Week 76

 Dear Scott,

Texas had it rough last week.  They're calling it "Snowmageddon 2021"--when there was plenty of toilet paper, but no water to flush with...  We were extremely blessed throughout, though. 

Tuesday--more snow fell during the night on top of icy roads; school cancelled (this day and the rest of the week).  Much of the new parts of the neighborhood began rolling blackouts (20 minutes on 20 minutes off), but not us.  Spent most of the day indoors, reading and watching movies.  Joseph's family was without power at all--48 hours total.

Wednesday--temperatures fell lower.  Even though it was single digit temps, the wind wasn't blowing, so I spent a couple hours shovelling snow, for exercise and to prevent ice build up.  The pond froze; we broke bits off the edge and skidded it across the surface, dodging geese and ducks--such a cool noise.  Still had power, though many lost it completely and pipes were in danger of freezing.  Filled our tub with water, just in case.

Thursday--more snow fell during the night.  Had our first blackouts, but only for 20 minute stretches, about 5 times through the day (once while cooking dinner).  Went on long walks in the morning and in the evening.  (No such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices--right??  Don't fully agree, but when the sky isn't precipitating and the wind isn't blowing, it can be OK.)  Lots of playing outside.  Local roads have been icy and unplowed/unsalted all week, though freeways were decent.

Friday--finally climbed above freezing, and many people through the state had water pipes begin leaking.  Thankfully we didn't have any breaks.  Roads became slushy.  Front entryway the collection zone for all boots, hats, gloves, tubes, scarves, etc that had been used all week.  Last chance to play!  Dad and I left in the afternoon to go to Fort Worth for a Valentine's Day overnighter at a Bed and Breakfast.

Saturday--yummy waffles for breakfast!  Discovered Fort Worth was under boil water orders, so lots of places were closed.  Slow-motion slipped on ice in front of a closed museum (could have been lots worse--just felt myself losing balance and sat down).  Made our way to the Stockyards.  Had amazing lunch (steak and ribs), saw the longhorns and the shoot-out show.  Drove around Fort Worth and headed home--no snow or ice on the roads anywhere, and no leaks at our house.  Such a blessing.  Found where milk was being sold and got a couple gallons.  Most other groceries were available, in limited quantities.

Sunday-- back up into the 40s!  Tiny piles of slush left; otherwise back to normal--except for those dealing with broken pipes and limited groceries.  Able to go to church; Emma had mission prep.  Went to the Matheneys to play games in the afternoon.

Monday-- back to school.  Had the air conditioner on while driving.

This experience, along with the pandemic, has really opened my eyes as to how we can better prepare for disasters.  There is plenty of food, but when we panic buy, and when the supply chain is cut off due to icy roads, and stores have to throw food away due to black outs, things can run out really fast.  I am grateful for the council to prepare.  We didn't have to tap into our reserves this time, but I was comfortable knowing it was there.  Faith over fear.

It was so good to hear from you.  We love hearing about your experiences in Chile.  Hopefully your new quarantine won't last too long--it sounds very restrictive, but the Lord has a plan and will make it known.  Faith over fear.

Love,

Mom

Week 75

 Dear Scott,

I missed writing last week because I didn't take any pictures, and we all know if there aren't any pictures, it didn't happen.  (Or something like that.)  We're glad you made it to Chile and finished your quarantine there, and now can start on your third (fourth?) leg of your mission!

We got our mini-renovation of the bathroom done--new paint, mirror, towel, rug, and plant (fake).  I like how it turned out!  The best part is the paint is washable.  (100% necessary for a heavily used-by-kids bathroom.)

Last Saturday was Scouting for Food, and also dentist appointments that I had set up for all our kids six months ago, and also an online merit badge class for Tessa.  Dad took Benson and the girls around the neighborhood until the appointments, and Tessa did the class with a friend.  Good news at the dentist--no cavities!  Well, until Tessa had her appointment on Monday.  Benson got his retainer glued back on and Caytie got a sealant replaced.  Fun stuff.

On Wednesday we got our new fridge delivered, and we really, really like it.  (New fridge again??  Yes.  First World problems: our last new fridge [from about a year ago] was so poorly designed that it was driving me nuts.  We sold our chest freezer from the garage and stuck the old new fridge in its place.)  There is a water dispenser inside the fridge door and an ice maker in the freezer, and there's SO much more space in the fridge, but a little less in the freezer.  Unfortunately there is a dent in the door, so they are going to come replace it.  Sometime.

Caytie has been working on an art project of painting with coffee.  I think it turned out pretty well.  Good use for coffee, anyway!

Gracie also had some artwork in a competition, and got 4's (out of 4) on both pieces. They weren't chosen for State, but she's happy because she's earned a letter for a letter jacket now.

School was cancelled on Thursday after we had some freezing rain during the night that coated the streets in a thin layer of ice.  It was nice of the district to make it a snow day instead of a remote learning day, so we took it super easy and watched movies, played games, read books, and stayed warm.  It had melted enough to be able to have school on Friday, much to Benson's delight, so he could have his Valentine's party at school.  Dad helped him make Thor's hammer as a Valentine box.

The kids have been enamored with our unusually cold winter weather.  We got a few icicles on Saturday as things finished melting, but the temps dropped into the teens overnight, with icy snow again, so church was cancelled on Sunday. It made for a very cozy Valentine's Day together.  I made heart-shaped cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and we had some candy and notes from each other in our little Valentine jars.  I had a Relief Society Zoom call, which was nice, and for our church lesson each of us shared a scripture about love.

Tiny icicle!

(Tried to get milk on Saturday--this was the selection at Walmart!)

Bird footprints in the snow

Footprint snow turned into a snowman!  The snow is super dry, so it doesn't really pack.

Dad wasn't feeling well for most of the day, but he got dressed up for church. ☺

Monthly family phone call with my siblings!

The snow and the temperatures kept falling, so today we have about 3-4 inches of snow (average--there are some deep drifts from the wind) and the temps are single digits.  It's supposed to stay below freezing all week, and snow some more.  School is already cancelled for tomorrow.  Dad took the kids out by the pond to tube, but the kids hadn't layered enough and were FROZEN.  They came home and warmed up a bit, and they went out again after lunch.  I'll share more of his pictures next week, as I'm sure we'll be adding to them each day.

We love you, Scott!  Stay safe and healthy and happy and helpful!

Love,

Mom

Week 73

 Dear Scott,

This was a quiet-ish week, as all good last-week-of-Januarys should be.  I think I can think of a few things to report...

The city utilities started digging up at the top of our yard and across the street.  I'm hoping we'll have less of a giant puddle on our corner now, but time will tell!

Emma and Gracie had remote school on Tuesday, due to the PSAT being given to the freshmen.  They got their work done early and we were able to go out to lunch together after my preschool class, before I took Gracie to a dermatology appointment and then to do a little shopping for Sister Rose.  I do miss my little babies all around the house, but I love being with the people you all are growing into.

Benson has been spending a lot of time with his new friend Cameron, mainly because his mom is proactive in inviting Benson over.  Cameron just joined the Cub Scout den, which they're excited about.  Benson is also really good friends with the pack of boys his age in our neighborhood, and we rarely see him between school and dinner, unless they all choose to play here.

I had a preschool Ladybug Picnic on Thursday.  I like it because we get to release all the bugs we've been observing through the month (crickets [which had mostly died already], mealworms, and nightcrawlers).  They're interesting, but I don't like keeping them in my kitchen for long.

On Friday Dad took Tessa, Caytie, and Gracie camping with their troop at Lavonia Park.  They had a really nice evening, they say, but during the night, the wind picked up and it started sprinkling.  They woke up damp, but wanted to get their cooking requirements done, so after packing up their tents, they made pancakes and eggs just as it started to downpour.  They came home wet, cold, tired, and, for the most part, happy.  Emma, Benson and I, meanwhile enjoyed a lovely evening of movies and sleeping in warm beds...

On Sunday I started an Emotional Resilience self reliance pilot program, as our Stake RS president is facilitating it and wants someone from each ward to attend.  I'm excited to learn from it, but the online format is not my favorite for this type of class.  Oh, well--it may end up better than I expect.

Well, we are praying for your health to continue and for the borders of Chile to remain open so your trip on Thursday can actually happen!  Make sure you wave to us from above on your way!  And if for some reason you don't get to go, know that the Lord is still in charge and the church is still true, and it's OK to be sad, and Oregon is a beautiful place to spend the winter.

We love you!!!

Love,

Mom

Some bonus pics--Watkins is getting some major additions, so they let all the kids sign some sheetrock before it was hung.  Here's the one for 3rd grade--Benson signed waaaaaay down at the bottom.

Sometimes when the kids are SOOOOOO bored, they can be convinced to use some of their non-screen things, like Benson's science kit, with which Gracie made a foaming pink volcano.