Another Snow Day

After our snow on Tuesday we were all hyped up and ready for more snow on Wednesday.  Like so much was expected that they canceled school (again) in preparation for it. The Governor warned everyone to be home and off the roads after lunchtime so there wasn't a repeat of last year and our area was expected to get between 3-6 inches.  

Since I knew I had a little time in the morning to get a few things done I ran a few errands and stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few things in case we were indeed stuck at home for a few days.  That must have been the same idea of everyone else in Atlanta because when we got there we shocked to see there were NO carts!!!  We ended snagging one as someone was leaving, but it was a funny sight to see.  

In the afternoon our neighbors all got together so the kids could watch a movie and wait on the snow while the parents visited. The snow started pouring down big huge flakes and we were so excited about the possibility of a big covering.  In fact, we were already making plans for sledding the next morning.  The kids got bundled up and went outside to play in it and came back in totally soaked.  It was wet, sticky snow, but they didn't care.

After we got home the snow turned into sleet and then turned into rain and the rest of the evening that is all we got.  Cold rain, but no more snow. :-(  It was such a disappointment when we had expected so much, but it turns out the rain/snow line had moved a little further north than they had originally expected.  We still got the day off today though because of some icy conditions and because areas north of us in the county were still snowy.  It's been a fun few unexpected days off and I'm happy that we at least got some snow to play in.  I'm hoping that is the end of this cold and winter weather though because now we are ready for spring and sunshine!  

Snow Day(s)

Our district waited until the very last minute to call a two hour delay this morning because of a wintery mix that turned to snow.  I'm so glad I listened to my gut and stayed in bed, despite the fact that the girls would have usually been up and getting ready for school at that time.  It ended up pouring snow for about an hour and the kids were so excited when they got up.  They started making lists of what they were going to do out in the snow.

We were still thinking they would have to go to school, so everyone got bundled up quickly and went out to play for a little bit, but only after I tip-toed around the yard to take a picture of the house!

Outside they immediately started throwing snowballs at each other and loved every second.  It was pure JOY!

Then we found out school was going to be cancelled all day!!!  Woo Hoo!!!  We were all cheering.

This afternoon they were all at each other's throats and I was questioning if I had enough wine to get me through the next few days because school is cancelled again tomorrow for the next snow storm that is about to happen.  And this one is supposed to bring over 4 inches!  That's a ton of snow for here and I will be surprised if we are back in school by Friday.

He's back...

Hudson woke up a few times last night needing things like water, a tissue, etc. and he seemed like he'd perked up (even if it was 3 AM), but this morning when he woke up he still seemed kind of pitiful.  He wanted me to carry him down the stairs and he wanted to sit in my lap for breakfast.  He ate fine though and I think he just needed to get some energy back.  He layed around the first part of the day watching a movie, but then all of the sudden he told me he was feeling better and ready to go somewhere. We got dressed and headed out to the grocery store.

I thought he looked so cute here, ready to brave the very cold, but sunny day.  

This afternoon the girls got off the bus wondering if he was better because they wanted to invite friends over for a playdate. Thank goodness both friends were able to come over at the last minute so they all had a fun afternoon of playing together.

Tonight when I was putting the kids to bed I happened to look over and see Walker doing what we call, "dead dog" in Handley's room. We would love to try to teach him the trick of playing dead, but he likes to just do this all on his own when he is nice and relaxed.  He's so funny!

Sweethearts, Snow, and Sickness

Last Saturday night Robby and I went out to dinner with some of our fun neighbors.  Kind of for Valentine's Day, but more so just to be able to go to dinner with them.  We had fun and it was great to have an excuse to get dressed up and go out with my sweetheart on Valentine's.

While we were at dinner we got a text from the school system that schools were closed on Monday because they were predicting snow. I was so excited about our long weekend and the kids were so excited about the possibility of snow.

We pulled out all the stops...my chalkboard message, the kids PJ's were worn inside out and we flushed ice cubes down the potty.  Unfortunately though, all we got on Monday was rain.  Then on Monday night school was cancelled for Tuesday because there were predictions of ice roads due to the freezing temperatures and all of the rain.  We were fine on Tuesday and most areas right around us were OK, too.  Many other counties had tons of people without power, so I was very thankful to have another day off and to have power (even though our heat upstairs is out AGAIN!).

Today the girls were back at school and go figure, that is when it starts snowing.  Ha!  It didn't stick, but it was still fun to see.  I knew the kids would be going crazy at school.  Harper's class went outside with black construction paper to catch snowflakes and Handley was in the lunchroom at the time and said kids were yelling and cheering and so happy to see snow.  :-)  There were still a few flurries flying around when they got off the bus this afternoon, but it didn't last beyond that.

We might see some more snow this weekend though, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.  We want one big snow so the kids can play in it and have fun, and then we will be ready for spring.

My poor little Hudson woke up last night with the stomach bug, again.  He just can't seem to catch a break, which is another reason I'll be happy for warmer weather so all of this sickness will go away.  He was fine most of the day today, but just couldn't do anything but lay around on the couch and watch movies. When he wasn't watching movies he was sleeping.

I'm hoping he wakes up tomorrow feeling better!  He was so excited about a playdate with his "best buddy" from school tomorrow that I had to cancel and I know he's going to be heartbroken when he finds out we had to reschedule.  :-(

Daddy Daughter Dance

Yesterday the kids all got to exchange valentines at school with their classmates and Hudson's class had a party to celebrate.  No more parties in elementary school, but the girls still had fun and said it was a great day. They all loved coming home and dumping out their boxes to read their cards, eat the candy, and see all of the treats they collected.  

I love these sweet little valentines...all four of them!  

Then it was time for the girls to start primping and getting ready for the first annual Daddy/Daughter dance at their school.  They had been really looking forward to this night and we had fun going shopping together for their new party dresses and shoes.  I scored both of their dresses on clearance and they coordinated, which I loved.  We also got Robby a tie that matched and they were all looking fantastic last night!  

It felt like a little prom! 

They were beside themselves with excitement before leaving and Handley just could not stand it anymore so she talked Robby into leaving early just so they could go.  Gigi and Papa had come over to see them all dressed up so they went with Hudson and I to dinner and then we came home to this yummy treat that Gigi and brought over.

I could not wait for the girls to come home so I could hear all about how the dance was.  They arrived all smiles and Handley talked non-stop about how much fun it was.  There was pizza, a popcorn bar, and lots of dancing!  Both girls saw a ton of their friends there and said they danced the night away with them.  

Handley said it was probably the best night she ever had and couldn't believe she had to wait an entire year to do it again.  She loved seeing everyone's fancy dresses, she loved all of the Taylor Swift music that was played, she loved dancing and hanging out with her friends and she loved the way the school looked.  I laughed when she told me that I wouldn't have even recognized the stinky lunchroom because it was decorated so beautiful and looked like a ballroom!  :-)  Harper had a wonderful time too, but by the time they got home she was super tired and wasn't saying a whole lot.  I'm so happy they had such a wonderful time with such a sweet and handsome daddy as their date.

Montana Trip

I had intended to post more pictures from our Montana trip much sooner than this, but I came down with a stomach virus on Saturday and it as Wednesday before I was finally feeling like myself again.  Needless to say, I didn't get much else done earlier this week.

The trip, like last year, was amazing.  We had the best time trying out all sorts of new activities and adventures.  On our first full day we went on a ATV off-road ride and saw some amazing views.

 Something new we tried this year was ice fishing!!! It was actually a lot of fun and I caught the first fish out of our group. :-)

 I was just a little nervous that was trying to bite me!  

Robby got the next one, but he wasn't afraid to hold it like I was and grabbed right a hold of it.

We were there over Super Bowl Sunday and they had a huge Super Bowl party with tons of food, amazing decorations and these giant ice sculptures were waiting to greet us as we arrived.  

On our last full day we went skiing and I had a lot of fun.  It was the first time I'd skied in 4-5 years, but thankfully it came right back to me.

And on our very last night at the ranch we enjoyed great food, good friends and we played a the Blackjack tables with fake money.  I'd never played before so it was a great introduction to not have to worry about loosing real money, which I would have done!  

If you want to read more details about all of our time in Montana you can check out my Magnolia Mama blog about it HERE, HERE and HERE.

A special email...

Last week Robby and I left to go on a little trip, just the two of us, for 5 days and it was amazing.  We visited Montana and had such a wonderful time.

I'll share more about our trip in the next few days when I finally weed through all of the pictures I took!  I've spent the past few days at home just trying to get caught up on life.

Gigi and Papa were kind enough to keep the kids for us and they were in for a doozy of a weekend.  Right before we left, Hudson came down with another ear infection and right after leaving he came down with a stomach virus that lasted for several days.  Between that, dealing with a puppy, the girls school work and everything else, they certainly had their work cut out for them.  I felt helpless being so far away and not being able to help, but I felt confident the kids were in great hands.  We were so thankful for our time away, but I was really happy to be home.

Mimi came in town for a visit right before I got home and was able to relieve Gigi on the last evening.  It was a total surprise to the kids that she showed up and I've been so happy to have here here since Robby stayed out west to met some friends to go skiing for a few days.

While Hudson's stomach virus went away completely earlier this week, he came down with a cold and has been completely miserable since I've been home.  He's been whiney, irritable, unhappy and everything else in between.  Such a treat to come home to...ha!

Hearing from Harper's teacher was the real treat today.  She sent me a picture in an email this morning saying that a friend of Harper's was having a hard time with his morning work and Harper noticed he was stuck.  On her own she pulled up a chair to his desk to help him finish.  Her teacher said this was just one example she sees daily of how caring and sweet Harper is.  As her mom it sure did make me proud of her to know that she had no idea she was being watched, yet she still chose to display kindness because it was the right thing to do.  Love that sweet girl of mine!