SNOW MUCH FUN!!!!!

Caleb takes to the hill!

Pretty snow-covered shed.

Benjamin and Silas are amazed at how much snow fell last night!

Silas is ready for that snowball fight Daddy!

Well, we don't wake up to 16 inches of snow everyday here in the Sierra Foothills.  We have our dustings a few times a year...enough for the kiddos to get out the boards and do a little bit of shredding.  This, however, has been a very different kind of snow day...they could actually build snow forts, snowmen, snow angels, and the best part of the day was that Daddy got to stay home with us.  The boys had a friend over which kept them very busy most of the afternoon.  My plans changed, thanks to the weather, and I didn't have to make the trek up to school this morning for my monthly meetings.  

So our day consisted of shoveling the driveway, playing in the snow with dog, drinking hot chocolate and hot-apple cider, decorating the Christmas tree, doing a bit of online Christmas shopping and now, waiting for Papa to come home with a Papa-Murphs. Pizza!!!  Yahoooooeeee...I don't have to cook tonight.  What a day of blessings.  As I was frothing up a lovely egg-nog latte for B. and I earlier, I was looking out the window thinking, "My Lord, how lucky am I to be gazing upon this incredible view of snow-covered trees and mountains listening to Selah sing 'Oh, Holy Night' and worshipping the God who created this majesty!"  

To top it off, I have this precious miracle (now 15 weeks) forming in my womb and when I stop and take a moment to breathe it all in, it's just overwhelming.  

The rest of the week seems to be morphing into days quite different than planned due to weather (ice tomorrow, more snow for Weds. and Thursday...we'll see).  The plan was to go and see Miracle on 34th Street (a play) but that has been moved to next week.  Instead of meeting with parents today and tomorrow I'm having them email me everything and drop "stuff" off at the office sometime before Thursday.  Funny, all of the 'not knowing' how things would work out used to get me so stirred up inside.  Not so anymore.  I've learned to really throw it all down and let God take care of this thing called life.  He always does.   He's never failed me.  Why should I worry or fret?

This coming weekend we'll be doing some celebrating at Mom and Dad's with the family before T. and her gang head off to Ireland for the holiday.  M. will be going south to be with her hubby's fam.  I'm really looking forward to a quiet and sweet Christmas with Grandpa and Grandma with us.  Cheers everyone and may Jesus fill your hearts with His promise of Peace and Hope as we move towards the day when we celebrate HIS coming!!!!!   Emmanuel-God with us!   Yeah Jesus!!!!

-Just a little note about this song.  It carries such memories for me.  Advent begins the fourth Sunday before Christmas.  As a child, and now a memory that I pray my children continue, is lighting the advent candles nightly (adding a new one every Sunday.) We would sing 'Oh Come Emmanuel' as we lit the candles around the advent wreath.  My oldest sister would get to light the first weeks candle and then I would light two candles (week two).  Then T. would light three candles (week three) and finally, Dad got to light the four candles.  We would all share in the lighting of the "Christmas Candle."  Such sweet memories.  Thanks Dad and Mom!