MAY THIS BE THE END.

Are you sick of snow blog posts yet?  As a general rule, our little blog here is an account of what we are doing and thinking.  I've realized that I just can't think much with kiddos up in my face.  Which is fine, but it does make blog topics a bit limited.  So, for this Friday afternoon, there are more snow pictures to share.



Wednesday night all the ice and snow happened.  I'll share the good news first - we have had power the whole time.  Ever since the bad ice/snow storm when we lost power for 5 days, I have learned how to be grateful for power in the snow storm.  So, we have been warm inside, which is such a blessing and privilege.

The babies really have not enjoyed the snow.  Violet fell once and only wanted to be held after that.  William walked a bit, but the truth is, he has the thinnest blood of any child I've ever encountered and starts shivering at the slightest whiff of being cold.  Snow is not yet his thing.

(I know how you feel.)

John did make it home for a bit yesterday and got to play with the girls, which was a highlight for all involved.  After trying out our driveway, they realized that our side yard hill made an excellent red neck sled run.

School was canceled again for today, but I did get the glorious call that the babies' therapists would still be able to do therapy if I wanted to bring them!  Hurrah!  This time is so good for everyone.  The big girls and I went and wandered Target and bought stuff.  Stuff does not make you happy.  But - sometimes, stuff can make your kiddos a little more likable.  Just being honest here.  We got a couple new Leap Reader books and the new Tinkerbell movie to mix things up.

I'm so hopeful that Spring is right around the corner.  I would love to be able to use my brain a bit more and write about different stuff.  The snow day stress for John is no fun at all.  But - to be honest, I've enjoyed some of the slower pace that snow days afford.  There are pros and cons, and we've had a lot of cuddling and book reading and more cuddling.  I do cherish the cuddly moments when no one is crying.

Happy End of Winter (hopefully!)



(neither twin is sick right this second, though you wouldn't know it by this picture.)

SNIPPETS OF LATELY

The rain is pouring down in buckets, and the temperature is falling.  A rather toxic combination, if you ask me.  This parody pretty much sums up how we deal with this weather - enjoy.



I'm hoping all that forecasted temperature dropping is a pack of lies.  Here are the last of our cute snow pictures from the last round.




Snowball fights for the win!  Moving on.  This weekend, John managed to squeeze in the Little Rock Half Marathon dressed as a pirate.  Because of course he did.  They are such scalawags.

He and Steven didn't train and still finished under two hours, because they are very annoying.  That is the only explanation.  That or voodoo, and I'm pretty sure they steer clear of black magic.  The weather was abysmal, so the only support they got from their wives was a delicious pasta dinner the night before with our combined 8 children 6 and under at a restaurant.  The kiddos actually did really well, which was a pleasant surprise for us and our clearly overwhelmed waiter.



John was a bit sick and tired before he ran, so he was flat out exhausted after the race.  Violet was having breathing issues, so these two ended up crashing on the couch for over an hour in the middle of everything going on around them.  Bless it.

This picture doesn't really fit with anything, but I couldn't leave it out.  I made smoothies for everyone on Monday and found that these two were big fans.  I'm pretty sure this is the first time William has managed to use a straw correctly, so that was an exciting breakthrough.



This morning, I headed to Lily's school to be a reader celebrating Read Across America week and Dr. Suess's birthday.  I was assigned Mr. Brown Can Moo, which has an alarming number of strange sounds that you much manufacture.  The room was quite loud, so I yelled over the racket.  It was a lot of fun, though, and the kindergartners seemed to really enjoy it!  Plus, they got to wear their PJs - double bonus.




But, half-way through, I got a call that this young man had a low-grade fever and rushed to his MDO to pick him up.  He rallied pretty quickly and managed to eat a full lunch, so I am not sure what is going on with him.  Childhood illness and fever are such mysteries to me - ones that I wish I could unravel, but that is not usually the case.



In other news, John and I went on a date last night.  We stuffed ourselves to the max at two different restaurants, which was delightful.  Some of our conversation was a little dismal, however.  I was talking about how tired/exhuasted/at a deficit for energy that we have been lately, and I said, "I mean, we got in this hole one long day at a time, and I imagine that we will have to climb out the same way - little by little, one day at a time."  To which John replied, "And then someone will come and use a shovel to continue to bury us alive one shovel load at a time until we slowly suffocate and die."

Good news we are light on the drama in our household.

Obviously, we are working on righting the ship, but it will take a while.  Snow days certainly do not help, but God knows what we need more than we do, and we will trust him.  And continue to beg for his mercy.

SING FOR ME

Every year around this time my heart yearns for spring - for the budding trees, for the warmer temperatures, for the greening grass.  But this winter seems to be marching full force into March, and we have more snow predicted for the morrow.

Things look bleak outside.  And sometimes things feel bleak on the inside, too.  Living on Earth is painful and tiring.  Suffering crowds in as we look to the left and to the right and realize that there is no avoiding it.  There is no way over, around or under - there is only through.

Word came last week of a woman that I went on a mission trip with a few years ago who took her own life.  It's hard to fathom, really, and grief washed over me for her and her family.  She loved Jesus, and I know she's with him now. 

But - she must have been suffering so!  I didn't know her well, and I certainly don't know what led her down that road, but it must have been bad and isolating and intense.  My heart breaks for all of it. I occasionally saw her at church, and we always exchanged pleasantries and smiles and to know the undercurrent that must have been there was another wake-up call to the reality that is all around us all of the time.  People are suffering, because life is hard, and because we all are fallen.

There are so many times when my heart hurts for something that my brain cannot fully compute.  I cannot understand the WHY.  I don't know what to pray.  I am not smart enough to sort it all out and come up with the right words.

This morning I was at my women's Bible study where we often have a brief time of worship.  Now - what you need to understand is that my singing voice leaves a lot to be desired.  I can sort of carry a tune, but that might be overstating my talents.  So this morning, I sang in my quiet little tone-deafish voice to the best of my ability.  However, the woman sitting next to me has an incredible voice.  It soared above mine, and I can only hope to sound something like it when I get to heaven.  For some portions of the songs, I stood quietly, letting the beauty of her voice wash over my heart, echoing the words she was singing inside my mind.  It's what I wish my worship could sound like.  The notes and harmonies were perfect.

This is what the Holy Spirit offers us in prayer.  "In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;" (Romans 8:26, NASB).  I don't know how to pray or think when faced with some of the hardship around me.  I don't have to, because the Spirit Himself intercedes for me!  I can tune my heart to prayer and let his prayers wash over mine.



I know spring will come again, and I know that suffering is not all the world contains.  There is joy and hope abundant, in Christ.  I just need the Lord to sing for me, because sometimes, I don't have the words to do it.

FYE: FEBRUARY

It's time for a little entertainment this week.  Here's my quick round up from this month.

Jimmy Fallon's post Superbowl lip-sync battle made me laugh so much.  Will Ferrel is pure joy.



Did you ever see this Downton Abbey parody starring George Clooney?  Watch both parts - they are so funny, especially if you're a fan of the show.




And - I may have shared this before - I can't remember.  This is an SNL sketch mocking the Atlanta snowstorm last year that shut down the road ways.  It makes me laugh every time.  It seems fitting to share today since the South has been inundated with snow this week.  We just don't handle it very well.

Ellen really does a great job at finding unique guests.  This little girl who loves the presidents is ADORABLE and so funny.



I really can't explain what makes me laugh at this video.  I don't even like chihuahuas, but this is pretty funny.  I may be punch drunk from all the time indoors and out of routine this week.  We'll blame it on that.



Obviously, Jimmy Fallon is my favorite.  I love how he gets people to do funny stuff.  Here's Christina Aguilera doing impressions, and she is so good at it.  Really.



This last clip is not funny, but it is just so good.  It's Carrie Underwood singing "There Must Be Something in the Water" at last year's CMAs.  She's just so talented, and the song is beautiful.  Also, I want to tell that unborn child how amazing it is to be able to hear that voice all the time.



Hope your February is wrapping up nicely.  Can you believe March is right around the corner?