome the snow, it will give them an outlet for their energy. Mike told them to get dressed and start their school work, we are on a very abbreviated work schedule due to teacher illness this week but they still have their basics to do, I said maybe they should go and play outside for 20 minutes first, so they can focus better.

They got all suited up and romped. Very fun. We had warm fake-o cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate waiting for them and now I have to go and stumble through some school work.

I am hoping that this super virus will just pack up and get out soon.

Kristen

Feels Like 10

This is how we know it is really winter. As soon as it gets cold out Jaz searches the house for the spot where the sun comes in the window. Then she lays there all day. The good thing is that if you are cold and looking for some place warm all you have to do is look for the dog and you know you will be in the warmest room.

Seth and I checked the temperature today so we could record it on our chart and at 9:30 it was 23 degrees. Oh, but it feels like 10 degrees. I won't even go into that.

Kristen

Seriously?

When Joshi came in this morning and said,"It's snowing!" I thought he must be kidding. Then when I looked outside and saw this.....I have four words.

It is April people!!!

Yesterday we had our windows cracked it was actually starting to warm up. I had no warning and I am feeling a little sad about this.

It's funny growing up in Arizona, you hear about things like this but you never think it will happen to you.....

Kristen

28 degrees but feels like 15 degrees???

Okay here is my number one pet peeve.

You have to understand growing up in Arizona it may get to be 120 outside but they don't say stupid things like "It is 120 degrees but it feels like 140!!" No, when it is 120 degrees it feels like a 120 degrees. They say it like it is.

But here, in IL, it is like they are trying to make it sound better than what it is. Who cares if it is 28 degrees if it feels like it is 15 degrees!! Shouldn't you just go ahead and say it is 15 degrees out if that is what it feels like? Isn't that the whole point of temperature!!!????

All I want to know is what happened to spring?

Kristen