Pictures from the Ice Storm

Here are some pics and a video of our house and around the neighborhood:

From the driveway - the entire neighborhood has a new treeline now!

Hello tree. This limb is from a tree that my dad has been bugging me to get cut down every time he sees it. I suppose now he's saying, "I told you so".


Some closeups. Though the ice brought lots of damage, I have to say it's quite pretty to look at. Can't tell for sure, but I don't think any of the tree limbs punctured the roof. I suppose when the ice starts melting starting Thursday, I'll find out quickly if this is true! Here's a video to cap it off.

Quote from Eudora Welty

I finished Eudora Welty's book "The Optimist's Daughter" tonight and loved this small section concerning memory:

"It is memory that is the somnambulist. It will come back in its wounds from across the world... It will never be impervious. The memory can be hurt, time and again - but in that may lie its final mercy. As long as it's vulnerable to the living moment, it lives for us, and while it lives, and while we are able, we can give it up its due." (p. 179)

Poor Arkansan boys have to make do with such a pitiful snow offering

We got a slight dusting of snow today... but that did not deter us from heading out to play in it! Zac only stayed out for about 15 minutes before heading inside to drink hot cocoa and watch us from the window. But Benji and I played outside for quite awhile, having a great time together.

This picture is misleading - no actual sledding occurred.

We were able to make 3 whole snow balls - one of them lobbed at Zac at the kitchen window.

Benji was able to drag Zac in the sled for awhile - but there was no traction for actual sledding.

Benji, our snow angel

Ouchie healed

Zachary noticed that his ouchie on his hand was all better, so I told him he should thank God for healing his ouchie. He said his version of "thank you" (which is only understood by our family because it does not resemble "thank you" whatsoever at all). Then he said, "God not home" (as if he called God and He wasn't home so Zac was leaving a message) - hope God got the message!

Benji's ideas about worms

"God didn’t make worms really good. Because if you pull on them, they will break in two. So God did not make them really good."

(said at lunch, when for some odd reason, we were talking about worms)

Facebook

I joined Facebook a few months ago and have been spending more time over there than here. If anybody is on Facebook and hasn't added me as a friend, I'm more likely to communicate with you there. I'll still put things up here from time to time but not as much as before.

Happy new year!

Welcome home Henry Paul

I asked for prayer back in September for my friend who gave birth at 26 weeks... well, after a long road down in Little Rock, they're heading home today!!! We want to welcome you home Henry Paul. We know we probably won't get to meet you for awhile, until RSV season is over, but we can't wait until we see you for the first time!

Lights on the square

Future make-up artists

Benji with two of his friends (each of them did their own face paint, if you couldn't guess)

Benji's priorities

Today I asked Benji on the way home from gymnastics if he wants to stick with gymnastics next semester or switch back to the music class. He told me, "Gymnastics has suckers. I'll stay with gymnastics." Great - sugar is the motivational point of gymnastics for him. (They give them suckers at the end of each class, which I don't even understand since gymnastics is fun in its' own right - no need to bribe with sugar for fun activities, leave that for the NOT fun things - like shots.)

Then later in the evening we were saying what we wanted to thank God for in our evening prayers. Benji listed all the Christmas paraphernalia (tree, Christmas eve, stockings, toys, etc.). Shearn Yoong asked him, "You know Christmas isn't just about presents, right?" He answered honestly, "Yes it is."

We obviously have instilled great moral values into our children. Imitate us.