let it snow!

I don't know where the weekend went but it has come and gone so fast that it feels like it never really happened!!   It was a fun weekend though.  Friday was a good day - how can't it be a good day when it is hot dog day at school!!  I was grateful for hotdog day, I am not even kidding.  I LOVE hotdog day because it means that I do not have to make a lunch for 3 kids!!  3 kids who all like different things.  A lunch that can not include anything with peanut s(or any nuts for that matter) as it is a peanut free school!  I really dislike making lunched, especially at 7:30 morning.  In fact there is not much that I do like to do at 7:30 in the morning, but lunch making is very low on the list!!  So Friday I was very grateful for hotdog day!!  My act of Service for Friday making hot breakfast for the family.  I even got up earlier than usual to make them all fresh waffles with strawberries and whip cream and orange pineapple smoothies.  Let me tell you, this  makes me very popular!!  I love giving the kids (and Josh) a nice hot breakfast before they leave for the day.  It works out especially well when I don't have to make lunches that day!  Then while the kids were at school I made a cake for sweet niece who was having her 1st birthday party that night.  I love to bake and decorate cakes and cupcakes!

Then I left Josh with the kids to take dinner to an older lady from our church (93 years old!!) who just got released from the hospital.  She really doesn't give a hoot what you bring her for dinner, what she really wants is company.  So I had 30 minutes to visit with her before I carried on to the birthday party for my niece and nephew.  We had a great time at the party!  We didn't get home until around 9:00 and then I had to make some cupcakes for our highland competition on Saturday!!  Again I love to bake so offered to bring 2 dozen baked goods.  They need approx 10 dozen things donated to sell.  I made some really cute rainbow cupcakes :)

Didn't get to bed until 1am!!  And of course the snow was coming down in buckets!!  I had a hard time sleeping because I was so worried about driving in the snow for the competition on Saturday!!  Saturday we were up around 6:30 to start getting ready.  I had to be out the door by 7:45 to go help set up.  thankfully the snow had stopped but on Saturday I was grateful for the snow.  I think the snow is absolutely beautiful!!  It looks amazing when it coats everything, all the branches and fences and ground, especially when you rise at 6:30 on saturday and it is 100% untouched!  that is awesome!  But the real reason that I am grateful for it is that my children LOVE it.  They woke up giddy with excitement because they have been waiting all year for it!  They love to play in it and toboggan in it build snow man and have snowball fights.  I love their enthusiasm for it!!  Saturday's act of service was for Avri and Mika - we stayed extra long after the competition so that they could play with their friends out in the snow.  It is nice that all the girls from their dance school get along so well!  They did great dancing too.  Avri got 3 first places and 1 second place, she won the aggregate for her category.  Mika won a 1st place and a 4th place.  She would have placed in her reel as well but they had a fill in who made a mistake that effected her - too bad but that is just the way it goes! She was happy with how she did and so was I!  Zoe got first place in all 4 of her dances!!  She was pretty thrilled with herself!  Busy day, but a good one too!

Today was pretty quiet in comparison to the rest of the weekend.  Church in the morning, then the kids played outside in the snow for a long time in the afternoon.  They had their friend Emma over and they played great together all of them!  Today I am grateful for my warm house.  I love my house.  It is not always as clean and organized as I would like it, there are usually toys on the floor, dishes in the sink and laundry piling up but I am so grateful for it.  When the weather gets so cold like this I shudder to think that are people who have no where to go, no where warm to sleep.  I am so grateful that that is not a worry for me. My act of service was for Mika this evening.  I may sort of  favor her sometimes.  My sweet Mika, she is your classic middle child who struggles to find her place in the family.  She needs a little extra love, a little extra reassurance, and a little extra attention.  She is a gift to me. SHe loves to help me and do things for me.  So tonight she wanted me to put her hair in a bunch of braids so it would be all wavy in the morning.  I'll try to snap a picture before she leaves for school.  Although a small part of me hopes it is a snow day so they can stay home and play in the snow all day :)