It's Snow Fun

So the snow has arrived with a bang. It started an inch or two on Sunday where we got sent home from church after the first hour of Sacrament. It was super beautiful to see the trees with a dusting of snow on its branches. It's a perk about living in a State that actually has seasons.

The kids had no school Monday for MLK day and were glued to the windows watching the snow flurries come down in batches. It was so light that we didn't get much and I didn't let the kids out to play as there just wasn't enough to play in. They weren't too happy with me.

Tuesday Jeff got the day off for inclement weather and the kids had no school. Again we only got a few inches and there really wasn't that much to play in. The kids were super ready at this point to play in the stuff they were seeing. Neither Jeff or I had a desire to go out in the snow and freeze.

It wasn't till Wednesday when we got hit hard. No school again for the kids and Jeff got to stay home. We got at least 6-8 inches of snow. We had a nice little play patch in the backyard and the kids were let loose to play. They played till they got numb and cold and then it was time to come in. Megan attempted to make a snowman but had a hard time getting the snow packed tight and the head kept crumbling. She was a bit frustrated with the process but was glad to have made something. She said it was too cold to be outside.

Andrew started out trying to help Megan but got bored and would rather just play around in the snow. It was fun having the feel of the texture of the snow for him. He got super cold and red little cheeks but had a great time.

Thursday and Friday Jeff has gone back to work but the kids had again no school. They have had no desire to go back out in the snow and are happy to stay inside and watch the beauty. As the snow starts to melt at times we are getting ice. Rain is falling and creating some melt but then some ice. Our cars are packed over and I couldn't even get the doors open if I wanted to. It's gonna take some chisel action to get that snow/ice off.

We were without power for about an hour yesterday morning and then for several hours from 3:45pm till after 8pm. We also had a few flickers of it going out but then back on 5-10 minutes later. You never know how long it's gonna last. We've had it really pretty easy as some still are without power and have had none for at least a day. We are just stuck home happy to be together and trying to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Lights & Gingerbread

This year Ken and MarGene had a great idea to hit up a new attraction for us. It's called Fantasy Lights and it's set up in a park. You drive through a few miles of lots and lots of lights. They came over and after a quick bite we headed out.

It was really nice to stay in the car and stay nice and warm. They had a very impressive set up and we were super excited to go. They have the system all set for how to drive through and there was tons to see. Megan and Andrew were glued to the windows and really loved every minute of it. We had the Christmas music playing and just enjoyed the hard work to set it all up. It really is the way to go to see something like that.

After the fun lights Grandma brought over a gingerbread house to help the kids decorate. We've missed doing this for the last few years and were super glad that Grandma thought to include us. Andrew wanted it to look just like the box, while Megan did a few free style decorations. Both kids had a blast and were really happy to get the chance to decorate with Grandma.

Giving Thanks VoFo Style

After 14 hours of driving through the night we finally arrived in Salinas for our family get together. We were a bit tired but safely arrived and ready to have some fun.

I think all of the family was excited to see each other and ready to makes some plans to lay out the trip. We quickly unloaded and just relaxed after settling in and visited with one another. It was nice to have some down time and catch up with everyone.

The kids wasted no time getting into play mode. They could careless about the talking and catching up. They just wanted to show off toys and get down to playing.

Pretty soon the house seemed to be busting at the seams with running children that couldn't contain themselves. Laurie had a great idea to take us out on a hike to burn off a bit of energy. The kids loved being outside and we all worked up a sweat climbing a tough hill. It was great exercise and definitely got the wiggles out.

We spent a lot of in between time just playing and enjoying being together. We also stuffed ourselves with Laurie's hospitality. Never a shortage of food or fun times at that house. We had a few rough moments being so close together in a short period of time but really I thought the kids did great with each other. I was really thankful for Laurie and Jared letting us come and storm their home with our craziness.

We got to see our new niece for the first time. Lilyanne is super cute and we all wanted a chance to hold her. I think Jeff was the most excited and was sad that Lily didn't bond with him right away. She had to warm up to us for sure. We were four new faces all in her space and she wasn't having it at first. A few days in though and we were accepted family and all was well.

Thanksgiving day we were all packed into Laurie's house and busting down the walls again with our mayhem. The kids stayed entertained and I thought all went well. The food was as always super delicious and you can't beat time with family. We can just be a very large and loud group at times.

I think my favorite part was making rice crispy treats for the kids to decorate. They were so creative with some of their designs and really everyone got into the spirit. We were pumping those treats out in style. After our big Thanksgiving meal we headed out to a local shelter to pass out our treats. This is a VoFo tradition that has really grown on us. I have to say the kids get better every year. They were really really awesome passing out the treats and I was just really impressed with their spirit of giving. The whole experience this year made me a bit emotional to see how far we've come and how much we have all grown.

With the kids being so good we even got to fit in a little Papa and Grandma gift giving to the grandkids. They were all super excited for this part of course. They were all well behaved for the exchange. Jeff got to pass our the gifts with his own little flair and the kids loved it.

This of course created more chaos and fun. The kids loved playing with their new toys and sharing. The house was a buzz with all the merriment. We even got to fit in a spend the night with boys and girls. I can't say it enough the kids were all just super good.

My little family even got to spend a day with my Dad while we were there. It was fun to see him and catch up on what is new in his life. He has a new dog "zip" that the kids loved getting to know. We also went out to my brothers place and got to play with all his animals. I think this might have been a huge highlight for them.

I was glad that they got the chance to go. We are even talking about letting Megan go spend a summer with them in the next couple of years. She was all a glow just at the mention of getting the opportunity. I'd love for her to go and see how I grew up and stay connected to my roots.

We got to see the new Muppet movie, go out to pizza, and hit up the Hartnell Basketball game. It was all so much fun. I know I really enjoyed myself as well as the rest of my family. We just packed in as much as possible. Since we only get together once a year we had to make it all as special as we could.

I loved seeing everyone and doing all the things that got planned. I miss living all together in the same place but I really think that our gatherings are just all the more special from not seeing each other all the time. We get to hold a special place in our hearts for each other till we meet again. There is always plenty to talk about and lots of laughter. I cherish these moments and am blessed to get the opportunity to share them with those that I love. They mean a lot to me and I'm so thrilled to have them all in my life. A huge Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!