Snow Day

It finally snowed enough to actually to justify the time it takes to bundle up to go and play in it for about 20 minutes before everyone starts complaining that they can't feel their fingers.  This was the first big snow that Braden has seen, and I knew I wouldn't get mother of the year if we just looked at it from inside our nice warm house. 

I'm not sure he was the biggest fan . . .

but he did manage to shovel some of the sidewalk.

Jackson on the other hand had a blast!  He made snow angels, and

engaged in a snowball fight with the parents.  And while I shouldn't brag, I came out the clear winner nailing Mark with a big old snow ball down the neck from a safe distance behind the car!  

 

And since I couldn't quite figure out this whole how to make a snowman thing, he made a snow mountain!

I probably still won't win mother of the year, but at least we all had great time and didn't freeze off any fingers!  Now come on Spring!

Snow Day

Yesterday afternoon it started to snow right around the time everyone was heading home from work. Mark's usual 30 minute commute took 2 hours, but he was a lucky one. It took one of my friend's 9 hours to get home - 9 hours?!?!? We only got about 4 inches of snow, but it sure did cause some major problems!


Of course Jackson couldn't wait to get out and play when he woke up to all that snow. He had to spend some time shoveling the sidewalk and driveway.


He wasn't too sure about making a snow angel. He just laid there, so we had to help move his arms and legs to actually make the angel.


I'm the king of the snow mountain!


After playing for a couple of hours we headed in to drink hot chocolate and watch a movie. It was the perfect end to an afternoon of fun!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

We had our first day of snow this winter! It might not last for a white Christmas, but it sure is pretty for now. Jackson just couldn't wait to get out there and play. So we finally bundled up and hit the snow.


After two record snow storms last year, our neighbor, Mr. Paul bought Daddy and Jackson their very own snow shovels. Jackson could not wait to break his out.


Jackson is such a shoveling pro, that I think we will put him in charge of shoveling us out during the next big storm!

No snow day is complete without making a snow angel. He had been practicing inside to make the perfect angel!


I wonder how many snow angels we will get to make this winter? Hopefully not too many . . .

Dear Snow,
It is March, and you are still in my front yard. I am trying my best to include you when I play. I picked you up and put you on my tricycle.




I even took you for a ride down the street.


You held on tight when I went real fast down the sidewalk.


We have made some great memories together - the snowman, the sledding, the snowball fights, and all the shoveling. I will always remember you, but it is time for you to go. Maybe you can come back next year (don't tell mom I said that because she doesn't want to see you for at least five more years). But for now I am ready for Spring. I am ready to go outside without spending 10-15 minutes getting all my winter gear on. I am ready to run and play and go to the park. I am ready to play t-ball and basketball. I am ready to plant flowers. So my friend snow, please melt!

Love,
Jackson

Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Last Friday and Saturday it snowed and snowed and snowed and then it snowed some more. We ended up getting around 26 inches!! And can you believe, as I sit here and type this post, it is snowing again?!? The federal government has been closed for two days, and the schools have been closed since Friday. I have heard that the schools have been canceled for the rest of the week. They have used up all their snow days, so now they are having to make up days - so not fun! Mark went to work for about half the day yesterday and was able to get a full day in today. However, he will probably spend tomorrow at home shoveling my car out - AGAIN! We haven't even completely found his car yet. We have had fun playing and shoveling, but we are definitely ready for Spring!

We took this same picture during the last snow storm and didn't think the snow could get much higher. I guess we were wrong.


After shoveling for an hour, we (I mean Mark) finally found my car. I am afraid that pile of snow might be there until the warm days of summer.


Jackson and I went for a walk around the block today to enjoy being outside before it started snowing again. There is/was a beautiful magnolia tree on the corner of our block. All this snow has taken its toll on the poor tree and it now has several broken limbs.

I was pointing all this out to Jackson while showing him the broken branches. All of sudden he got real sad and serious and said, "I will fix the tree. I will give him a kiss. It's okay little tree, I still love you." My sweet little boy just makes my heart full.


After giving the tree multiple kisses, we then continued our walk down the sidewalk. But . . .


if our neighbors hadn't shoveled their sidewalks yet, we just kept on walking down the middle of the street. Nothing was going to stop us from enjoying our time outside!


I am sure I will have more snow pictures to post tomorrow, because

IT IS STILL SNOWING!!!

The Blizzard

**I will go ahead and warn you that I posted way too many pictures (again), but I got to open my Christmas present early - a new Canon Rebel EOS! Yipppeeee! Mark went ahead and let me open it, so I could capture all the fun snow!

I have never seen so much snow in my life!! We were snowed in for two days, and Mark is just now finding his car. I don't know the exact number, but we probably got about 18-20 inches of snow. We ALL have had fun playing in the snow. We even had a snow ball fight, girls vs. boys.

In honor of the falling snow on Saturday, we started our day off with snowman pancakes.

We went out on Saturday while it was still snowing, but Jackson wasn't a big fan. So he sat on the steps and watched daddy shovel snow.

Sunday morning we woke up to this:


Can you find Mark's car?? And the backyard looked like this:


Look at the snow on our patio table! Since it finally stopped snowing, Jackson (and Daddy) were ready to head outside. We basically spent the entire day outside playing except to duck inside for a quick lunch, some hot chocolate, and defrosting our toes!

Jackson decided to get his sand toys out to help daddy shovel snow.


Then he decided to make "snow" castles to line our sidewalk instead.


Next on the agenda - sledding. It took some convincing, but then he was hooked.


Jackson and Mommy challenged Alli and Vaughn to a race. What you can't hear in this picture is Jackson yelling, "faster mommy, faster!" Why did I convince him sledding was fun?


And finally, it was snowman making time. After a couple of how to lessons from our northern neighbors, we got the hang of it. Well at least Mark did anyway. Not too bad for southerners!


Daddy and Jackson posing with their masterpiece.


Goofy the Snowman - Jackson named him.


Now that we have had a fun snow and Christmas is almost here, I am ready for it to start getting warmer. It might just be a very long winter!

Snow in March

This was the view out our front door this morning. Ummm, it is March right?? I always forget that it doesn't really start getting warm around here until the end of April. We were teased with a couple of nice days, but then bam - a snowstorm hits. It took Mark a good 30 minutes to get all the snow off his car, and the fact that he kept throwing snowballs at Jackson and I didn't help. Luckily we were protected by our screen door.

The snow even found its way into our screened-in back porch.

Look at how high the snow is piled on our rocking chairs and table! I did not get a chance to take Jackson out in it today. I know, I know I am a horrible mother, but burrrr! I have already gotten BOOOOOed at by several of my friends. My answer to them - Why don't you come over to take the little guy out? We are still waiting . . . .

Art and Cupcakes

One good thing about having Christmas in Mississippi is that during the month of January all the presents we received from grandparents, aunts, and uncles that couldn't fit in our suitcases, start being mailed to our house. It is seriously like Christmas all over again. I have them space out the mailing, so Jackson can enjoy all his new toys and we can find home for all these new treasures. Well, yesterday you might remember we had snow, so today we had left over snow and ice. Therefore we stayed inside ALL day long. Lucky for us one of those beloved Christmas boxes arrived today! YIPPEE - Perfect timing Dee Dee! One of Jackson's presents was an art easel with everything you could ever need to create a masterpiece.

Here is Jackson creating his first work of art.


Mrs. Kelly, doesn't he have great technique?


I asked Jackson what he was drawing, and he quickly responded, "A cat, meow." How could I not see it right off?


Yesterday to fight the cold snow we also made "cake cakes" - cupcakes. Jackson found these Cars cupcake liners the other day at the store that just had to come home with us. (How is it that he can find something car related at every store we go to. We were in Michael's for Pete's sake!) I thought he had forgotten about them, but he woke up from his nap yesterday saying, "Cake cakes, mommy, cake cakes." So we made cake cakes. (Just what Mark and I need in the house - chocolate!) I just thought I would share with y'all the correct way to eat a cake cake . . .

First take one finger (and I mean only one) and place in icing. Be sure to have a wet one in the other hand just in case you get sticky.


Next move your finger in a circular motion to collect the icing.


Then suck off the icing until your finger is clean.


Repeat the process until your cake cake looks like this:


Forget about the cake part, it is no good! And that my friend is the only way to eat a cake cake the Jackson way.

We Finally Got Snow!

After weeks and weeks of cold weather, we finally got some snow!!! If we are going to have to endure the cold weather, we should at least get to enjoy some snow, right? But let me also add - I want just one good snow and that's it. Then I'm ready for Spring! It started snowing this morning around 7:00, and it is still snowing as I eat lunch and write this post.

Jackson and I decided to bundle up and head outside to enjoy the snow while it lasted. By the look of things, we will be able to enjoy this snow for a couple of days.

Jackson's first real snow where he can actually play in it!


He kept asking, "Momma, where my feet?"


We tried to make a snowman, but this southern girl couldn't make it happen. So Jackson decided to make train tracks. Now that I could do!


We started off with a nice pretty blanket of snow on our front yard. Then Jackson destroyed it with his foot prints and train tracks. His gloves kept falling off, and he would say, "Silly ole gloves!"


It was a great way to spend a morning!

First Snow of 2008

We had our first snow of 2008 last week. We knew it wouldn't stick, so we bundled Jackson up to go run around in it before it all melted. Of course, he had to share all this excitement with his bus. It was sooo cold, but I just love the snow. I have to say we get just the right amount of snow up here - just enough to have some fun but not enough to keep us holed up inside.

I would always pray that it would snow up at my grandparent's house in northern Missouri when we would travel up there for Christmas. My grandpa would get so mad at me, because he just hated the snow. On occasion he would be known to make a snowball, bring it inside, and rub it on my nose while I was sleeping. What a way to wake up!!