Keeping Ourselves Entertained

So...in the recent power outage, we had to find a place to stay...since, well...we had no power and two kiddos. Jonathon thought that our house would have been "okay" to stay at, IF we didn't have the kids. However, I beg to differ, as I am soooooo not a cold weather type person. The house was FREEZING, I could NOT have stayed there...and he wouldn't have wanted to stay there with me. His ears would have started to bleed at the constant sound of my shivering (and complaining). ;)

SO, we kindly packed everything except the kitchen sink and headed to Nan and Pap's house...where we stayed (in complete warmth and luxury I might add!) for a good 5 days. Here is how we spent our days....

We ate. We ate gooood! Nan made many breakfast, lunch and dinners for us...and of course she treated us with chocolate shakes and chocolate pudding. Which, as you can see, Nathan just hated! ;)

Nathan decided to try on Nan's slippers and take a stroll around the house:

Perfect fit!!!

AND...we played...cars:

Lots and LOTS of cars:

We did really have a great time. It was like being on indefinite vacation. Like I said, we lived in the lap of luxury...our own room, bathroom and lots and lots of love. THANKS Nan and Paps for opening up your house to our chaos!

Taking Care of the Weather

We have had TONS of winter weather here in Louisville, and through all the chaos, we did manage to get out and play a little. Here is Nathan playing with cars in the snow, and then helping his Daddy shovel the driveway...

He totally enjoyed shoveling the snow, until the shovel got too heavy and he got cold...a kid after my own heart! ;)

We'll Leave the Lights on for ya...

Yes, we do have power (knock on wood). It was turned back on Sunday afternoon...right before the Super Bowl (conveniently!).

So...we are back in business. Trying to figure out our new normal...:)

And...

We STILL don't have power!
Enough said.

Not Again...

So...for the second time in less than 6 months, we have no electricity! We were hit with an ice storm on Tuesday evening...which proceeded to accumulate on tree limbs, which then began to break and fall...and well, knock out the power around the entire city (you may have heard...). Anyways. We are one of the lucky ones that won't have power for 7-10 days (that is the current estimate). We are so SUPER lucky! (can you read the sarcasm???)

Remember last September when we didn't have power for 8 days (is that correct, Jonathon? ;)), and we all said "at least it is warm out, and you don't have an infant to care for..." . Well, look here...it is FREEEEEEZING, we have an infant and a toddler...AND no electricity! I am not sure how much I can handle of this, emotionally... apparently we did'nt learn what we needed to learn (patience?) the first time.

Luckily, we have amazing family! The first night Uncle Rob and Aunt Yvette opened their very clean, kid free, home to us. They made us dinner and gave us nice comfy beds to sleep in! Then yesterday, Nan and Paps opened their door to us as well...and we have taken full advantage and moved in! We even kicked them out of their bedroom! ;) So...on the very positive side, we are warm, fed and with loving family. We couldn't ask for anything more (except electricity).

Thank you to everyone who has offered your homes, food, blankets, clothes...etc. We really appreciate it and hope you all know that the offer is reciprocal.

I will keep you updated...

Cold Day at the Park

What do you do when it is winter, freezing cold, and you are sick and tired of being couped up in the house? Well, you brave the freezing cold, bundle up and head to the park of course!

Play in Snow?

A couple of weeks ago, Nathan started asking if we could go out and "play in the snow". I am not sure where he saw or got the idea of playing in the snow, but it is a daily request these days. Much to his delight, it "snowed" a week or so ago...and when I say "snowed", I mean "ice flaked" for about 20 minutes (just long enough to go out and SEE the white stuff). Regardless, Nathan was so excited to play in the "snow"!

(Nathan and Grand-Mom Gerwing)

("This is it?")

Anyway, his interest in snow made Jonathon and I yearn to take a trip to Utah so Nathan could play in some REAL snow, with some REAL snow toys and REAL snow boys...the Frentheway Crew. Alas, with a new baby...we aren't sure that is real feasible this year.

Also...his interest in snow means that it wont snow at all here in Louisville this year. ;)

Reflections

This photo really pulls at my heart strings. I LOVE that you can see Jonathon in the reflection in the door, as Nathan is looking in. It kind of speaks of generations or of what Nathan might become...maybe even what Jonathon once was.

Is it time to go inside yet?

This was just a cute picture. Taken after he made the snow angel. I think the experience of having to lie down in the snow scarred him for life. He was ready to go in after that.

Ugh Snow!

Checking out the snow.


Dad dumping the snow on top of Nathan (what a nice guy he is!). Nathan loved it!


Making his first snow angel.


So, it snowed buckets last weekend here in Louisville. Yes, SNOWED! In March!!! The weekend before, everyone had started thinking of where they were going to put all the snow boots, coats, sweaters, socks, thermal underwear, gloves, hats, and heaters...in lieu of the shorts, tank tops, swim shoes, trunks, suits, flip flops and froo froo dinks with umbrellas in them.. It was beginning to look a lot like Spring time. Alas, Mother Nature and Father Time had other plans (I HATE it when they go against MY plan, by the way!!)...and decided to give the city of Louisville a nice little wake-up call...AND all those school age kids one more day off. It dumped buckets...for Louisville that is (family out in the Prairies of Wyoming and the Mountains of Utah, you would have laughed at the "dusting" we got!). Regardless...it did give us a chance to take Nathan outside to play in the snow. We did realize that we are soooo unprepared for snow. Meaning, none of us have boots or matching gloves and hats and coats (because matching is SOOO important). Jonathon and I aren't that big of a deal, but poor Nathan had like two outfits on, just to stay warm. He DID have a nice warm coat and hat and gloves. Next year though, we will need to make sure we get some boots. Oh and snow paraphernalia...such as...a sled...?!



Oh yes, and one more thing....Nathan LOVED the snow...except when he had to touch it. ;)



Oh and another thing...it totally makes me want to live in Utah so that we can go sledding with The Frentheway Crew, and so Nathan can learn to ski (of course, that desire to live in Utah, in the cold, lasted about long enough to have the thought and then the desire turned to wanting to live in Arizona where we didn't ever have to deal with the cold took over.).