Snow Day!

When I first heard that school was cancelled for snow on Monday, I was relieved and thought I would get to sleep in. How silly of me. My girls were still up at 6:30 am, and even worse...they were ready to play in the snow NOW.
I had flashbacks of our life in Scotland as I went about the house gathering up coats, gloves, boots and hats, and had to dress each one of them before we could go outside. Then when they wanted to come back in, all wet and icy, they had to take it all off again, or in some cases walk around tracking slush everywhere before I caught them.
But don't get me wrong - I LOVE the snow. We all love it. It is beautiful, it is peaceful, and it is fun.

Scarlett covered as much ground as she could the moment I put her outside, leaving her tiny footprints behind.

Claire just wanted to throw snow, and snowballs.

And Lydia made her snow angel... and ate snow.

 When I saw her doing this, I immediately remembered her first snow in Scotland..where she also had a thing for eating snow. Funny enough... she is wearing the same hat too! (I tried telling her it was too small... but by the time she was dressed it wasn't worth the argument)

This was the Thanksgiving that...

...that started out at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. It's a large chain hotel with an indoor waterpark and other family activities








... that the girls were best buds with cousin Brody, especially at the T-Rex Cafe!


... that Scarlett first met Santa Claus. It didn't go over too well

... that we skipped a day at the waterpark for a day at the big mall. Lydia and Claire enjoyed the double-decker carousel, but Scarlett had her keys in ignition and was ready to shop in her little car

... that Lydia spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Mimi. She helped make rolls, desserts, and breakfast parfaits!


... that Scarlett perfected her "war-cry." She would enter a room and scream (well, squeal really) at the top of her lungs to get everyone's attention. I think it meant she was excited to be around so many cousins. She hasn't done it since she's been home.



This was also the Thanksgiving ...
...that Uncle Jake got engaged to Carolyn!!!!
...that we lost power on Thanksgiving day, and while we played a game of charades, Josh paced around the house trying to figure out how he'd watch the Cowboys game
...that we learned what gelatin really is.. but we still consumed plenty of it
...that everyone brought their dogs home. At one point I'm sure there were no fewer than 6 dogs at the house
...that we met baby Samuel
...that we met Taasha's bff, Bon Qui Qui
...that we had, not one, but THREE days of feasting with different family members. Mimi did not ever stop working in the kitchen.
...that Jake bought his 5th wheel, and parked it on the lawn, prompting nearly everyone passing to quote "That there is an R V, Clark"

Claire's first dance performance

This year Claire is taking dance and gymnastics at the Bingham Center, where Lydia was last year. The Saturday before Christmas was her first performance ever. The result: total cuteness.

The morning, however, was a continuous battle. We were trying to clean the house, pack for vacation, and convince our stubborn Claire-bear to wear a costume that was too big with a tutu that was itchy. There was a lot of bribing that morning. And what Claire wanted most was to "go to the hotel" (we were headed to Kansas and to the Great Wolf Lodge), so the deal was, she had to do her dance for mommy and daddy and then we'd drive to the hotel. I think dad also promised her a new doll and some chocolates... basically anything she wanted just to get her in costume and to the mall on time. Once we got there and she saw her friends playing on stage - MAGIC - she was a performer! Miss Kimmy was so proud of her and said she was just like her sister... she picked up the moves quickly and followed along perfectly.

Fiddlesticks Farm

We couldn't get through the fall without a trip to Fiddlesticks Farms on the south side of town. It's a little pricey for what you get, but fortunately Josh's employer sponsored a family day!
The girls really enjoyed themselves, they could have stayed there for hours, except that the winds picked up and we were all getting dust in our eyes!

The Corn Cannon! She actually hit ONE target. The other two girls were afraid of the noise.

Scarlett's favorite part was the "learning barn", where you could watch baby chicks just hatching or watch a cow get milked! She was mostly interested in all the baby chicks.

Scarlett kept trying to crawl out... so Daddy had to ride with her

Off we go on the cow train!

Prospecting for gemstones! But it's too windy...we're about ready to go home.