Before the storm...

 A huge snow and ice storm has been predicted for the whole east coast. On Martin Luther King day we got ready for it by putting icemelt down for an elderly friend and then trying a new cupcake bakery in town. They were not as good as Maxie B's, but still yummy.

 After the storm...

 

 Not as much snow or ice as predicted, which is good. We got about 4 inches with a thick layer of ice on top. Nothing too crazy. If only we had stuck with being pulled behind the tractor...whole family went sledding at park in town and I messed up my back. Icy snow + tube+old mom+ pole ='s lots of pain. After ignoring Jason when he told me it was not safe to sled at this park and crashing into a pole, I followed his advice and got checked out at the ER. Bruised ribs and really sore back. Nothing that won't heal. In the mean time I can only hobble around like an old woman. Learned my lesson!

Grace won 1st Place

Grace's photograph won first place for her school in their Reflections contest! She took it at an aquarium we visited this fall, titled it Dreaming Blue. It was displayed downtown in Greensboro's Cultural Arts Center. It was FREEZING cold the night we went to go see the display, and I took a wrong turn in the parking lot and kids and I ended up at a dead end fence topped with barbed wire. It would have been more funny if it hadn't been so dang cold! So proud of Grace. She has a natural eye for photography. Her school is starting a photography club that I she wants to join. I am glad because I don't know anything to teach her.

December 30, 2015 Happy Birthday Luke & Noah!

Hard to believe these guys are 9! We started the day off with special breakfast, bacon included. I promise Noah was happy. I think he is a little confused about Sophie's bacon 'stach...and Grace did not want her picture taken for some reason?

 Noah requested strawberry pie and Luke pumpkin cheesecake instead of birthday cakes this year.Super yummy, and easier then cakes, but I was still a little sad. It just seems like they grew up so quickly sometimes. We went bowling as a family and then came home to open presents.

NFL blankets from Grandma and Papa Hardy! Boys also got scooters, build yourself Lego type guns, light up hats and gloves from G&G Smith, the girls gave them each a nerf shooter. Because we don't already have enough...

What a blessing these boys are to our family. I can't imagine life with out them!

Happy Birthday Jason!

 Jason's Birthday! We went to the newest Star Wars as a family. It was fun, a lot better movie then I expected. It was funny, when 2 of the new characters find the Millenium Falcon it was like seeing an old friend. I was totally smiling... super cheesy I know! I included this picture because Sophie was making faces in all of them. This captures her mood lately.

 I had to post this sweet picture of Luke reading with one of the bunnies

Top of Hanging Rock the day after Thanksgiving. I realized I never posted it. We hiked up with Ben, Em, Talus and Bayden. Super beautiful, warm day. Not crowded at all until the end of the way down.

Merry Christmas!

 Christmas Eve. This was just about the only good picture. Everyone was tired and making silly faces. We had the Elders over for dinner, it is always nice to have the missionaries in our home. They shared a wonderful Christmas message and we gave them both new ties.

Christmas morning! 

 

It has been in the 70's for the past few days with almost 100% humidity. We had to turn the ac on last night.It is my first Christmas ever needing air conditioning. It is weird. We would much prefer cold and snow,  but I keep telling the kids to enjoy it as we can't change it! Jason, Luke, Noah & I played basketball this afternoon. Grace had on shorts and a tshirt and squished barefoot in the warm mud. She found a long lost boomerang in the orchard! Weirdly as a family we watched all of the Hunger Games movies, except the one that is still in theaters. Now we want to go to it too! I thought about getting everyone to go today, but then several of us would have to get dressed. Staying in pj's all day seriously is awesome. 

It really was our bunny Christmas! Charlie, Holly and Belle are licking Gracie's fingers. They run to the cage door when you open it, so stinking cute and affectionate. Sophie is holding Charlie in her Meowy Christmas sweater. The girls got the bunnies out to see if they could get a picture of all 4 in a Santa hat. They couldn't. But this one is cute.

We had a new batch of bunnies born Sunday.... Sigh.... I guess Jessie got pregnant the day she delivered these guys. We know better now! But we have another 6 baby rabbits with Jessie in the garage. 2 of these sweeties have home to go to in a week or so. We will post the other 2 on craigs list and share the bunny joy with someone else. Merry Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving 2015!

 Sam and the Pikes came for Thanksgiving. It is always so good to have family during this holiday. Makes me even more grateful for my family. I did the turkey for the first time this year. Jason and Sam were hunting yesterday so Jason shared the honor with me :) I made a pecan pie from pecans from our tree. It is the best pecan pie I have ever had, so good! We also cut up Bert the enormous sweet potato. Only 1/3 of it would fit in the pan to cook for dinner! We had green beans and pickles also home made.

It was warm today, in the 60's. The boys all had shorts on playing outside. It is still a bit crazy to me to have weather this warm during the holidays. Our Hardy Bowl was the best ever. We played Sam and the Pikes vs. the Hardys. Molly was barking and running around and getting in everyone's way. We laughed and laughed, and huffed and puffed after all that turkey.

Tal wanted the drumstick....funny boy!

I am grateful today. I am blessed. So much love and beauty in my life. 

We have baby bunnies! Friday before school Grace came running in saying that she thought Jessie was pregnant. Very exciting. That afternoon we opened up the cage to help her get ready. When I tried to pick up the nest of fur Jessie had made it started wiggling! It was kind of freaky. We saw 2 babies and the girls were soooo excited! Quinn was quickly banished to a separate cage all on his lonesome.I guess we know that we have a boy and girl bunny now. The next day we counted and there were actually 6 baby bunnies! There is a runt, he, not sure why we call the weak little one he? seems to be doing ok though. The babies are tiny and ugly and the girls have been having sooooo much fun taking care of them. They are learning a ton. I do wonder though how my kids would learn anything if they did not have internet.

 
Our teenage chickens are learning to forage in the yard. Several of tehm were roosting on the fence this afternoon. It was cute. Pics don't do justice! Abby and Grace starting shelling pecans tonight for our Thanksgiving pie. All was fun and games until they found a worm. The area was quickly evacuated, both by the worm and the workers.

Sophie used her own money to by a blue lobster today. She as been thinking of it for 2 weeks and was super excited. I think it will eat the guppies in the tank, but the girls are going to take their chances. It is really just a crawdad. Not sure why they call it a lobster? Probably so they can charge more for it.

I was given this tonight rolled up in a scroll. I agreed on the condition that all jobs would be done quickly, well and with no complaining. Of course then Luke said he didn't really care if Abby stayed or not. He still had to work though.