"Snow" day

The kids were very excited to find out Thursday night about 10:30 that school had been cancelled and they could sleep in (me too!).  We are learning that here in GA, if there is even threat of a snow/ice storm, they pretty much shut things down.  Friday it rained almost the whole day.  At 5 pm we got about 15 minutes of big fluffy flakes but it was so wet on the ground that nothing stuck.  It was suppose to snow off and on all night but this is all we woke up to.

 It snowed from about 9-10 but then cleared up and started melting.  It was still so wet that not much stuck.  Hannah and I went on a walk to the Shoals.  It wasn't too cold and was a pretty walk.  Glad we got out when we did because the wind started blowing and boy is it loud in those trees and chilly on the face.  It has been about 27 and windy the whole day.

 Justin got stuck in Minnesota.  The northeast is just getting pounded with snow.  So glad we are not!  All flights were cancelled yesterday but he was able to reroute through Dallas this morning and is on his way.

Calhoun swim meet

Saturday Hannah had a swim meet in Calhoun, Georgia.  It was just over an hour away.  We had to leave at 6:30 am.  It was a LONG day.  There were 16 schools there so many heats of each event.  Hannah was in four events that day, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay.  Of course, she was in the last event so we were there the whole time.  We left the pool around 3 and grabbed a Little Caesars pizza to eat as we drove home as we were both starving.  We had hoped to go out to eat at a restaurant but someone stole Hannah's flip flops at the pool so she didn't have shoes.  Hannah did very well.  She took five seconds off of her 50 freestyle and nine seconds off of her 100 freestyle swimming the best of the season.  She also swam strong in the relays.  She is still not super fast but she is improving and I am very proud of her.  She said it was the funnest meet yet.  Only bad thing was the gym they had them waiting for their events in was freezing cold.

 This is the little group we carpool with.  Left to right.  Anna Brewer, Alyssa Miles, Hannah P, Hannah K and Izzy Hurdle.  They are all such sweet girls.  All Freshman.

Backpacking trip - relocated.

Isaac was suppose to be going on a backpacking trip with his scout troop to Amicalola Falls last night.  There was a miscommunication with leaders and we learned there was also a merit badge clinic the same weekend for the eagle-required merit badge Family Life.  Since that would be too far away to make it back for the clinic, we had it at our house instead.  The boys were dropped off at our neighborhood pool parking lot where they started their hike on our trails.

They then hiked two miles to the campsite.  I had sent Nathan along to be JD's "scout master assistant" just in case they needed help with directions on the trails.  Isaac wanted to lead them and Nathan let him.  He was very proud and they only made one wrong turn but quickly corrected it.  Charlyce and I ran the trails that morning to make sure the distance was right.  It is so fun to be able to have trails to do something like this on!  It had rained and misted most of the day but thankfully stopped for a bit to dry up the trails a little.  

They then set up camp, started a fire and played games in the yard.  They had a lot of fun running and screaming playing Manhunt.  Nathan had friends over to watch a movie.  Hannah was at a friend's house until about 10 and then joined the group in the basement.  Justin was outside a lot of the night to help JD as a second leader but since he has been sick all week, he did not sleep outside.  With everyone busy, I got to take advantage and read the book I got for Chrstimas.  It is so good!

 Justin and I also watched a movie inbetween him going outside.  Such a nice, relaxing night!  Nathan's friends left before midnight and I looked out to see the boys' tent lit up and bodies moving around.  JD said that they talked and played until almost 5 am having cycles of talking quiet to talking loud to having him have to tell them to quiet down again.

It drizzled all evening but thankfully did not soak them.

  After just a few hours of sleep, they came into the house and I had breakfast ready for them.  Hot cocoa, pancakes, waffles, bacon, scrambled egg and stawberries and whip cream.  They were all cold and enjoyed having the food cooked for them.  It was really fun getting to be a "fly on the wall" of sorts and see a little bit of what they do when they are gone camping.  Of course, Nathan let them know that they had a pansy (unmanly and easy) backbacking trip.  Ha.  Not quite what Nathan had been on in Arizona.

 

 They went straight from our house to the merit badge clinic.  Justin, Nathan and I went and bought the kids new pants while we waited for him to be done and then we grabbed some Little Ceasars on the way home for lunch.  As I came down the stairs a bit ago, this is what I saw.  Isaac (who was not tired at all) is passed out on the couch.

New Years Eve and New Years Day

How things change the older the kids get.  We still had our New Year's Eve smorgasbord but since the kids would be leaving for their dance and didn't want to be too full, we had it about 5:00 pm and cut it down to just a few things, Totinos pizza, chicken, salsa and chips, m&ms and BBQ chips.  It is hard for me to have the kids go out this night.  I like having them home celebrating with us, not that we ever did anything too exciting.  I was grateful that our neighbors were going to the New Year's Eve dance and took Nathan and then brought both kids home.  Hannah was helping with putting on the dance for part of a Personal Progress goal so she had to be there early.  It was at the stake center about 35 minutes away.  The theme was Tacky Sock Hop.  The kids were to wear tacky socks and then bring a pair of socks to donate to a local shelter.  Isaac got to chill at home with me and Justin.  We watched football.  At about 11, we went out and watched fireworks that our neighbors had bought.  Wow, they put on a great show!  All fireworks are legal in Georgia.  There were no sparklers or little firecrackers spraying out, they were all big ones way up in the air.  It was fun to watch.  Isaac didn't want to come out in the cold (about 35) so he watched it from front window.  We then watched the countdown on TV and toasted with sparkling grape joice.  Isaac and Justin went up to bed around 12:30.  I got to work on a puzzle until the kids got home around 1:15 am.  By then, I was on a roll and had to keep working at the puzzle until 2 am.  Happy New Year!

 I tried to get a picture of the fireworks but missed every time.  Below is most of the kids from the Hickory Flat ward (14-18 years old).  Who knows what Nathan is looking at.

On New Years Day, we were invited over the the Speidel's home for their annual Christmas tree burning.  I have always heard that Christmas trees can be so dangerous because the dry needles catch fire so easily.  It was amazing to watch that in person.  WOW!  They would catch and burn so hot for just a couple seconds burning almost completely and then mostly go out.  Justin and I got to taste black-eyed peas and collard greens.  Apparently, the peas are for health and the greens for wealth.  Jackie Burkhart made them and the peas reminded me of mom's ham and beans.  They were good.  The collard greens were very salty.  They were ok.  Justin loved it.  We all brought a little snack to share and had hot cocoa and cider.  It was nice that the 30-degree temps came just in time.  It had been almost 70 the week before!  

 Speidel's have a perfect yard for this!  The Watson family brought some good fireworks to light off as well. 

 Nathan, Josh, Cydnee and Chandler

 Hannah and the sweet girls she babysits, Maile and Skye along with Daniel and Abby

This was when they burnt two trees at once.  It was probably 30 feet high and SO hot!  I don't know what it is about fire but it is just mesmerizing. I think there were 8 trees to burn.

We had a great time with people from the ward.  I like this tradition!