Never trust a rodent

So, the groundhog said that spring was near. But, to quote my daughter, "It just snowed and snowed and snowed" yesterday. That's the last time I'll trust a furry weather forecaster. Of course, the one on television didn't tell us this was coming, either.

Church was called off, which was disappointing because we were looking forward to a really good service this week. Still, God sent us the wonder of a white sabbath, and that was a big reminder that we have reason to worship and celebrate.

How many snow photos can my blog-reading friends stand in one winter? Well, I hope you can handle just a few more ...

Here's the view from my husband's office window, facing the back corner of the house.

I took this photo standing on the steps of the deck, facing the back yard.

J made this little snow gauge in school last year. Looks like we got about five inches of snow.

M tried to shovel the driveway, but her dad had to eventually help out.

Our four-legged family member enjoys digging in the snow.

W and J made snow forts. See how wet this snow is? W gave up his hat eventually because it was so wet.

J hid out behind his snow fort to avoid a barrage of snowballs from his brother.

A night at the museum

My husband and I have been on the lookout for good enrichment activities for J. When we saw an opportunity for J to spend the night at the International Spy Museum as part of a program for gifted and talented kids, we all jumped at the chance!

J and Dad had to pack up sleeping bags and overnight gear, then they drove to D.C. and parked at Dad's office. They carried their backpacks on the Metro and arrived at the museum for a night of intrigue and sleuthing.

My husband said that J had a blast and seemed to be in his element. I'm glad they both had some dad/son time doing something that interests them both.

Get Out of That Pit

I needed to write a resource review for the M.E.N.D. newsletter (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death - www.mend.org) recently, and I found this book as one of the new ones spotlighted at Christian Book Distributors (www.christianbook.com). I'm a big Beth Moore fan anyway, but I was really impressed with this book. Here's the review I wrote for M.E.N.D.:

Life is filled with pits. So is the Bible. From the pit that Joseph found himself facing in the Old Testament, to the one the Psalmist wrote about, scripture is filled with examples of people who were thrown, slid, or jumped into difficult situations that seemed inescapable. Today there are just as many pits as there were then, and fewer are more scary than the one we’re thrown into when we are faced with the pain of losing a baby.
In her latest book, Beth Moore tackles all these pits with honesty and insight. She describes three main ways that people can end up in a pit, ways to know that you are indeed in a pit, and steps to take to get out of the dark and into the light again. In typical Beth Moore fashion, stories of heartbreak and humor are interspersed with Biblical principals to offer practical, heartfelt advice.

Get Out of That Pit includes references to Mrs. Moore’s own struggles in the pit. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that the author understands the pain and struggle of facing life’s challenges. Her husband Keith wrote the book’s foreword, offering heartfelt recollections of how life with his wife has been changed through the redeeming power of Christ.

Though this book isn’t aimed specifically at bereaved parents, the author lists the death of a child as one of the most tragic ways that people can be thrown into a pit, giving parents who are suffering the death of a “beloved, irreplaceable child” “extra reverence.” She expresses deep compassion for parents who must face this type of grief and offers gentle kindness to families who are hurting because of the loss of a child.

Beth Moore speaks honest, understandable hope to the hurting masses in her latest work. She offers the love of Christ as the only solution for life’s problems. It’s a message we all need.

The ice storm

Wow - It's been a while since I blogged! Part of the reason for that was an ice storm that hit with a vengeance last week. My husband came home early one day from work and then missed the next day because of bad road conditions. School was out for four days, including Valentine's Day. The ice pounded the windows in the early hours of the morning, then a thin blanket of snow covered the ice. There was just enough snow to go outside and have a little fun, but then it all froze over so that everything was just one big layer of ice.

So, we had lots of togetherness. Instead of spending time on the computer, I played with the kids and learned a lot of new skills. I got to the second level of Zelda: Twilight Princess on GameCube. Let me tell you, things have changed quite a bit since the Pacman of my day! We also tried out a new card game called Zeus on the Loose. I bought it the week before because of J's recent unit on Greek mythology at school. We had loads of fun! Even six-year-old M learned to add up the numbers on the card quickly enough to steal Zeus every now and then.

One thing I tried that I haven't ever done before was make snow ice cream. Back when I was a kid in Mississippi, snow ice cream was a once-every-three-years treat. I Googled to see if I could find a recipe, then I called my mom to see how she used to make it. Basically, you just mix snow, vanila flavoring, sugar, and milk together.

I realize a lot of people may get grossed out at the thought of eating snow, but I had to try it, just for the nostalgia. Turned out pretty good!