Snow pictures

Outside the back door in the middle of the storm.

The snow covers the bottom of the tire swing.

Snow covering the tires of the car and the van

Goldie swimming through the snow.
The boys sliding across the pond trying to get traction.

Here are some snow pictures as we await another 10-15 inches today. It looks like we may be on the lower side of these totals this time, thankfully. What a winter! The snow is so beautiful, especially with the sun shining on it. We've noticed that the difference between Virginia and Ohio in the snow is that here the sun actually comes out after it snows.

Snow days

So what do you do when you are facing your 6th "snowed in" day in a month and 5th snow day out from school? Well, for those of you who live where it actually snows regularly, you laugh at the people who are paralyzed by the 20+ inches today. We've done a bit of this, a bit of that, a day of Wii, eating, board games, fighting, cleaning. We are getting ready to exercise after lunch digests. Keeping four boys occupied for this long is difficult, but probably not nearly as difficult as when they were all under 10. No one lives near enough to come over, so we are ALONE. This is more difficult for some of us. I was fortunate enough to escape to a coffee shop with a friend as the storm started for some renewal. So far, everyone is alive and well. The snow continues to stream down and blow around, and we already have 17 inches. We know that because we (meaning they) just measured it when they had to shovel a path through the yard so the dog could get to the barn. She came to the front porch this morning when there was only 8 inches. I looked out during a break in the Risk action to see her "swimming" through snow up to her chest in order to get back to the barn. Right now spring looks awfully inviting.

And more snow....

This is what I saw Sunday morning when I got up to have my quiet time. The full moon was amazingly bright over the trees. It looked so peaceful and lonely. The sky is deceptively dark in the pictures. It was really about 7 in the morning, but I haven't figured out how to get the pictures more accurate. We had another snow storm on Saturday. They called for 2-3 inches for us, and we ended up with 7. It snowed 3 more last night, and they are calling for another "significant event" from the south for Friday/Saturday. We've had 31 inches so far this year. It's been an amazing snow year for Virginia.

I'm officially done (so I hope to post more often), but it doesn't feel like it. Monday was a teacher work day which ended up being delayed and then made optional because of all of the snow. By Tuesday I thought they would go to school for sure since it had snowed on Saturday. As I took Peter to a friend's who lives even farther out than we do, I realized that school Tuesday was not going to happen. The roads out there were still too bad for Virginia school buses. Then, of course, today we have more snow, wet this time and heavy, so they are home again. I am not counting these days as "officially done" days since everyone is still here. For the most part, everyone has gotten along fine. Yesterday two friends came over to help break up the "togetherness." Today we are going to the library, the store, and to see some puppies. That will help. I pray they go to school tomorrow because it looks like we are in for another several days at home from this next storm.

snow part two

The Fultons

Posing on Grandma's driveway

Grandma

Fred's letterman jacket (he lettered in football and academics this fall)

Fun with cousins

It's snowing again so we are all home. We only have about 2 inches today, though. I got up to get ready for school, didn't see any snow on the ground from the upstairs window in the dark, so I proceeded to get ready for work. About 30 minutes later, while folding towels, I thought that perhaps I should check the web site. School was cancelled! There was over an inch of snow on the ground that I hadn't detected from the second story! I tried to go back to sleep, but at that point, I was too "up". Oh well, it's still nice to have a day to do laundry and catch up.

Here are some Christmas pictures. We went to South Carolina the day after Christmas, then stopped at my parents' on the way home on the 30th. It was a great time of togetherness with family.

Snow

Chris digging his way out to play basketball.

Last Friday found us all filled with anticipation. We were supposed to get a MAJOR snow storm. Our big ones always come from the south, and that's where this one was perched, ready to bring us yards of snow. On the announcements at school Friday morning, the principal warned us to take everything with us since school would be cancelled Monday and Tuesday if the storm panned out. We have been disappointed before. But this time, thankfully, there was no disappointment. Snow started Friday evening and kept up all day Saturday. All tolled, we had 17 inches of beautiful snow. I think they cancel school way too quickly for snow here, speaking as a mom, but as a teacher I was as excited as the boys. NO SCHOOL for TWO WEEKS!!! Woo hoo! That extra two days has done wonders for my attitude and my home. I have caught up on sleep that I've been missing. I (semi) cleaned the house. I'm ready for Christmas. This snow was my Christmas gift this year. Because there was so much of it, we'll have a white Christmas for the first time in 21 years. Merry Christmas.

Working

We spent Thanksgiving with some of our favorite people.

I started a long-term sub position last Monday. I don't know how moms do it! Last week was full enough each evening, but to be gone all day on top of it made life crazy. When I subbed at the high school before, I made friends with another English teacher. When I left, she asked me if I would sub for her when she went on maternity leave. I told her "sure." It finally happened. When I went to back to school night, another English teacher was expecting and not due until the first returned to work. I thought I could do it--back to back full time from Thanksgiving through April. As the start day loomed, I realized ( and God convinced me) that that would not be a good thing for anyone. I backed out of the second job, so now I only work until February 1. My first day went so well that I thought, "Maybe I should take the second job as well." Then I got home. Again, God convinced me that being home and taking care of my family is more important right now. In the meantime, I'm Mrs. Sutton. The kids have been great. She is a good teacher and she organized everything for me. It's a great gig. I have learned a new appreciation and sorrow for working moms, though.

Updates

The boys (except for Josiah--confined to a stroller) Caleb, Nathaniel, Ben, Peter, Fred, Joshua and Sam

The Toth children making a pile on Fred

The beginning of the pile--Fred, Tabitha, Caleb, Moriah, with Hannah getting ready to pile on

Ben is 14 today and likes to play with the camera.

The Toth family was here briefly in November. Their son Caleb was a finalist in the Bible Bee in Washington DC. Due to unforseen car trouble, they weren't able to make it back to our house for the weekend, so we headed up to DC to spend some time with them. We toured museums and saw the Declaration, but the most fun, by far, was all 16 of us in a hotel room! The kids had a ball together. We look forward to more visits.

Today is Ben's 14th birthday. He's excited to celebrate with his friends and with family this week. He was born just after Thanksgiving--1:22 am. The nurses put me in overflow and were actually suprised that I was truly in labor rather than suffering from indigestion like the rest of the women there. At that point, I KNEW the difference, especially after laboring all day. I'm so thankful for this young man. God has blessed him and us!