Snowstorm Rocky, a Birthday, and Wine

Come on, I know you're trying to decide whether to click on Boy George or not...Go ahead and do it...Get it over with...

It's been a crazy, busy last 10 days.  Our little man turned three!  I flew to San Antonio to visit my sister.  We've entertained the 2nd worst blizzard snowstorm (Rocky) in our Panhandle history--or US history (I make that statement of 2nd hand knowledge told to me by my husband...)--the most dumped in a 12 hour period or something like that--So I've been told anyway. I'm not sure how much we got--17-18" inches?? maybe more??  (You know you're in the big time when the Weather Channel talks about you! LOL  I had no idea that they named winter storms now...)

We're currently on our 2nd snow day of cancelled school.  We have good 4 foot drifts in our yard thanks to the 50 mph winds during the snow dumping of 2013.  Thankfully we only lost our electricity for about an hour.  It was the first time our girls have been through the despair of not having Thomas Edison's invention at their beckon call. 
"Oh Momma! It's a great day to watch movies all day."  Sorry, can't do that.  "How about some hot chocolate?"  How about some cold chocolate?  "Can we play our DS's?" Not if they are not already charged... It was a sobering reality for them. 

This morning the three little ones and the one big one are venturing out to make a snowman family.  We have enough to build the Duggars.

My weekend in San Antonio was met with wonderful 70-75 degree weather.  We hit the vineyards for some wine tasting on Friday.  Contrary to what you may be thinking, it was very, very educational. Really.  I found out that port is nasty--no matter who makes it.  I verified what I had already known--that I don't like red wine.  I stayed in the white sweet wines.  Reisling is very very tasty.  I can also see why one might require the service of a limo after visiting south Texas's wine country. Had we ventured to a third winery, we might have needed a limo ourselves. My sister tells me it's the #2 wine country in the USA.  We ate at the Pink Pig and then ventured into Fredricksburg for some over priced shopping. 

All was well until my sister forced me to listen to her Culture Club CD on the way home.   Kristin has always been a European music band junkie.  She was a card carrying member of Duran Duran (who knows..she might secretly still be one...).  Listening to Boy George took me back to my freshman year in high school.  Unfortunately, I still remembered the words and probably sang out of tune to Karma Chameleon on the way home.  She says she draws the line at Elton John, but I figure if she likes Wham! she's got to be a closet Elton fan as well.  (Please click on the above video for stirring 80s music flashblack for all you 40 year olds!)

Here are some pictures of Andrei's birthday party and our snow storm. 

Yes, parts of our yard are bare of snow.





Wanting to have nothing to do wit blowing out his candles.

Enjoying his cake!

There's Hail, and then there's HAIL!

Oh my goodness! Our "little" hail storm made some serious national headlines!! This happened about 20 miles or so from where we live earlier this week. It was crazy!  I've been around hail that seriously covered the ground several inches deep, but I've never seen anything like this before!

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/texas-hail-mud-mix-drifts-were-waist-shoulder-155019237.html

Sub Zero Temps

While putting together Andrei's 2 year old video, I came across this picture we had taken while in Krasnoyarsk.  Nearly half of our stay involved days of -20 to -32; we would watch the weather for days near zero and plan multi-block walking for those! They had one warm up of a big 27 degrees while we were there.  HEAVEN ARRIVED THAT DAY!!  I noticed it was -2 in Kras yesterday; a warm up from their -30 of two weeks ago.   Our translator had told us that the school kids go as long as the temps are -34 and above.  Once it gets -35, school is cancelled for the day. (Or something like that.  Anyway...it had to be unbelievably cold for a holiday!)  I am quite jealous of those who got to take their trips during the summer months!!
This is a picture of the door to our apartment complex building.  This is the interior side.  We could always tell how cold it was each morning by the size of the ice crystals.  I had always been a bit nostalgic about going to Russia in the winter, but seriously, I have never, ever felt anything that cold before.

In Case You Were Wondering...

It snowed! Actually, it is currently snowing.  We've gotten at least 4 glorious inches so far---wet, beautiful, thirst quenching snow! It was 86 two days ago and snow today!  Love the Panhandle! :) And as if I needed icing on the cake, we're supposed to have a hard freeze tomorrow morning which means death to the flies!!! Whoo Hoo!

Kennedi gets up this morning, and the first thing she says to me is, "Mom, you're a genius!!!"  Of course, I realize that I am and have been for quite some time now, but I probe her for more information. It is always important to validate your said beliefs.  "Why do you say that Honey?" With her 5 year old eyes wild with excitement she says, "Because you said it was going to snow and it did!!!" 

Yes, I'm at the top of the pinnacle today.  At least by 5 year old standards...just in case you were wondering where I stood... 

We had to take a break from schooling this morning...the snow was calling out their names, and we weren't getting alot accomplished...

Sporting their Russian knit caps we bought for them when we were in Krasnoyarsk.

Aren't they just the cutest things??!! (After the fashion show, they promptly ditched them in favor of "softer" head gear--whatever that means...)

Watching the excitement forlornly from the door.  I wish  I may, I wish I might...Come on Mom...have a heart! That's my kind of country out there!! :)

High Waters

We have rain!! Beautiful, cool, rain!  It started last night on our way home from church and rained all night long.  So far we have had 1/2" inch. I know that is minuscule compared to what some of you get, but that is a big hallelujah when you've had about 2 inches total rain for the year!!! I couldn't drag myself out of bed this morning. My alarm went off at 5:30, and I heard the rain pitter patter on our porch's tin roof, and I just couldn't roll out. I just couldn't.  I tried.  Really.  I did roll over and shut off my alarm though. I made it that far.  Would you agree that there isn't anything better than listening to rain and snoozing?  It's gotta be one of my top ten gifts from God.  I know I could be happy in Seattle.

Today's high is predicted to be 55.  Two weeks ago we were nearly 100 after a record summer of 50+ days over 100 degree heat.   Due to this overnight "fluke" temperature, I haven't yet gotten down the kids' next size fall and winter clothes from the attic.  They all had to wear jeans in their closet that were left over from this early spring.  They are prepared should our disparaged and water ravished grounds become so overly saturated that flooding will shortly ensue...

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry setting a new standard in jean attire this season.