Snow Day #2

We're thrilled to have already gotten a second snow storm of the year! This one kind of complicated our life, however, because Ben was in Mexico for business and I had plans to go out to visit cousins in Estacada on the day the storm was supposed to hit. Not wanting to miss out on limited opportunities with family before we moved, we decided to go even though it was supposed to snow. I figured: what were the odds that the forecasters would get it right two times in a row? Apparently they are on a roll, because they predicted exactly when the snow would come. And it was while we were at Alicia's house having a grand ol' time. Thankfully we had packed for overnight just in case! So we hunkered down and made some great memories...much better than being home at our house without daddy there! It was so fun to be snowed in with cousins!

We had such a fun couple days complete with swimming, crafts, mommy shopping some friends' homemade goods, and sledding. And while the drive home was a bit precarious, it was totally worth it!

Seth, Sam and Judah: these three swam and swam and swam! They had so much fun!

I got an ornament making kit on clearance last year after Christmas and it kept a whole slew of kids busy for a long time. It was so great!

After a busy day, a Mickey Mouse Christmas movie was in order

I love this picture: all the boys (six of them!) listening to a bedtime Bible story from Jeremiah

Morning snuggles after a miracle night of my kids sleeping at someone else's house and not waking up at all! My kids are actually getting more flexible with sleeping situations!

I love how much Josh loves snow. I also love how adventurous he is! First he went down the hill on Jeremiah's lap (without me even encouraging him to) and then he hopped on the sled and went down all on his own!

Cousin Jaiven is not a big fan of the snow. He also wasn't a big fan of Josh's hug. I love this picture!

Three boys on a sled (Judah, Seth, Sam)

All the boys with Jeremiah: Alicia and I were so thankful that he had a snow day from school, so that he could be in charge of all the fun with the boys. They loved it! 

I got dressed in the morning, came out into the kitchen and burst into laughter: unknowingly Alicia and I had put on the exact same sweatshirt! We didn't even know that we had bought the same one! It caused lots of giggles. I'm so thankful for Alicia's friendship and her acceptance of me into the Morris family. We had such a wonderful time at her home. And sensing that I was pretty nervous about the drive home, she and Jeremiah were gracious enough to follow me out to the highway to make sure I was going to make it safely. They are wonderful people and we're sure going to miss them while we live in Mexico!

Snow Day!

I can't believe that it's the middle of December and we've already had two "major" snowstorms (by major in the Portland area we mean more than one inch of snow that will inevitably shut down the entire city). I also couldn't be more surprised that the forecasters predicted both storms correctly, down to the hour that it would begin snowing. This is unprecedented. 

Anyways, we spent our first snow storm playing with neighbors. Ben had headed home from work as soon as it really started coming down (and not a moment too soon as he saw two vehicles slide on the road!). As soon as he got home, we all bundled up and headed down the street to Chris and Jackie's house. We were soon joined by the Declerque boys. The rest of the fun can be documented in pictures. Jackie took quite a few pictures too, so she gets the photo credit for some of these.

 Joshy loves the snow and looks so cute bundled up

 Brother picture (Seth, Josh, Sam)

It's weird being in pictures. I'm thankful for Jackie taking some pictures!

Our first snowman and neighbor Jackie

Jackie gets such a kick out of Josh

Jackie got a picture of our family and Chris together. And the dogs. Their dog, Kona, is Rosie's best friend; they play and wrestle together each time we walk down.

We had an epic snowball fight

 Ben hunkered down behind the snow fort and propelled snow at the kids with the shovel 

 Pure Snow Joy: Joel Declerque

 It is impossible to get a good picture of six boys in the snow

The making of snowman #2

 Snowman #2...much better!

Then we just started rolling huge snowballs because we could! It was fun!

Getting reinforcements to help push

 This snow ball got combined with another big one and became a snow slide.

(A note: while my first inclination was to stay inside in the warmth and quiet, putting on snow clothes and playing with the kids was WAY more fun. I want to remember playing with my kids in situations like this! Such great times!)

Field Trip: OMSI and Wizard of Oz

We're soaking up as many moments as possible with my sister's family before we move to Mexico! We sure are going to miss them! Last week we were particularly blessed to get to see them twice and have some fun outings in Portland with them. Katie was gracious enough to invite us to join her CC group on an OMSI field trip that she was coordinating. OMSI has a special space exhibit and since we're all studying space this quarter for CC, the visit was extra informative. 

Uncle Nick was there to help out too. He does such a great job engaging the kids in learning.

Most the time while the big kids were exploring exhibits, I parked myself in the toddler room with Edmund and Josh. It was delightful to watch them play together. They could have stayed in the sand pit all day!

Buddies

We moved on to a little water play

I have such great memories of the twins playing here, but sadly we haven't really taken Josh. He loved it just as much as Seth and Sam did at his age.

Edmund was fascinated as well.

Detective Josh 

In the rocket

We spent the majority of the day at OMSI and explored so many different places. After lunch, the big boys got to spend time in the chemistry lab with Uncle Nick while Katie and I took our coffees into the toddler room and got to chat and watch Josh and Edmund (in the sand pit again). Here the twins are in their element with some engineering activity.

And Josh and Edmund using trucks to move some huge legos

The coolest marble rollarcoaster

We were all fascinated by it

All the cousins at OMSI (minus John Henry in the stroller)

This one is a better one of the toddlers, but not so great of Seth

That was Friday; Sunday was the day we went to the Northwest Children's Theatre to watch, "The Wizard of Oz." We thought it would a special outing because Miriam, Aidah, Clara, Seth and Sam have read all of Frank L. Baum's Wizard of Oz series (if you have readers, these are a must read! I never knew that there was a series of Wizard of Oz books, but there is, and they are delightful! They are the twins' favorite books.) Unfortunately the play isn't very true to the first book, but the kids still enjoyed it. When we booked the tickets early this fall, we didn't realize that it was the full Broadway version of the play--meaning it was 2 and a half hours long! It was quite the marathon afternoon and I appreciated Katie sticking it out with a nursing baby in tow! 

Sam, Seth and I left home a little early so that we could explore downtown as it is decorated so beautifully for Christmas. A stop to Petunia's for GF donuts is always a must! 

 Then we stopped by Pioneer Courthouse Square to check out the enormous Christmas tree. We also went to Finnegans toy shop and then ended the day with Pizza at Pieology. 

 The kids at the play

 The best part of this play was that the kids got to meet some of the characters afterwards. Here's everyone with Dorothy.

 And Glinda the Good

 We met the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman, and they noticed Sam and Seth being twins. Come to find out, both of them are twins too! Everyone got a kick out of that!

 The kids with Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion