So, most of you are now aware that we have uprooted our family from sunny, mostly warm Colorado Springs to the small, sunny, usually cold and snowy Frisco.  They are only two hours apart but the weather varies greatly.  This winter has been a bit different than past years.  We don’t (well, we didn’t) have much snow.  It started out with a bang in October, flurried pretty consistently through November and then stopped.  I do believe that we only had two days of the white stuff in December and no accumulation.  Two days ago I ran OUTSIDE in short sleeves.  It was just that warm.  Between you and me, I really am loving it. It seems like a gift from God to have a nice and easy (and warm) transition into this crazy new way of life that should be including feet of snow.  Okay, so I do realize that God probably doesn’t give a hoot if we do or do not get snow.  Maybe He got tired of hearing my no snow prayer over and over again.  I think that He really has bigger problems like disease and war, you know.  Anyway, I digress.  Thank you God!  (for all the bigger blessings of which I am greatly undeserving).
When you own an outdoor store that caters to backcountry skiing and touring, snow is helpful.  Pretty important actually.  Everyone in the county is walking around looking at the sky, wondering. Where is this elusive snow we speak of?  Sam’s basketball coach commented last night that in all the 20 years he has lived in Summit County, he has never seen the grass in January or something like that….
Today it is snowing. Really snowing.  Scott was so excited that he started shoveling at 7:15 am right outside our bedroom window.  I not so politely let him know that was a bit crazy.  He stopped.
Snow is great for business. You (mainly me) would think that people would stay home when it snows, indoors, all snugly and warm. Or….run to the ski hill mountain and make some turns on really honest to goodness snow. But no.  They flock to the store in need of skis, boots, gloves.  It is really cool and amazing how this phenomenon works.  Since we have had a handful a month full of warm sunny days, I will take this snowy one.  We might even get out and enjoy it.  We do have those new snowshoes.  Scott will be busy working and ringing customers out so I will say a little prayer that the snow sticks and that Scott gets to not only look out the window on this beautiful day but also may he get out and enjoy it too. Amen.

P.S. Hopefully beautiful snowy pictures to follow 🙂

For the last couple years, sometime in January, I have written a year in review post.  This year, mainly because it takes me soooo long (my brain is turning to mush) to remember or go back and read about the important happenings from each month, I am only going to post my favorite snapshots from each month of 2011.  This way you can use your imaginations:)  Have fun on the year long picture walk!

This year has been full of changes.  We have changed jobs, houses, towns, cars, lifestyles, weather and schools.  With all this transition comes some minor bumps in the road but overall we are thrilled with the changes that we have made.  We look forward to what 2012 has in store for us!

January

March

April

June

August

October

November

December

We hope you all had an awesome 2011!

Love to you all,
Jennifer

Like most families, we have some holiday traditions that withstand changes in life.  Changes like moving. This year was no different.  Every year, on Christmas Eve, after dinner and church, we put on our jammies, jump on the couch and read Twas the Night Before Christmas. At this point, the kids know most of the words and can read it along with us.  We are so blessed by these four precious gifts and amazed that we have been given the privilege of being able to raise and teach them.
I hope your family enjoyed the traditions and gifts of Christmas.  We are enjoying all of ours.


They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:1-23

We are enjoying our winter break and our Christmas presents from Grandma Peggy and Papa Gary.  Snowshoes!  Merry 

Christmas from our trail to yours.

(somehow, Sam missed being in front of the camera)

Merry Christmas.

Jennifer

I must admit that I am feeling a bit homesick today.

 I am missing my family. I am missing my friends.  I am missing the usual routine of the Christmas season.  I am missing my church family.  I am missing my morning run with my super duper running buddy.  I am missing the wildlife (I know, right, I haven’t even seen a bunny).  I am missing the fabric store.  I am missing my neighbors right across the street.  I am pretty much missing my life.

A very wise woman once told me that a pity party is no fun because it is only a party for one.  I am the only one at my pity party today.  I guess I better get up off the couch, put the Christmas cookies away, take off this old FHS sweatshirt from 1992 and get moving.

Today is the first day that I have really felt sad about moving.  We are so blessed and grateful for this move. Living here rocks and  I do love it.  But today I am missing all the familiars just a bit.

I keep telling the kids that even when something (school, routine, friendship)  looks different, it doesn’t mean that it is bad.  Just a different kind of good.  Maybe I should be taking my own advice.

Chin up, Jennifer.  Life is good.

***What we have been up to.

It has been a crazy month. Isn’t December always a crazy time and it blows by so fast?  It is a mystery to me.  It is so hard to believe that Christmas is only a week and a half away.  No matter how much we try and enjoy the season, it seems to speed by in a flash of red and green.
So…..here are some pics from the last couple weeks.  Warning: these pictures are *SOOTC. No editing was involved in the making of this blog post.

* Straight out of the camera.

Scott’s parents are here visiting for a week.  They got to see the stores today and check out the kids’ school.  Last night we attended the school holiday program.  It was very cute and so worth the third row seats.  I, of course, still had on my crazy parent hat on and got to the school gym 25 minutes early to get some decent seats while all the other parents came strolling in at the suggested time and got their seats with no worry. I gotta lose this hat, like seriously throw it in a ditch full of snow. Oh! Did I mention it is snowing?  We love snow.

I hope you are all having a fantastic and blessed Christmas season.
Love, Jennifer

Our annual hunt for THE Christmas tree started out really well. We were actually hunting for two trees this year, a large one for the basement and a smaller one for the front window.  We found the smaller one pretty quickly but the hunt for the daddy tree went on longer than four kids can handle.  After quite a few tears and a stop back at the car to warm up hands and toes, THE tree was found.  Alice and Scott did the honors of cutting it down.  We hauled both of the trees on top of the car and headed home (well, Scott hauled them on top of the car but I was there to take pictures and moral support so I am going with WE).  Here are a few of the many (113 to be exact) pictures I snapped.

I hope you are having an awesome Saturday!
Much love, Jennifer