Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow

Brandon recently just said to me. I really like winter, but its hard to be excited about 6 months of cloudy days.
We have learned a few things while living here:
If you want to enjoy winter, you need to take advantage of the MOMENT. And yes, it is typically a dreary, wet, cloudy winter.
Snow lasts a day - maybe, maybe a few days, but not long.
Snow often comes in bunches and for extended times. We will get 18 inches in 3 or 4 days, and then get rain; Or it will snow a bit for two weeks straight, but not amount to much.
So, when we get a big snowfall, we try to go sledding THAT DAY. The snow is fluffy fluffy fluffy lake effect snow and falls in bands.... 10 miles north or south will drastically change the snow fall amount.
IF it gets below freezing for a week straight, we go ice skating on our friend's pond. We know the owners of the local funeral homes and they have a pond next to one of their funeral homes. They let us know once it is frozen over and safe! We even bought skates for Brandon - a size 13 skate is not easy to come by.
So one Sunday evening, the snow was falling, and it was beautiful, and we knew it probably wouldn't last. I forgot to mention we rarely get our street plowed. All of this together made for a festivus of sledding behind the CRV. If anyone has an old water ski rope they no longer use, we will put it to good use. Ski goggles were a good addition to the fun, but we didn't have helmets. Thankfully, all the mailboxes were avoided....mostly. The CRV can tow two people on sleds, FYI.

But first, Thanksgiving.

We have spent it the last few years with our friends from church. Its always an amazing meal - she is an incredible cook - and we often end the evening playing games. Typically Up and Down the River.  After that game this year, a rousing game of penny hockey was also underway, to the point one could almost call it a tournament with winners moving up and losers moving down.  Good times.

One thing I have wanted to do for quite awhile is attend a show presented by the local community college called Follow the Star. Its held in the conservatory auditorium. A friend of ours knows the professor, and the professor presents several shows throughout the year including one on the mystery of the Christmas star. The show lasts about 35 minutes and presents you with possible scenarios of what the wisemen from the East were watching and approximate years in which it all could have happened.  Jessica and Matt joined me. The show is presented on the large white dome above us.

Every year, on Christmas morning, we make Christmas cutout cookies, and we love them.

But, prior to that, over Thanksgiving weekend, we make LOTS and LOTS of cookies. Then we make variety cookie plates and give them to neighbors, garbage men, mail lady, etc, and eat many more than we should.  We love December and all the goodies stored in our extra large refrigerator, also known as the garage.

We spend much of winter completing puzzles. People in our house are a bit crazy when it comes to puzzles, staying up until wee hours to finish. There is a 'proper' way to set up the puzzle and pieces and of course this way depends on with which person you speak. It is something we all enjoy and will spend time crowded around a table looking for just the certain piece.

Each winter, generally in February, I am in charge of the YMCA's main fundraising event known as the Black Tie for the Y. I'm sure you have all attended galas with dinner, live auction, silent auction, raffles, etc. You get the idea. I am always a VERY happy camper when this day is over. It is fun to get dressed up, but the stress of putting all the pieces together is not worth the $30,000 or so raised in my opinion!

Winter sports wrap up:

Anika - coached middle school swim and diving and had one of the leads in the musical - more about that below

Brandon - decided last minute to be part of the JV basketball team. He made the team players number to 10 so they could practice 5 on 5; He didn't play much in games, but did enjoy the team and the guys

Jessica - had far too many things going on, but she made it... middle school swim and dive, 8th grade basketball, and she was in the chorus of the aforementioned musical, whew!

Maria - 6th grade basketball and MYST - the YMCA swim team; she loves to swim but had no desire to do any of the meets, so she just swam all winter... miles and miles and miles; those workouts are no joke!

Somewhere in there, Jessica turned 14 and Anika turned 18.

For Jessica's birthday, I took her grocery shopping. Doesn't sound like fun you say? Contrare. Jessica bought all her favorites. I know I made a list somewhere, but I have no idea where it is now. Here are a few I remember:

sushi (the girl is obsessed)

salt and vinegar chips

dill pickles

green olives

bacon.... lots of bacon

glazed doughnut for breakfast
marshmallow brownies for dessert
girl power shirt with adidas soccer pants
and Harry Potter pajamas

For Anika's birthday we got her a long black down coat to walk the long trails to class each day at college next year. I bought myself the same one because it came in tall and I love a coat that covers your butt and keeps the wind out!

Anika and Brandon with friends at the school Christmas Banquet

Each year the school presents a really great Christmas concert in collage format, meaning, there is no clapping between numbers and it jumps from small ensembles to large ones and back and forth. There are several choirs, the jazz band, the concert band, and many ensembles. Its a great concert... this year my parents and Aunt Kathy joined us. We always sit in the balcony and share m&ms and twizzlers licorice with another family.

James and the Giant Peach was the musical of choice for the school this year, and as soon as Anika heard about it, she wanted to be the mean aunt Spyker..... and she was. She truly did an amazing job, and yes, that is her hair stacked on top of her head. They put a plastic water bottle on her head and surrounded it with hair. She often had a headache but the effect was pretty cool.

Jessica was in the chorus and thus was a numerous amount of things, including at one point an oompa loompa.  They both had a great time. Next year the musical is the Sound of Music and Jessica and Maria both plan on trying out. We shall see what winter brings!