Winter Storm Jonas

I think both the kids and I would have enjoyed this blizzard more if Erik had been in town. He was in Norway for about two weeks, so we were forced to weather the storm without him.

It was certainly a lot of wind and snow, and I had zero desire to be out in it, but when all the neighbor kids ventured out to play in it, we did too. (Ginny woke me up fully dressed and bundled at 7 AM Saturday morning to beg me to take them outside.)

I didn't get my phone out during the blizzard because it was too windy and wet, so you get to enjoy the two-day-after pictures. (We didn't get out the next day because it was Sunday and church was cancelled, so we sat home in our jammies and made cookies and valentines. . . )

A good portion of the 26 inches of snow is now melted, because the last few days have been in the 40s. I don't mind it melting, though. It's really only fun the first couple of days, and then I am happy to have it gone! :)

This is what our window looked like at the end of the blizzard:

So much fun. . .

Christmas 2016

I was lazy this year, and didn't take nearly enough pictures at Christmas, but here are some that I did take. This first one are from Christmas Eve at my mom's house where Andrea did a devotional and asked each of us to write down a gift to give to Christ this year.

These ones are from Christmas evening when we were with Erik's family. Their tradition is to act out the nativity, so Ginny got to be an angel, Ezra got to be Joseph, and I think Isaac was a wiseman, though I failed to get a picture of him. :( Erik is dressed as Ceasar Augustus, and Mark is a shepherd, I think.

Christmas afternoon we drove to Temple Square to see the lights with Mike and Brookeh and their girls, along with Andrea and my mom. It was freezing cold, but so beautiful!

We visited my Grandpa Smith while we were in Bountiful, and it was great to visit with him for a bit. We didn't stay long because the boys were being grumpy and rowdy, but Ginny and I managed to get a picture before we had to leave.

The kids were so excited to play in the snow in Utah. Up to that point, we hadn't had any snow in New York (Winter Storm Jonas took care of that for us!), so they bundled up and went out. Thank goodness for Grandpa Lindstrom and Uncle Leighton for braving the cold with them, so I didn't have to!

Those are all the pictures I took. Other highlights include: 

--Ezra's first skiing lessons 

--The kids having adventures with Aunt Mari and Uncle Leighton 

--All of Erik's siblings being in town 

--Lunch at Joy Luck with my mom and my sisters 

--Christmas morning opening stockings at the Lindstroms 

--Christmas afternoon opening presents at the Call's and pelting Mike with our marshmallow shooters (the girls got them this year!) 

--Ice skating with the cousins and Aunts Kirstin, Joylyn, Andrea, Susan, and Brookeh. 

--Visiting with Grandpa Call where the kids thought my Uncle Evan was my dad, and he totally played along and pretended he was. :)

--Going to the temple with Erik (thanks for watching the kids, Dad!)

--Erik and I seeing Star Wars in the theater with Mike and Jen and Andrea and Susan and Brookeh and Maggie

--Ezra telling us we are the worst parents ever because we wouldn't let him come :)

I wish I'd taken more pictures because we crammed a lot of fun into just one quick week! 

Memorable Moments

More about our Christmas trip later, but one of my favorite moments came from Ginny. Upon coming in to breakfast, she greeted me with "Mom! If I'd had tissues last night, I could have gone through one and a half boxes! But I didn't have tissues. So I had to use my blanket!"

So gross.

Today, on the way home from church, the kids were whining and asking why we had to walk home. Erik told them we needed to get all our exercise points for the health challenge (which actually ended a couple weeks ago, but whatever. . . )

Ezra replied, "I'd rather do a sweets challenge and eat lots of sweets!"

Me, too. :)