Let It Snow, Let it Ice, Let it Snow!

So we are experiencing the ARCTIC BLAST here in Oregon. This is the worst weather many Oregonian have ever seen. It has seriously been snowing for a week! School and work were closed much of last week and church has been cancelled the last two Sundays! Now the problem is that we don't have the plows to take care of the snow and ice is the other big problem. We made it out to my sisters house on Saturday morning and we were stuck inside until we finally braved the roads today. We put our chains on (they are required on all roads) and we were going 20 mph and we still did a 180. The roads are just packed with snow and then there is a nice layer of ice on the top. It is INSANE!! We have had a good time playing in the snow but it is a little hard to get out to do all the last minute Christmas shopping. I LOVE the snow and we might even get more snow on Christmas!


This was taken on Saturday night. Eight inches. We probably have at least 10 inches now.




















This slab was taken off the top of our car on Sunday morning. We had some freezing rain after all the snow.














Jenna collected ice slabs and has a beautiful ice gallery on the front porch.

Happy Birthday to Us!

Sixteen years ago I became an Aunt, got my drivers license and started dating. Ten years later I am an aunt to ten, I got my Oregon drivers license a couple days ago and I have been married 4 1/2 years. Crazy! This weekend we celebrated Kelsey's (My 10 year old niece. I can't believe she is 10!) birthday and my birthday. Don't we look fabulous blowing out the candles on our cakes?












My sister had a crazy week AND we had Kelsey's birthday part earlier in the day AND we went to Forgotten Carols in the afternoon, but we still had a little bit of energy to have a little party for me. I got some fantastic gifts and the best part was being with my family.














I LOVE juvenile literature and one of my favorite authors is Mo Willems. He has written Knuffle Bunny, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Knuffle Bunny Too, Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late, Leonardo the Terrible Monster and several others. So, this picture is of me opening Knuffle Bunny. That reaction is completely genuine. I LOVE Knuffle Bunny and I have been wanting a plush Knuffle Bunny to show the kids at school! She also gave me a plush Pigeon and he says "Let me drive the Bus!". They are so cute and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them.














Holly, Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon














Dawson was a very good present helper. He is going to LOVE Christmas!
















It is becoming a very nice tradition that Jenna likes to get me cute socks! I love socks with designs or holiday themes so I look forward to the socks that Jenna gets me.













Here is the other birthday girl! Did I mention I can't believe how old she is? I had the privilege of being there when she was born and it was truly the most miraculous event I have ever witnessed. She was the first niece and she is so special to me. She is so smart and she just got a part in her school play.














We also have a newish tradition of doing Christmas Crackers on my birthday! If you don't know what a Christmas Cracker is then you must not be watching enough British television. A cracker is a cardboard tube that has a small prize, a crown and a joke inside. Two people hold on to each end and then you pull. There is a loud crack and then you get to see the prizes inside. People in the UK have them at Christmas and other special occasions (I'm pretty sure! Like I know what I'm about!) They sell them at costco and I love them!



























The Dans checking out their super cool prizes. They ranged from corkscrew, pocket mirror, yo-yo and lipstick case!













Me and my honey in our cracker crowns!! We were going to make Marzipan fruits and vegetables, but we were all really tired so we watched The Polar Express. It was a great day and I love my family so so much! Thanks everyone!

Kindred Spirits

My best friend is moving tomorrow morning. I feel like a little piece of me is dying. I know she is still alive and we will talk, but it will never be the same. I didn't realize how sad I would be. I'm glad I have a husband to hold me when I cry. On the way home from her house I was thinking about the song "For Good" from Wicked and some of the lyrics just fit perfectly to how I am feeling:

(Glinda):
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

(Elphaba):
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

(Glinda):
Because I knew you

(Both):
I have been changed for good

I have definitely been changed for the good because I knew Lindsey. Thank you for changing my life for the better. Thank you for listening, talking, laughing and crying with me. I am so grateful that we moved to Oregon and landed in the Columbia River Ward. We are blessed with many wonderful friends and I have learned and grown so much over the past 2 years. This has been a wonderful time in my life and I would not change a thing. Lindsey, I will miss you, but we will always be friends and when I get sick of the rain in Oregon I will just have to come to visit you! I love you.

another NEW harry potter trailer

I heart Fred Ferkel

My brother-in-law just went on a business trip to London and Greece and he had a stop at the Frankfurt airport. I was at his house when he was leaving and he was taking requests for treats from Europe. I remembered a few years ago I received some pink piggie gummies from Germany and they were DELICIOUS. So, I requested the pink piggie gummies. I got a text message from him on Wednesday night that said he did find the pink piggies, but it wasn't easy. He gave me the pink piggies tonight and they are even better than I remember. I also know now that they are called Fred Ferkel. He is a plump little pig who seems to enjoy lemonade. I wish I had enough to share, but I only have one package and I have already had to share a couple with Dan. It's funny because if they were sold in the US I probably wouldn't even like them, but since I have only had them like twice in my life I love them and I don't want to share them. Dan said he was only going to have 2, but he just stole another one. I better find a good hiding place for them so I can eat them all! BWA HA HA!!

Trick-or-Treat

I know I'm a little late, but I finally found some time to post my Halloween pictures. Dan and I went out to my sister's house for the weekend and we had a lot of fun. We always have a Halloween themed dinner and then trick-or-treating. My parents are in town this week so it was fun to have them in on the festivities.














Dawsie eating his finger shaped breadstick.




















Grandma, or Nana, wore her cute witches hat and gives a pretty mean witch cackle.















Uncy Dan and Kelsey with our bubbling witches brew.















The whole Halloween gang.














Dawson was a monkey, Kelsey was a cheerleader and Jenna was Cinderella. We were so happy that it stopped raining and it turned out to be a very nice evening. They ended up getting over 150 trick-or-treaters at their house.

I


















This picture sums up Dawson's Halloween experience! He went to the 2nd house and when the put the sucker in his Elmo bucket he took it out, unwrapped it and was content to suck on it for the next hour. Dan and I went back to the house to help hand out candy and when Dawson came through the door he said "tik teet". When the girls came home and were sorting their candy Dawson, of course, wanted to steal it all so we gave him his bucket and he LOVED dumping his candy out and then putting it back in and doing it over and over and over again.
I love having these fun traditions with my family. Since we've lived here we've had a fun little Halloween dinner and then gone trick-or-treating with the kids. I love spending time with the kids and making these fun and special memories. I didn't have any young aunts or uncles when I was growing up and I feel so lucky to have a special relationship with Kelsey, Jenna and Dawson. I love them so so much and I am so lucky to be their aunt. They are absolutely amazing kids and I my life wouldn't be complete without them.

If I had vanity plates on my car they would say: ILUVHP