The Blackout!

Here are what the streets looked like, thankfully we know how to drive in the snow and most of the  others who don't stayed at home.  

And here is the freezing rain that caused the blackout, it took down trees all over the city which took the power lines with it. 

We played TONS of this and also Chutes and Ladders which if I never had to play again  I'd be happy .

Since we couldn't cook we went out for dinner and what kid doesn't like free ice cream

Here was Scarlett's favorite spot, she would lay as close as possible  literally almost touching and she would stay there till she got up panting needing water.

We were luckier than most, since we're a happy campy type family I was able to save almost all of our food using our cooler and we didn't really have to use candles because we all have headlamps.  And while I could have cooked on our camp stove it was just easier to go out or eat sandwiches.  I will have to say it was kind of fun for the 1st day or so but after 4 nights we were kind of over it.  

We decided to build a new snowman in our own yard now that we had enough snow.  

With beach rocks for eyes and a kazoo for a nose.  

SNOW!!!!!

We've got SNOW!!!  Now, it's not like the huge storms we are used to growing up in Salt Lake and it's not like "The Storm Of The Century" that we had in Spokane but we've been told this is the most snow seen in the Oly area since the 1940's  

I think it's our fault now that I think of it, we moved to St. George and then had the "100 Year Flood"!  Spokane, like I said, the most snow they had had in 106 years.  Vancouver wasn't so bad, ABQ last year had the worst cold weather they had experienced in a very long time, shutting off natural gas to thousands of homes.  AND NOW  HUGE snow in Olympia!  

Because of this I got up at 5:30 a.m. and headed out the door to Wal-Mart.  If we were going to get out there and play Keegan was in need of new snow boots and winter gloves.  He had been making due with his rain boots but this called for more.  So by 5:45 I was the crazy Utahan shopping for snow gear, there was 1 other customer in the store.  I had to get out there on the roads before everyone else tried to do the same. 

We got up early this morning and hurried and ate and then got out there so we could be the first ones to make tracks in the new snow.  

Scarlett is loving all the snow, she wasn't quite sure how to use the bathroom though.  

Loves to run in the snow, and look goofy doing it. 

Josh and the dogs jogged all the way across the church yard and then ran back.  

No explanation really, cute boy, cute dog

More of that cute boy of mine

Little birdie prints on our porch when we got back. 

With a carrot for his nose

Keegan and Josh went across the street to the church and used their snow to build a snowman.   They actually got to build one that is taller than Keegan. 

This one is for "Pa" he wanted to know where the church across the street was.  So.....this is the view out of Keegans new bedroom window and just to left, you can see that in between the trees that are directly to the East and the end of the townhouses is a little break, all that snow right there is on the grassy area behind a Lutheran church of some kind.  Also, if you look closely  smack dab in the middle there, you can see Keegan's snowman waiving to you.

Here are some pics for those people (Pa) that kept telling us that it was sad that Keegan would never get to see snow.  It's been snowing on and off for the last day and a half.  

He could not wait to get outside and play in the white fluffy stuff.  He's trying to catch the huge flakes on his tongue but keeps getting them in his eye

You can see the size of the flakes on his jacket.

Mr. Blue Eyes

The trees across the street to the East.

We moved to the front yard where the snow on the grass was "safe"

so pretty these are the trees to the south in that big grassy church yard

And of course when we got in we needed a nice mug of hot chocolate 

Lazy Day

Keegan and I had a lazy day today.  We may have spent our day in our jammies but we actually did  stuff.  

We added a second coat of paint onto Keegan's red wall, touched up the areas that the stupid painters tape took with it.  AND, I managed to let Keegan help paint.  It nearly killed me to hand over a roller full of red paint to a 5 year old but, I survived and so did the carpet.  

Then, we grew  Underwater Magic Rocks

Thanks to Aunt Mimi

 10 minutes later they were growing....

 THEN....We made cute little heart shaped crayons.  They will go on cute little valentine cards for Keegan to take to school.  Now I know it's only January but I was just to excited to try something I found on Pinterest a long time ago.  Keegan actually really enjoyed peeling and breaking crayons.  

Then, not as exciting or as pretty I did manage to make myself vomit by cleaning the shower drain.  SERIOUSLY the grossest drain I've ever cleaned.  I'm still sticking to the claim that it isn't all mine.  

Getting ready!

Want to know what happens when you let your 5 year old choose his own paint colors??  He chooses RED!!  I tried my hardest to convince him of something else but in the end he won.  But only on 1 wall.  So, we started by cleaning out the "spare" room which will soon be Keegans new room.  And then we got started.

Here's Josh working on the gray primer.

 Here comes the red

 Ahh, the light is a little better in this one.

 And here is the red wall.  You can see that we are leaving the other walls the tan color.  

And so we get to be the fun parents who let the 5 year old choose.