This is crazy!

Well, here I thought I had seen the most snow of my life in DECEMBER but boy was I wrong....Scott and the kids and I decided to take a trip to New York/New Jersey last weekend and missed out on two feet, but seems that was only the beginning. When we returned on Sunday (very scary drive, by the way...the highways after Baltimore were not even plowed and cars were wrecking everywhere), we had to dig our way to our front door! It was the most snow I had ever seen.

We didn't get to enjoy much, given that we brought a stomach bug back from New Jersey with us and had Ellie and Nathan alternating vomit and then me catching it too...but it wasn't long before MORE SNOW came! Last night and today it has been snowing nonstop and maybe now I can officially say I have never seen this much snow! Holy moly! Schools have been cancelled for the week, public transportation is closed, I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, no mail, etc. It is amazing. Today it was too cold and windy to enjoy the snow but hopefully tomorrow we can get out and go sledding. As always, I enjoy the peace and quiet that the snow brings but who knows how long it is going to take for things to return to normal?

Kids are doing well. Nathan, like his father, loves the snow, so he is happy as can be to go outside and run around in it, even though it comes up to his shoulders. Ellie, on the other hand, is not so fond. She really likes to eat it, but doesn't want to stand in it or touch it. I remember that was how Nathan was last year so maybe next year she'll change her mind. Of course next year, it probably won't snow like this. In the meantime, we are watching the preparation for Vancouver Olympics where they have barely enough snow for the winter sports! It is so funny how things happen this way sometimes....We have done pretty much every indoor activity we can think of and are spending a lot of quality time together. Hoping everyone is recovered from the stomach bug (seems to be lingering a bit with Ellie) soon so we can get back to normal. Though I think it will be a while before things turn back to "normal" in this city.... Backyard table - you can see how much snow has accumulated.

Our street.

Front of house

Nathan getting buried in the snow!

Scott and kids in snow

Christmas!

Wow - what an amazing Christmas we had. Yes, I know it is February and I am just now writing about it, but it was that amazing that the memories are lingering! We really just spent time together as a family and didn't overprogram. It was so fun to be surrounded by family and to celebrate togetherness and the Christmas spirit, which was constantly around us because of the kids.

Ellie and Nathan loved Christmas! We finally made it to see Santa which was a hoot. Nate told him about the racecar pillow that he wanted and was upset when he left that he forgot to tell him about the toothbrush he wanted too! I assured him that I mentioned it. Ellie was having none of the Santa visit! She was totally not into it and so we ended up having a picture all four of us just to get her to cooperate somewhat. Not what I was intending with my sweatpants on....but it will be a good memory, just like all the memories I have of seeing Santa with my family, well documented on film. Hopefully a new Evans tradition!

Christmas Eve we all went to church together and then had a great baked ziti (made it myself) and went to bed (well, some of us went to bed)...Christmas morning was hilarious because all of us (everyone, including Brian and Maryanne who were on California time) woke up early in anticipation of the kids and to catch every moment on film and the kids SLEPT LATE! Nathan slept until 8!!! We were all going crazy waiting for him. The irony.

However, when they went downstairs they were immediately enthralled with the trains and the Santa toys - Nathan got his toothbrush and racecar pillow and Ellie got a slide. It was great fun watching the joy on their faces as they navigated around presents. Nathan quickly got into the fun and started ripping open packages without real regard to what he was opening and Ellie had no interest in opening anything. She just played with the boxes and wrapping paper. Good. That might save us money later. Everyone was so generous, especially with the kids. The gifts were amazing. Reminded us again just how blessed and fortunate we are.

The rest of the visit really flew by - we had a great visit from Scott's cousin Lee Ellen, her husband Ian and Brigid and Ian's daughter. Really fun to see them and Nate loved his new "friend"...didn't want her to leave. Also went to the Baltimore B&O train museum which was really cool, especially for Lee who loves model and real trains so much. Also meant a lot to me since my Grandpa Wilson was a train conductor for so long, on a steam engine.

We miss everyone already - distance really stinks.

New Year's was a lot of fun - we celebrated a "Greenwich Mean Time" New Year's and had the neighbors over for dinner and poppers. All the kids played nicely together and the grownups actually were able to get some conversation and laughter in, and it all wrapped up by 8:00! The more time we spend with them the more we love our neighbors...

Feels like January has gone by in a blur of kids constantly being sick. We have become regular visitors to the pediatrician which really bothers me. I am hoping this just means they will be well for the rest of their lives....We've stayed local and really had some good family time together. Scott took Nathan on his first skiing trip to Whitetail, PA, on MLK Day, and Nathan LOVED IT! I couldn't be more thrilled than to hear that. He really likes "french fries" (going straight) and hates "pizza" (stopping). Sounds like his Dad! They have already been back once, and Scott snuck Nate into ski school (for 4 year olds....was quite an issue when Scott asked Nathan to tell them he was 4..."but I three Dad, I three!!!!") which he loved. I really hope they get to do more of that together and that Nathan develops the same passion and ability that Scott has for skiing. He also went to his first hockey game with Scott - lots of fun Daddy and Nathan events which is so cool and heartwarming. Nathan is currently back and busy with classes - Little Olympians, Gymnastics, and Swimming.

Other than the doctor, Ellie has been enjoying her Parents Day Out on Tuesdays. She is so cute with the other kids - no separation issues at all - really loves playing with them and the other adults. Quite a social butterfly. Her intelligence is constantly amazing us. She is initiating sentences and talking quite a lot. LOVES taking a bath and "swimming" in the bathtub, and has a smile that can melt hearts. At the doctor, she knows the routine so well that she grabs the instruments from the doctor and puts them where they should go, while using the correct words at the same time "ear" with the ear instrument, etc. It is fascinating. She also loves to read and seems not to be bothered if there are no pictures - I caught her with one of my historical fiction novels the other day thumbing through and "reading" to herself. Wow. A wonderful little girl.