The Long Winter

The children and I have been reading through the Little House on the Prairie series, and we just finished up The Long Winter. Parts of January and February felt like a very long winter here in Arkansas! We had several snows and lots of freezing temperatures. We had the biggest snow that our children have ever seen at the end of January. Isaac and Bailey had lots of fun playing in it, but the younger three did not stay out too long. We had a couple of more snows after the big one, but the children were no longer impressed. I do not even think they went outside!

Mark and I had to spend a little time thinking through our emergency preparedness. Our area of Arkansas is known for ice storms and losing power. The thought of being without heat for more than a few hours, made me shiver! We bought a propane heater to huddle in front of if the power goes out. Thankfully, we have not had to use it so far. We are considering buying a generator before next winter. We have all enjoyed the warmer weather the last couple of weeks. We are definitely ready for spring!

Life in a Castle

Look Our World -- Olivia has a weapon!
Paper Making

Sir Isaac

Eli's favorite part of the day was finding

unattended cookies on the floor!

We took a field trip to learn about what life was like in a castle. It was put on by one woman who was very talented. She taught the children about medieval clothing, armor, food, medicines, songs and so much more. The children also got the chance to make paper. The moms were getting a little restless and felt like there was a bit too much sitting and talking and not enough doing. The children, on the other hand, loved it. I think that they had a longer attention spans than the moms!

Eli's First Haircut

So far, so good!

Are you sure about this Mom?

This isn't so bad!

The "After" Picture

Eli, being the fifth child, had his first haircut a little later than some of our other children. He had grown quite a head of curls! It was starting to get in his eyes, so we decided that it was about time for his hair to meet some scissors! It is funny how much older a haircut makes them look!

Back in the Saddle/ Germiness

WOW! It is March, and my last blog post was December and it still says "Christmas" on it! Where does the time go???? I decided to write a quick post just to break the bloggy ice, and try to get back in the swing again!

The last three days have been challenging! A yucky stomach virus (is there any other kind?) has hit our house with a vengeance. I had to call Mark yesterday and ask him to come home from work. Our three littlest ones were all sick at the same time!!!! Isaac and I were hit with yuckiness during the night, and Bailey is under the weather this morning. Mark is our lone holdout! He is at work this morning, and I think that I saw a bit of spring in his step as he left. I think he was happy for a break from all of this germiness. Oh well, this is light and momentary (I keep repeating this to myself!).

Let it Snow!

Olivia liked the idea of snow much more than the actual stuff!

We could not find Eli's coat, and he had no boots, so he borrowed Anna Grace's.

I am sure that he will love looking back and seeing pictures of himself in pink boots!

"Snow is cold Mommy!"

Bailey loved making snow angels with her Daddy!

Mamaw (Mark's mom) was thoughtful enough to schedule over six inches of snow to cover her area just in time for our visit to her house! The children headed out to play as soon as we arrived at her place on December 20. Isaac and Bailey were the biggest snow enthusiasts, spending hours playing in it over the next three days. They especially loved the times that their Daddy joined them! Olivia enjoyed it initially, and then spent most of her time inside. Anna Grace ventured out once, and then decided it was "too freezing", and that was enough for her. Eli liked it in short spurts, and then toddled for the door. I think that I spent more time getting the younger three ready to go out in the snow than they spent actually playing in it. Despite the mixed reviews from our children, I am really thankful for the snow. It was beautiful, and snow right before Christmas really helps add to the excitement!

Congratulations Bo and Lindley!

One of the most exciting moments of our Christmas season, was when my brother Bo (Bob to most of the world) asked his precious girlfriend Lindley to marry him! He asked her in front of all of us on Christmas Eve while we were finishing up opening presents. He was a bit sneaky -- he hid the ring in an empty gun case. She was very surprised and very happy! We look forward to officially welcoming her to the family sometime soon! Congratulations Bo and Lindley!

Home Again!

Five VERY tired children (and way too much stuff) on our way home!

We travelled home from East Tennessee yesterday, following a visit with our family. We spent lots of time visiting, eating, taking pictures, chasing Eli, and just spending time with people we love. It was truly a blessing! I am going to write about some of the highlights of the last month or so over the next few days, but for now I am enjoying the prospect of getting back to "normal". The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas was filled with special family traditions, parties with friends, yummy holiday eating, lots of presents and good times with family and friends. I cherish that time, but by the end of December, I crave normalcy. I am ready to get back to our routine. I am ready to take down the decorations, and put away the presents. I am even ready to eat healthy for a while! I love the Christmas season, but I love starting a new year too!