true boy tales: Snow Day

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Snow Day

For any of you outside of Iowa, yesterday we had a snowstorm of "epic proportions". We had over a foot of snow plus 50 mph winds which led to drifts several feet deep. Jon's cousin, Matt and Great Aunt Lucy were still here from the wedding weekend. It was kind of exciting for them since they're from Georgia. And it was definitely great for Jon to have another guy to shovel us out through the wall of snow. Snow days really don't mean anything to our family, other than an inconvenience and a lot of extra work for Jon. He works from home so we have plenty of family time on a regular basis. My sister Claire is living with us til my parents house is done (only about a week left) so of course she was the one who was thrilled to death with not one but two snow days from school!
Auntie Claire watching a movie with her nephews:

Bennett was eager to watch all the snowblowing and shoveling action outside (notice the two big scrapes on his face. Its a miracle we made it through the wedding week without any! Injuries are a consistent part of our daily routine):

Matt getting a full fledged Iowa winter experience:

Later on we went to John and Judie's for dinner since it was the last night with our relatives in town. It was great to be together for a delicious meal on a very cold day. This is Aunt Lucy (Judie's mom's sister). She truly deserves a post all her own. She is the most kind-hearted, genuine, loving and absolutely beautiful older woman I've ever met in my entire life. Even her wrinkles are gorgeous! She has an adorable British accent still and is that family member that everyone looks forward to seeing and can't get enough of when she's around. You just feel warm all over when you're with her. She's in her mid 80's but still has great hearing and sight and dresses so cute. She loves the Lord and loves serving Him and is just the ultimate grandmother! If there was a grandmother of the year award, I know she'd be nominated 100 times over.

Judie went to check on Bennett and Caleb upstairs and found them under the covers and Caleb "reading" a book to Bennett. So adorable!:

4 comments:

mandaDecember 10, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Oh my goodness! Aunt Lucy is almost 90?? She has aged SO well!! Love your mini tribute to her!!

We need to see you guys soon! Chad still hasn't met Dawson! Does anytime look good before Christmas for dinner?
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JudieDecember 10, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Everything Haverlee said about Auntie Lucy is true and more - she helps me picture these bible women: Anna (in the temple when Jesus came as a baby), Mary (of Mary and Martha), and Priscilla. My goal is to be like her someday -as she follows Christ and exudes Him.
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EmilyDecember 10, 2009 at 5:47 PM
What a sweet declaration of Miss Auntie Lucy! Love that girl name!
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JoshDecember 11, 2009 at 7:13 AM
Wow! So true about Aunt Lucy...I just hope Gigi doesn't see this...:-)
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for the book lovers {my recent favorites}:

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison. I have a thing for modern day memoirs of utterly heartbreaking stories (Like Breaking Night and Blackbird). This is a Foster mother's first-hand account of the children she took in over the years and the unbelievable trauma they went through before they came to her.
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.