Let it snow, let it snow, let it...

SNOW!

And boy, did it snow. Although we have only been in boise for three years, and people assure us that it never snows like this, two of our three winters here have been snowy.

I guess we will have our White Christmas after all!

The kids love sledding down the little hill at the side of our yard and think that it's great fun. Kelly and I keep telling them that they need to sled on a REAL hill!!! I think we will take them to sled down Camelsback sometime this week. Now that's a hill! LOL!!!

Riley had his Christmas program at school last Thursday. It was fun to see him singing and really getting into it! This was his favorite song, Noel. (See video to the right)

The dogs have really been enjoying the snow too! It is always so pretty after a snow fall, but our snow usually is full of doggy footprints within minutes of letting them out. They get so spunky in the new snow and will frollic with eachother until they are exhausted. I just love watching them play in the snow. I tried to take a video of it this morning, but Steffi spied me through the window, and alerted Meg and Tika that I was watching. Within seconds they were all sitting at the back door waiting to come in...

Leapin' lizards!!! Oh, I mean leapin' Tika!

Meg, Steffi, and Tika enjoying the snow...

Yummmm! I love snow!

Nope! I didn't eat any snow!!!

I'll just leave you with one more picture and a Joyous Christmas wish from my family to you and yours!

Getting Ready

Okay, okay... I've finally broken down and made a blog. I think I have had it in the back of my mind that it was going to be a lot harder and a lot more involved than it is! Granted, mine is not the fanciest of blogs, but it gets the job done. :D

It seems like I have been getting ready for the last three weeks. Getting ready first for Thanksgiving, getting our house ready to put on the market, and getting ready for Christmas.

This year we hosted Thanksgiving at our house. I have only done this once before, with help from my mom. This year I made it all, except for the pies, which my mom brought. I started out thinking it wouldn't be that much work, but ended up making a lot more dishes that I had originally planned. It turned out great though, and we really enjoyed having my parents, my brother and his family over for the holiday.

Then we started getting our house ready to sell. This included a deep clean, de-junking, painting a few touch up spots, putting in a new vanity top and faucet in the kids bathroom, and filling in the dogs digging hole in the backyard and laying chicken wire over it, weed barrier over that, and pea gravel on top of that, with a brick paver border. We then placed the dog houses on top of that. Also, we had a ton of leaves to rake, the pond to winterize, etc...

It has been a BUSY couple of weeks! We finally got our tree up this week though, and that is always fun, and the kids look forward to it sooooo much. I think a lot of that might have to do with the presents that materialize under the tree after it is up. LOL!!!

We have decided as a family to have a much simpler Christmas this year, and only get a few presents, and to give more to those less fortunate than us.
I think that we get too caught up in the "I want, I want..." and don't count our blessings that we do have.
We have been blessed with Kelly's job, my jobs, our safety, our warm home, food to eat, clothes to wear, cars to drive, and most of all, with a Saviour who came to earth and atoned for our sins, and who loves us. We owe it all to Him. Without Him we would have nothing.

As I was driving in the car yesterday afternoon, it hit me that I needed to take stock of all that I DO have, and that what I have is good. Getting ready shouldn't be a chore, something to dread, but a joy and blessing.


Getting ready is something that we do for the rest of our lives...