White Christmas

I know! I know! Christmas was, like, a year ago and I am just now getting around to this! Pathetic! I do take comfort that most of my blogging buddies took some time off, although, when I checked earlier today, there were at least 10 that I needed to read... Guess you'll know what I'll be doing after this post... (If I did the reading pre-post, post might not happen).

We had a wonderful Christmas. As Kevin wrote earlier, we had the unexpected gift of staying home Christmas Eve. Both Kevin and I felt that if we had gone, it would have been wonderful, but that staying home was also wonderful. One of those nights that either way would have been refreshing. It was great fun having a family over to eat dinner with-lucky for us, they had four wheel drive!

Come Christmas morning our camera did not get a workout--much too busy keeping up with one very excited 3 year old who wanted to open EVERYTHING and a 1 year old who was figuring things out (as Abby was unwrapping, she would always come to a spot where she could see what was under the wrapping paper and she would squeal with delight).

Best picture we got all day...

Later on, the girls wanted to try out their new crayons that they got in their stockings. Abby got a pair of the big crayola baby crayons that are mostly plastic so that she could grip it but with a crayon tip--she enjoyed having color time with her sister.

Hannah got what I thought might be the coolest find for this year-Crayon Rocks. I read about them on a blog I follow. They are soy wax based crayons (not positive what all the means, but supposedly they glide smoother and are better for the environment), but what really sold me on them is their claim to help the pincher grip that kids need for writing. Hannah does not do this grip well and I have, thus far, failed to correct it. When I saw these, I had to try them and they did not disappoint-check out her grip! (Come on other moms-tell me that you too obsess over small details like this! I can't be the only one! Or, am I just funnelling all my teacher-ness into my kid since I don't have 20 students to do this to?)


Later on we went over to a friend's house for a Christmas dinner. This family is one that both girls have really bonded with since moving here and it was wonderful to spend Christmas with them (I'd call them our girls' Coulee grandparents but I would hate for their real grandparents to think they were at all replaceable). We did have some excitement when we almost didn't make it to their house due to road conditions (another incident that left me dreaming of snow tires/4 wheel drive).

To demonstrate the "white-ness" of our Christmas, I have a few pictures. First is my beloved birthday tree, a maple tree, buried in snow (we are pretty sure it should survive this...)

Second, we had some killer icicles!

Here Hannah is standing next to one (which left about a foot when I broke it off, so, add that to the height).

Next, me in bathroom with another broken off icicle (yes, I climbed on the toilet, took out the window screen and broke it off-it was fun!)

Our porch roof, feeling the weight...

All told, Spokane got over 60 inches of snow in December (we left before the month ended so not sure what the final total was), the most on record EVER. The day we were supposed to fly to CA (and sunshine!), it dropped another 8 inches and left us stranded with a canceled flight. Luckily, the next day was clear (in the morning) and we were able to fly out. Our flight almost didn't get to come back in, but, again luckily, the morning storm cleared and we got back the day we were supposed to (let me tell you, after a canceled flight, a 45 minute late one is NOTHING). We are currently in a "warm" spell which means that it was all of 45 degrees today and some of the snow is melting (our icicles are gone). Not sure how long this will last, but the 10 day forecast is clear! (Of course, in another few weeks, we all might be dying to get out there and use our new sled again but for now, I'll enjoy the blue, snowless sky!)