Snow Much Fun

This winter has been so warm and dry, until last week when we finally got some snow. Today we went to Longfellow school to go sledding.


When we first got there Rebecca was pretty grouchy and didn't want anything to do with sledding. She wanted to go play on the playground. I had her come to the hill with me so I could take some pictures. She decided to go down on her bottom. I went down the hill laughing a few times. I got on the sled by her, and she climbed on and LOVED it.


She then went over to Corrine and the 2 of them went down the hill together dozens of times.






We tried to get Rebecca to go down by herself but she wouldn't, so we finally tricked her and got her to go down by herself. After that she only wanted to go by herself. She LOVED sledding, the faster the better.



Ammon meanwhile was going down fast on his own. He tried snowboarding, but preferred the fastest sleds.




Simeon is getting good at snowboarding. He was having a great time with Joe.

Since it was in the low 40's the snow was wet and slushy. The kids all took off their jackets and gloves, and by the time we left they were soaked.




After sledding we met dad at McDonald's for lunch and then came home and washed all their snow gear so it would be ready for school in the morning.

Crazy Iowa Weather

You never know what the weather is going to be like in Iowa until the day before.

One day it's warm and a great day to play outside in short sleeves,


and then a few days later there's snow on the ground.


This spring has been more of the gray, cold and dreary type, then the blue sky's and warmth in the air type. Honestly it's been awful. After winter being cold and gray, I sure was hoping for some more blue sky and warmer days. It can't stay cold forever, so I know sun and blue skies are coming-I just wish they'd come a little faster!

Snow much fun

The temps are rising and that means the snow is melting. Melting snow means GREAT packing snow, which of course leads to snow ball battles.

The boys started off having a snow boarding competition across the street. Simeon and the 2 neighbor boys started it yesterday afternoon and Ammon joined in on the fun today. They would judge eachother and give points after each run. Ammon was so sweet to Simeon. Simeon took and run and Ammon said "I give you 100 points", then he gave the next boy a 1. I think I know who he really loves!! They scored extra points for doing a jump and landing it.

I think Ammon looks such the part of a snow boarder with no jacket on and with this hat. I can't believe how grown up he looking all of the sudden. He's getting taller and thinning out alot.

Once Aidan (the owner of the snowboard) went it, the playing turned to snowball throwing. The boys spent 45 minute out throwing snowballs at eachother. I gave them 5 minutes before someone came in crying-but amazingly it lasted for a long time. It did end at an injury though. Simeon got Joe in the back with a snowball and they both went tumbling down the hill in Joe's front yard onto the driveway. They both took a few minutes to get up and Joe was pretty wobbly after it. So thus ended the snowball battle.

The boys came home absolutely soaking, but smiling and talking all about the snowball battle.

*Sorry for the crazy layout of the pictures & text. My setting changed on me during downloading. They'll look right in the book.

Digging Out

This winter I've heard about a few major winter storms that have dropped over a foot of snow in places, and I will be honest-I was envious. I wanted a BIG storm with LOTS of snow. I was tired of small storms that left little new snow, but you have to shovel it anyways. I wanted a BIG snow storm.
This week my wish came true. We got a MAJOR snow storm with LOTS of snow. The snow started Tuesday morning, then Tuesday afternoon the wind pickup and we had blizzard conditions. By late evening the snow was piling up, and Wednesday morning when we woke up we were buried under more then a foot and a half of fresh white snow.

Monday Morning


Tuesday Late afternoon


Wednesday Morning



When Johann went out to snow blow the driveway off, the road had been plowed one time hours earlier, but just on our side. The snow on our driveway was 18" deep. Luckily for him his truck has 4-wheel drive and he could go to work. We were lucky too that our road had been somewhat plowed as many roads weren't plowed all day leaving people stuck in their houses.



Wednesday was pretty cold-mid teens, but that didn't stop the kids from playing out in the snow. Corrine made a very big snow fort with secret passages and shelves for snow artwork. Simeon, Aidan and Joe in the morning made a tunnel and small snow houses. In the afternoon when the kids went back out their forts started braking, so they made passages through the snow, then ended up in the backyard jumping off the stump into the snow.




Tuesday the kids got out 2 hour early because of the snow, Wednesday there was no school and Thursday we had a 2 hour late start. Thursdays the kids always get out at 2pm, so the kids had a total of 3.5 hours of school on Thursday, and it counted for a full day!
The school only had it's parking lot and front door cleared Thursday so the kids all had to be dropped off at the front door, bus kids were dropped off at the front driveway and had to walk through the parking lot to the front. We drove up and it took 20 minutes to drop them off and get out of the school. It was a HUGE mess. The afternoon was better, but the sidewalks still weren't cleared, but getting out was faster and orderly. After dropping the kids off at school Rebecca and I headed for the library. We ended up going home after driving around looking for a parking spot and never finding one. Then we saw a city bus get stuck on a snow bank turning the corner, and nearly flipping on it's side. We got some lunch since it was after 11:15 now, and on the way home saw a SUV that had rear ended a trash truck.
The main roads are mostly cleared. Alot of the side street are cleared, but narrow because of all the snow and having no where to put it.

We call her "Marshmellow"

The kids lovingly call Rebecca "Marshmellow" when she has her snow suit on. It really is a reminder of the Christmas Story movie where the little boy falls down and can't get back up because of all his snow gear. That's Rebecca! It's even harder for her to move with her thick snow gloves on. They are so thick they don't come out of the sleeves, and her hands and arms are stuck in her jacket.



When I get it all on her, she usually will just stand still. If she gets off balanced she'll fall down and lay on her back looking stuck. This morning I found all 4 kids laying looking stuck together before school. Rebecca seemed to like that she wasn't the only one laying there helplessly!



Oh but the cuteness of Rebecca and her snow suit make up for the lack of movement she has!! She stays warm which is what really matters. I'm so glad I bought this set for her last spring at Kohl's in an amazing sale. We walk to school in the morning and afternoon and this keeps her toasty and dry.

We love you "Marshmellow".

-These pictures are alittle old. The pumpkins have been put away for some time now and she has 6 new teeth too!