And then it snows!

We have rules.  We have rules that the boys come home and empty their bags, get their lunch dishes in the dishwasher, put their school homework on the table and then we start homework.

But then it snows.

The boys LOVE snow!  And I'm very glad they do.

Today the went outside for a half hour to play before dark.  Before doing any of their jobs after school.  Before anything was play.

I'm not calling them in until it really gets dark.

Sometimes snow is more important than school.

The Perfect View

Have you ever looked out on your back yard or down your street right after a beautiful snowfall?  Everything looks just perfect!

I will always remember driving to band practice one early morning when I was in High School.  The snow had just fallen on Lakeshore road and it was beautiful.  I even stopped the car and got out and looked.  I had always wished I had a camera with me that day.  Just to see the perfect white covered roads.

Sometimes I even get that look in our own backyard.  The snow is just beautiful.  It covers the dead grass, the over grown bushes, the kids slide and swings, the fence and makes the whole world look so wonderful.

And then....

And then something happens.

Nothing big, nothing so horrible, but just enough to mess with my perfect view.

And yet, somehow it makes it even more beautiful!

My kids play in the backyard.  They run around leaving tracks all over the place.  Then run around until they fall down laughing.  Then jump off the picnic table and giggle the whole time.  The boys throw snowballs at each other, at the back fence, at anything they can.  The run all over and make a huge mess!

At first my heart fell.  My perfect view out the back yard.  The view that I admired every morning and night was totally destroyed.  There was no beautiful landscape.  No freshly fallen snow. 

Now it was just trampled all over.

And yet, somehow it makes it look even more beautiful.

It reminds me of my babies when I look out there now. 

How much fun they have even in those few minutes after school.  How their backyard is even still an adventure. And how much I love them for being so much like me.

While My Perfect View may not be the crisp clean backyard in the snow, it is totally my family!

**If you visit my house please apply this to my home.... cleaning up when you have children is like shoveling snow in a snowstorm!**

Snow!

Snow!
    Snow!
         Snow!
               Snow!
                                                   SNOW!!!

It won't be long before we'll all be there with

Snow!

 

That's right!  Snow!

 

We got our first snowfall this weekend. 

 

We had a very busy Saturday finishing up our Christmas Shopping and getting things done.  Kyler and Arnold did the dishes when we came home.  And before we left, Jack and Quinton raked the lawn.

 

It was perfect!

 

Now we have a nice clean yard and it's currently covered in snow.

 

I love snow!

 

It was great to get the kids outside and get them playing in the snow.  I love them enjoying the time outside again.

 

Yesterday was so darn cold though!  We had 2 indoor recess due to the rain and then one outside in the slush. 

 

I really do love snow!

 

It's great for the kids.  They have developed a plan for making hats.  And it's so cute!  I'm so proud of them!!

 

Anywho... I love snow!  I'm so happy we got it this early!

6 more days!

That's right!!  6 more days!

This mornings board at school was our nice reminder that there is only 6 more days of school left!!!  Which for teachers (who weren't counting today) it was really 5 days!  One whole hand!

Last night was our Christmas concerts at school.  Actually, one was in the afternoon.  But they were great.

Our week has been busy!

On Monday we dropped off our teacher gifts!  Mr C (Q's teacher) got a "book of gift cards".  Ms. G (K's teacher) got a jar of gumballs and a GC.  Then the office staff and those I work with 1 on 1 got my "exploding box" gifts.

Tuesday was preparing for our concert.  It meant for a super duper busy day!

Wednesday got crazy.  A fun morning to get the concert ready and to get the kids excited.  Then lunch and onto the concert.  We had our concert from 1:30 until about 2:30pm.  Everyone was gone by 3pm.  Which is nice.  I even got my first "teacher gifts" :)  I loved it!

On Wednesday night. it was my boys turn.  The parent council did a great job with our baskets so I spent most of my time doing the raffle.  A friend of mine one the VIP seating.  It was big cushy seats at the front with no one in front of you.  It was great :)  I loved it!  Her hubby couldn't make it so I did.  We got front row seating, and they waited on you!  There was a bottle of water and a juice box to start.  Then you got a tray of grapes, cheese and cracker.  After the next group you got carrots/cucumber and dip in a cup.  And last was a tray with cookies on it!  It was all so great!  The kids did a wonderful job serving.

Then to add to the fun I won a basket!!  The boy basket.  I seriously bought 2 tickets and they were the ones in there :)  I'm so excited for it.

The boys sang so well.  You could hear Q over EVERYONE!  It was so funny.  And Kyler did a great job.  He did a little "saying of favourite things" during the first song in the microphone and the second song was a dance.  He loved it and did a wonderful job!

Then today... the "6 more days" of school left was so fun!  We all had a wonderful day, even with the wind-chill.  They called indoor recess for the classes.  So no one played outside in the morning.  All the kids came in ASAP and then we only went out for 10 minutes at lunch.  I swear it took more time getting the kids ready than it did to play outside!  We did play "What time is it Mr. Wolf?"  with them to have them run around a little then it was time to go inside.  We did a train to walk around and "pick up" everyone around the area then back to the gate and in the classroom.  I read the kids a book and then they were off to gym.  Great timing!

All in all a great day!

Here's hoping tomorrow is just as fun!  Then we are on our last week of school.

A Reminder Of All Things New

I know that alot of the Facebook status updates and Twitter updates were about how people wished spring would come now!  Right now! 

The "storm" we had this week was another reminder of why people want spring.  The slushy weather was horrible.  My boys were told to bring extra socks to school.  On Friday, Kyler even took 3 pairs.  One for when he got there and after each of the recesses.  Smart kid!  He knew he would get wet feet, so there's no point in avoiding it at all.

While the storm is sucky, and the weather isn't idea anymore it's still winter. 

The thing I love about winter is the way things look "new".  When the blanket of snow covers the world and things look fresh, new, white again.

I will always remember this one day I was in high school.  We had early band practice and I needed to get there early enough to warm up.  I remember turning down this one corner on Lakeshore Road and seeing the most beautiful sight ever.  It had snowed the night before and everything was covered in this beautiful white snow.  Everything.  It was such a gift from God to see His grace.  And the reminder that all things are "new".

On our "storm" day this week I was reminded of this again.  While the weather was yucky and slushy and just not nice there was still a reminder of all things new.  New things are coming.  The bulbs are going to be coming up soon, the weather will change and things will be new/warm again!

For now ....

Enjoy the beauty

 

 

And just for a smile:

 

The Count Down is ON!

Things are changing at our house. Not only is it the Christmas season and the kids are buzzing with excitement but we are having a new house guest in January.

We are so excited to have my brother "Uncle Jack" move in for a few months while he finds a job. The kids can't wait to have someone "younger" to play with! AH I can't believe they said that but they did.

Today we worked on cleaning out the closet for the green room so he has a place to put all his incredible suits! I'm very excited to have him close to use while he searches for a job!

Not only that but the official count down is on (and ALMOST in hours....) until the NUTCRACKER!!! Quinton is over the moon excited as it is his first year to go. He wants to bring his nutcracker from home but I told him we should leave it here. We don't want it to get broken.

Today, while we clean, we are listening to the Nutcracker CD that Kyler picked last year. I'm so impressed with him picking it and now are preparing ourselves by listening to it. What wonderful music!

The boys are also having a PJ day today. It's a PA day from school and we are chilling out at home. We did a quick run to the grocery store to get a few things and now are home for the rest of the day. It's snowing (while not staying on the ground) and the boys are excited when their friends "the girls" come over and they can go and play in the back yard. We did pick up some gingerbread families to decorate. My plan, which who knows if this will work, is to send the kids outside to play in the back yard, then inside for hot chocolate and popcorn and a movie, then decorate our gingerbread family and the cat and dog that came with it, and then let the kids play trains again. IT should be fun!!

Here's to a productive day! Hey I already got in a blog post so we must be doing well!!

December Photo Challenge

This month I am trying, again, to do a Photo Challenge. I'm hoping I can do it! This is a fun month!

This month is all about Christmas/Winter and things that remind me of that time of the year. I started on Dec 1st, but here's a "hint" of my post today!



Check out the blog here:

All The Seasons - A Photo Blog

Santa At the Zoo!!

On Saturday we went to the Zoo and got to see Santa. The kids love it! Last year we went and had so much fun. I think it might be something we do all the time. It is alot of fun!

Here are some great shots from the time there:

Happy Dutch Christmas (With pictures!)

So after the boys got home from church this is what they found:

December!!

Finally!! I'm updated to December. November was a fun but busy month, and I can see December is shaping up the same way.

These past 3 days we have already:

*said Merry Christmas/Happy New Year to my little daycare boy. His parents are off on 2 week rotations for a bit and he is done visiting us.

*had our Christmas gifts arrive in BC and Alberta for our friends/family out there.

*gone on a date with the boys to get Daddy's Christmas gifts (the boys picked them out themselves - hehe )

*made my first batch of Christmas exchange cookies (and have now eaten about half of them - I'm making more tomorrow)

*boys had their last men's breakfast of the year at church today

*gone to see Santa at the mall

*saw Santa at the zoo and got to play some games there.

*updated and change all the calendars in the house

*updated our budgets

WOW we have done alot! and still more to do. I did manage to get some Christmas Gifts wrapped up this morning so that helps me out a bit. Just a few more to go and I'm all done for now. I do need to finish making some gifts as well.

So on our December plate is:

Dutch Christmas
Doctors appointments for myself and for Kyler
2 more Wednesday Night Youth Groups before the end of the year
Girls from across the road coming over for another 4 times before school is out
Going to Home Depot to make something
Going to see the Nutcracker (first year with both boys!)
Nursery schedule at church
Arnold's Christmas party
Sound checks/dress rehearsals for the Church's Christmas production
Youth's "Disney Themed" Christmas party
Boys both have their own school productions
Last day of school
Traveling to Sarnia for Christmas
Kyler's Skating daycamp
Pre-New years all night-er for the youth
New Years at the Zoo

Wow are we busy! Thankfully it slows down a bit in January! So please forgive me if I'm not posting alot/at all. We are busy!

Tree And Snow!

On the 29th of November we put the decorations on the tree and had a nice evening.

Kyler wanted to put the start on but DANG that kid is fast! I should have used sports mode instead. Here's what I did manage to get:











AND Nov 30th we did get our first snow. It even lasted until the 1st of December!! Then it was gone. But wow did it look nice!