The snow just won't stop!!

I think it has snowed non-stop for a week. Or maybe it just feels like that. We got about 34 inches of snow in about a 36-hour period last week, then it snowed again on the weekend, and it's supposed to snow another 8-12 inches tomorrow. And in between all of those big storms we've had consistent flurries. We had to cancel our drive out to McMinnville, OR, to spend Christmas with the Eckdahl side of the family. So Miles & I are just going to have a quiet Christmas with the 2 of us, and then go to his family's house in the afternoon on Christmas Day (if we can get there!) By the time the next storm comes through tomorrow, we will have accumulated as much snow as we normally do all winter! Only we're just officially a few days into winter and still have months left to go to shatter records. It's insane. There are berms that are probably 15-20 feet high in some places because the temps have been cold so none of the snow has melted yet. This is a picture of my van in front of the berm that lives in our cul-de-sac every winter courtesy of the snow plow. Pretty soon I'm not going to be able to back out of my driveway because I almost hit the berm now!

Miles went snowboarding today for the first time this season, so there are benefits to it. And I've decided that I'm going to take up snow-shoeing. If you can't beat it, might as well enjoy it. And I'm certainly not going to be house-bound for the next 4 months!

There is a house for sale 2 doors down and it's unoccupied, so except for a path someone shoveled to make it to the front door the snow continues to pile up in their driveway. I was joking that they're not going to be able to sell it until spring because it's going to just eventually disappear under all the snow!

Large weather we're having . . .

It started snowing sometime in the middle of Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning, and hasn't stopped since. It's Thursday at 8:00a.m. and it still hasn't slowed down. And we're going to continue getting heavy snow until 4:00p.m. this afternoon. We're getting estimates of 1 1/2-3 inches of snow throughout the area so far, with maybe 12-15 inches more to come. I think, based on this picture of Miles, that we've gotten 2+ feet in our neck of the woods. It's crazy!! The other picture is his car in the driveway. At least I think that's his car under there. Who knows at this point!


Planes are being cancelled, schools are closed, federal offices and community centers are closed . . . everything in the area is closing down today. I just heard on the news that even police officers are having to be shuttled from their house so they can show up to work. I think I'll just stay home today and get some work done. Of course, Miles is chomping at the bit to get out there and snowboard, but I think he'll have to wait until tomorrow because I don't think he'll make it up the mountain today.

Thanksgiving

We had a very low-key and relaxing Thanksgiving. On Wednesday we drove an hour north, to Sandpoint, to Miles' sister and family's home. We spent the night with them there. On Thanksgiving day we did a lot of cooking, eating and relaxing. My sister-in-law asked me to make the crust for her green bean casserole dish, but I was nervous because I'm not the best cook or baker in the world. So everyone made a big deal about me actually "cooking" and took lots of pictures. It turned out pretty good. But I'll still leave our cooking up to Miles. He's much better at it!

Speaking of baking/cooking . . . . last night I was going to try my hand at making Divinity. I remember my Grandma George made that candy every year around Christmas and I loved it. So I found an easy recipe online and had these grand visions of sending homemade Divinity candy to Debbie when I sent her package of Christmas gifts. Well, I'd like to say that something was wrong with the recipe, but it's more likely that it was an error on my part. Needless to say, the stuff never hardened like it's supposed to and I stirred that concoction for about 20 minutes. It was mostly marshmallow, with some sugar, water and vanilla, so I had the bright idea to turn it into Rice Krispie squares. I went ahead and did it. I think I made the sweetest Rice Kristie squares ever! I still sent it to Debbie. I figured she can either throw it away or her kids will eat it and never know the difference! I'm still determined to learn how to make Divinity like my Grandma.

You all need to move to Coeur d'Alene!

Here is one of the top 10 reasons all of you should move to Coeur d'Alene:

Proof

Here's proof for Debbie who didn't believe me when I told her our gas prices.

New Car

I'm one of "those" people who really likes driving a minivan. Unfortunately, my last minivan had a lot of issues and was in the shop frequently, so we decided to sell it for cheap and invest in something more reliable. We've been a one car family for about 6 weeks now while we researched and saved money for another car. God provided for our needs once again and we were able to get something a lot sooner than we anticipated. So this past weekend I picked out my new minivan! It's a 2006 Chrysler Town & Country. It's almost identical to my other van on the inside, but it only has 16,000 miles. This one better last me for years and years!

Seasons

Fall is definitely here and it's spectacular as always. The leaves have turned color and are falling off the trees at alarming rates. The air has turned crisp and sometimes downright cold. It gets dark too early and stays dark too late. Oh, and the most obvious sign of all . . . Costco has put out their Christmas decorations!

So I thought I'd just post a short update about this "season" in our lives. It's funny how our lives really go in seasons too, huh? As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, "There is a time for everything." Right now our season and our time is as a family of two. It has truly been nice to be able to slow down a little bit, focus on each other as a couple, and focus on some other important things like our relationship with God and with others. Speaking of that, 2 weekends ago Miles & I had the incredible privilege to borrow a friend's condo at a nearby ski resort town and get away for a spiritual retreat. We practiced the discipline of silence during part of our time away (yes, even silence from speaking to each other) and it was a very sweet time with God for both of us. We were right at the base of a mountain and it was absolutely gorgeous. I don't know if you've ever seen Tamarack trees at the height of fall, but they provide beautiful fall colors and can be quite breathtaking.

I've also been able to spend a lot of time with the girls from my small group. It is such a privilege to watch them grow in their relationships with Christ and to be a part of their lives in so many other ways. Last weekend one of the girls hosted a spaghetti dinner at her house just to provide some "hang out" time. After dinner we played on the Wii and I got my first stab at "Rock Band." Boy I feel old when I try and play video games because I'm usually so inept. As evidenced by me getting so into my role as drummer that I hit myself in the eye really hard with the drum stick and almost gave myself a black eye! Yep, I'm talented!!

This weekend we get to attend an adoption party for our very dear friends who just finalized the adoption of their foster son. He is 1 1/2 years old now and has been with them since birth. We are absolutely thrilled to celebrate this occasion with them. They're also going to dedicate him at church this weekend and I've told my friend that I am already prepared to cry during the entire dedication service. God is so faithful, no matter what season we are in.

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to continue biting my nails as I anxiously await the final results of the election.