Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sunbeams!

Julia started Sunbeams at the start of the new year, and she loves it! She likes to talk about her friends and what they do during primary. So far I've gleaned that they do still get snacks, that in Primary you have to sit in your seat instead of run around like in Nursery, and that she has said the prayer in her class a couple of times. I wish I could just sit in and watch her throughout all of Primary and class (as it is, I do sneak peaks sometimes through the windows). We are so proud of you Julia! You are such a big girl!

Snow!!!

About a week before Christmas we started getting snow. Since that time up until last Monday it seems like it has been snowing every day straight. The snow has really piled up-- at least 2 feet deep at its highest point (this was about a week ago). Luckily the roads have stayed pretty well plowed and we have been able to get around fine, although Joshua has not been able to ride his bike to work on the really bad days. These last couple of days have been a little warmer and a lot of the snow has melted already, but from what we have heard from the locals the snow lasts through March, so we should be expecting some more soon.

On New Year's day we were able to all go outside and make a snowman. Ethan had a hard time staying on his feet and needed help getting up every time he fell (I think the three pairs of pants I put on him contributed to his immobility). Julia kept on telling Joshua that she thought the snowman was big enough. But, I think we all had a fun time.


The finished product! It stayed up for about two weeks and then one day we saw it laying on its side. We saw tracks leading up to it and away from it and so we have our suspicions as to what happened; our only question is who the culprits could be, because only adults live in our complex.

One of the worst days so far. There were probably 18-24 inches accumulation overnight. This was Sunday morning and unfortunately they don't plow the roads on Sunday. We had someone to pick up on the way to church and so our 15 minute route ended up taking over 45 minutes.

Mr. Snowman looked pretty funny with all of the extra snow on him.

CHRISTMAS

We spent Christmas and New Year's celebrations here in New York. We missed seeing family, but enjoyed our time together. On Christmas Eve, we continued the tradition of acting out Christ's birth, along with eating a picnic "Jerusalem Dinner" consisting of fish, pita bread and grape juice around the stable we made from our dining table. Julia was Mary, Ethan was Joseph, with Joshua as the donkey; much of the time was spent in "traveling" to Bethlehem--i.e. wandering around the house until the donkey's back almost broke. I got to narrate and do all the other parts partnering with select stuffed animals.

Mary, Joseph, and the donkey taking a break at the stable

On Christmas day we talked to family on Skype, participated the the Swift family talent show, had some friends over for Christmas dinner, and enjoyed some delightful free time while kids played with their new toys. We are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for sending Jesus Christ to the earth to save us. What a joy it is to celebrate His birth and the peace and hope His life and mission and atonement give to us!