SNOW!

Well, first snow storm of the year finally came! It snowed all day yesterday and by last night was dropping 2in. an hour, then late last night the wind picked up, with gusts to 50 mph. We got a total of 10-13in. of snow! So today we have blizzard conditions. Currently the temp. is 9 feels like -15! ISU is closed and the news this morning suggested that you not try to shovel the snow until the winds die down! So we are snowed in and enjoying our day at home. I told Madilynn look outside it's snowing she said, "It's Huge, it's huge!"

last night - a blanket of snow

this morning at 8am
at 1pm

Wow!

out our window - check out the snow drift!

We're so glad this is happening today and not next Mon/Tues while we're moving! Please pray for good weather then! I guess we needed one more BIG snow in Iowa, so we wouldn't forget what it's like here! ;)

Baby Talk

Elizabeth woke up so happy this morning, just making all kinds of noises...

Weekend Fun!

We had a fun weekend! It started out Friday night making some sugar cookies (see previous post)! Then Saturday morning Michael went hunting and I took the girls to get Madilynn some snow boots (yep, it's already time for that- big snow storm this week!) Then Saturday afternoon we iced the cookies, took naps, then went to see our friends. Our small group had a Christmas party/going away party for us on Saturday night.

here are the kids making christmas ornaments for our groups tree at church

all done!
Elizabeth playing with Daddy

Abby and Matthew wanting to hold Elizabeth, so cute!

Abby, Madilynn, and Julia jumping!

We had such a good time and will really miss all of our friends in Iowa!

On Sunday we took Madilynn to play in a jump house and slide. They also had some games that she got to try out. Her first time at a place like that. She won 50 tickets and got a bracelet for her prize!

Sunday evening we spent going through stuff and getting organized before the move. We only have ONE more week in Ames! That is so crazy and just seems unreal to me. The packers will show up next Monday morning...

Sugar Cookies!

Friday night we decided to make some sugar cookies. Madilynn was a big helper. This was her first time helping to make sugar cookies and using cookie cutters!

rolling out the dough

cutting out her first cookie
seeing how it works

Saturday we iced the cookies...

Daddy got even more creative

See all of his special creations

Here's our cookie tray ready to take to our small group Christmas party/going away party.

Happy Birthday Nana!

Hope you have a wonderful day, wish we could be there with you! We love you!

Winterfest

Last night we met up with some friends (Amy, James, and their girls Julia & Anna) on ISU campus for Winterfest! If not for them we wouldn't have even known it was going on!

After eating some dinner in the Union the girls decorated sugar cookies

Yummy, look at all that red icing!

Heading downstairs to the craft room!

Painting and coloring wooden ornaments

All bundled up waiting in line to ride the horsedrawn hayrack (I believe that's what they called it)

Me and Madilynn on the ride! Daddy and Elizabeth stayed warm inside the Union!

Group picture before it was time to go home.

Here's Madilynn with her friends Julia, Anna, and Grace!

So silly, I thought Madilynn's expression was so cute!

We will definately miss our friends in Iowa!

It's snowing!

It's snowing here in Iowa today! I just looked out the window and saw it. It's not supposed to be much. They're calling for more next week so we'll see.

But...I forgot to mention before that this is the first year we've come back to Iowa after Thanksgiving and there hasn't been any snow on the ground. The last two years we've come back to snow and it's stuck around until March, so this year has definately been different.
We're hoping that it doesn't get too bad before we move!