Our last white winter??

We got some snow this week. I love those lake effect 1.5-2"/hour snows. I knew that it was supposed to be coming Wednesday night and I knew that it had arrived for sure when I heard the snow blower going at 6:15am Thursday morning (the man who lives in the other half of our duplex loves his riding snow blower, he's normally up really early for work but didn't have work this week. He wanted to be sure that Glenn could get out if he needed to go in to work today, it was so nice!) When I got up around 7 I just stood at the window and stared at the beautiful snow coming down and collecting on the big trees behind our house. Tears started to roll down my cheeks. This beautiful snow is normal to me. It is home. This is likely the last year we will live in a Great Lake effect snow belt for a long time, if not forever. I am going to miss these lake effect snows! Eventually I went out and shoveled the walk (the snow blower doesn't fit down the sidewalk) and went back in to get to work on packing.

Beautiful trees in our back yard

about 13"

Our helpful neighbor and his snow blower

We weren't very effective in packing that day so finally I relented and went out with Abigail who really wanted me to play with her outside. We clambered up a large pile of snow made by the neighbor's plow guy and then started working on a snow fort. Eventually Glenn made everyone come out to play (some of them were grumpy about it at first but everyone was glad they did at the end of the day). We worked on snow forts for a while.

Glenn played with us then had some fun taking some pictures of us as well.

 We ended up attempting 3 different kinds of forts but didn't finish any of them before it started getting dark.

At that point we were also hungry but realized that we needed onions to make dinner which meant a walk to Tops. We decided to all go to get a little bit of exercise. (BTW - I have thoroughly LOVED living a little over a quarter of a mile from a grocery store! Not a necessity but definitely nice to look for in a future home. We usually just walk and everyone carries something home in one of our re-usable bags.)

On the way to Tops I was ahead with a couple of the kids and Glenn was behind with the others when I realized I'd forgotten my list and a coupon that I wanted to use. I turned back to talk to Glenn and he pretended to be scared of me and made a jump for the snow pile on the non-street side of the sidewalk.

 Everyone thought that what he did looked so fun that they wanted to try it as well. We all randomly jumped into the snow piles on the side of the sidewalk trying to clear the ~15" ledge of snow without having our body hole in the snow connect to the sidewalk. It was decided to call the game "Jump" (original, I know).

Lydia didn't quite clear the ledge

Caleb jumped pretty far though

 Here's Glenn and Caleb showing off their "Jump" skills.

I'm really grateful for all the beautiful snow God has given us this past week. These couple of weeks we have left here may be my last chance to experience a good New York snow for a long time. After playing in the snow this week the kids have decided that if we end moving somewhere where there is no snow (some of our options get snow, some don't) we will have to go on vacation during the winter somewhere where there is snow. We'll be reverse snow birds ;)

31 Days of Flashbacks: Cream Cheese Festival

I think that going to the Cream Cheese Festival is one of the requirements of doing the RMED program in Lowville. I love cream cheese so I was looking forward to it. You may not know it but, if you have ever eaten Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese, you have, most likely, eaten a product made in Lowville, NY.

To celebrate cream cheese they close the streets and have a festival downtown complete with a cream cheese mural, a giant cheesecake, live music and lots of fun games and competitions.

showing off our artistic sides

Unveiling of the giant cheesecake (the line was really long and we didn't end up getting a piece.)

"The twins" got pirate hats. (they look cute as twins, don't they?)

We took Glenn home to let him study and then headed back to check out what else was going on. The kids signed up for a couple of competitions.

Lined up for the milk tray obstacle course relay race.

Here they are competing (Sorry the video is sideways. Not sure how to fix that.)

They were slower than the team they were racing but they definitely brought back more milk!

The finalists were judged on speed and accuracy and the kids got 2nd place!! (and won $60!)

They also competed in a "Feed Your Face" contest where they had to feed their partner chocolate cream cheese (which is super yummy!) with pretzel sticks. They didn't do it very quickly though so they didn't win any more money.

After the festival was over the we stuck around for a while to help with the clean up with some of our neighborhood friends because there was a lot to do and we like doing things like that. It reminded me of the time we helped clean up the Westcott Festival a couple of years ago. We helped stack chairs and tables, put things away and generally cleaned up.

Lydia helping to move a hay bale

Hannah shoveling hay

beautiful sky at the end of the night.

As a "Thank You" for helping with clean up we got these free Cream Cheese Festival t-shirts :)

The Cream Cheese Festival was a fun experience. I'm glad we could check it out. If we were still going to be living here next year I would definitely enter the cooking contest and be sure to get a piece of the huge cheese cake. Alas, next September we not be close enough to attend.

31 Days of Flashbacks: Kayaking

We got an email at the end of the school year inviting us to go kayaking with some other homeschoolers. I thought it would be fun to go because the girls and I had never been kayaking before (Caleb had kayaked when we were in Michigan a couple of years ago). I went thinking it was a homeschool event but found out it was really a 4H event when we got there. We were welcome anyway and had a great time.

It was a gorgeous day. The older kids went off in the kayaks first with a couple of moms while the youngers stayed behind to await their turn.

A few of the older kids came back so the littler girls had a chance to try out the kayaks close to shore.

Lydia trying to kayak for the first time.

Lydia, Hannah and Lillian

Some of the boys went swimming while the girls kayaked (and rescued the little girls a few times when they got stuck).

When it was time to go back to town to get Glenn we were invited to go home and bring Glenn back while Mary Anne still had all the kayaks she had borrowed so that we could all take a trip on the river off to the waterfall. With not too much persuading we convinced Glenn to come back with us.

The waterfall we kayaked to.

My handsome husband and me

The girls found a little pool to hang out in by the waterfall and enjoyed their own little spa.

We took a short hike to explore what was beyond the waterfall.

Then the girls got back in their spa.

Then we headed back. Caleb, carrying only himself, rushed off ahead.

Mary Anne was loaded down with lots of girls in the double.

The closest we got to a group shot. Caleb was way ahead by this point and Lydia, riding with me, is only visible by the paddle she put in the picture.

We decided that kayaking is lots of fun and a good workout. If we ever live near water kayaks would be something fun to rent or borrow... we probably move too much for owning them to make sense.

Thanks Mary Anne for a fun kayaking adventure!

31 Days of Flashbacks: Island Camping

This summer we were invited to go camping with some friends of ours on an island near their office for a couple of nights with a few other families. One family couldn't make it because they had other plans but our family and two others did get to go. It was probably my favorite camping trip of all times. We had so much fun being the only 18 people on an island for a weekend. 3 couples and our 12 kids 12 and under.

We set up our big Cabela tent for all the girls to sleep in.

Here's a beautiful view from the island on Friday night.

Glenn had to paddle back to shore to find our cooler of food and while he was gone he found this little friend. The kids were thrilled.

Here's the girls, getting ready to sleep.

Saturday morning around the campfire.

So beautiful!

Tim, Craig and the kids off on a fire fighting expedition. (They had seen some smoke on a nearby island and went to put out the fire.)

Mary needs a lot of help eating her breakfast!

Sally came prepared with biscuit mix and half gallon Mason jars of gravy. A very tasty breakfast!

Dropping in for a visit.

The kids took lots of boat rides.

And dried off in the sun.

and played in the water.

No trace camping? Um, we kind of broke that rule...

I think Tim is not impressed with the carpentry skills of Glenn and Craig.

I hope that this table will be helpful for future campers though...

More boating

and fun playing "sink the canoe" with Tim.

12 of the cutest kids ever!

Julie won the "cleanest kid at camp" award for about 5 minutes :)

We brought our huge frying pan and used it to make fried potatoes - yummy!

The table works quite nicely!

Supper!

Mary Anne wanted a picture with the huge pan of potatoes.

I can't remember what she said but I am certain that her big sister's pants were a bit too big!

Loons! We heard them then saw them.

We roped off this remnant of a basement so we wouldn't fall into it in the dark but the kids had fun playing in it in the daylight. The ropes made great clothes lines to dry swim suits and life vests too!

The pregnant lady ate some funny foods.

Looks like a serious chat.

Sunday morning breakfast - just a little bit of bacon!

packing up the girls' tent

Breakfast!!

All packed up, preparing to leave the island. Note: this pile is the belongings of only one family. The belongings of the other two families had already left (I think). We will not mention which family is the guilty party.

We had a praise service with the kids while the first load went over.

Tim leaving with a very full boat.

There go the kids

So long island...

I think her face says it all - what a great weekend!

We are so thankful for the chance to make some wonderful memories with some wonderful friends in the great outdoors. We are so blessed!