Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

It's no secret, I LOVE the snow!  I get so excited for a couple of things during the winter season: Starbucks red cups (then I know it's almost Christmas) and the snow.  God is amazing and the fact that each snowflake is different, baffles me.  They all look the same but yet they are all different.  The last couple of years I wasn't able to ski as much as I would have liked because of being pregnant and then there just wasn't much snow.  This year, we're off to a great start in the snow department (although as I write this all our snow has just melted:( ).  When I ski, I'm surrounded by God's beauty.  The nature, the hills, the gorgeous trees frozen over with snow.  I can just stare at the vast beauty God has given us.  Last Thursday Nicole, dad and I went skiing and you could see Spirit Lake from the top of the chair lift and the best part was the fog above the the lake; it was just floating mid air.  It was truly amazing.  

The day after Thanksgiving we had quite a bit of snow from earlier in the week.  We were worried that Uncle Joe might not get to come in from LA but he made it!  The snow continued to fall and it was just gorgeous.  I had bought Hudson a one piece snow suit earlier this summer at a garage sale.  It was quite the tedious task to get it on him.  You can watch this long, drawn out video of me shoving Hudson in his snow suit.  Uncle Joe thought it would be funny to film the whole thing instead of helping me!

Despite the struggles to get the snow suit on, I was determined we were going to have fun.  Having a special ed. background, I've learned that sometimes you have to make a kid try something (maybe a few times) before you completely rule it out.  As I was putting my snow boots on in the garage, I set Hudson down.  Well, he couldn't stand (as seen in video) and performed a downward dog onto the cement garage floor.  He had a goose egg that was HUGE on his head.  Oh geez, could it get any worse?  So I put him in the sled and he wasn't happy!

 What are we doing mamma?

 Then I started to pull him around on my parents sidewalk.  They have a nice big driveway and walkway that made a nice track to pull Huddy on...but he still wasn't sure.

 "Come on Hudon, isn't this fun?!"  Can't you just hear  me saying this?  I totally was:).

 "The snow is the best!"

 He would just point at me and say "Mamma".

 "Here we go!"

 Saying hi to Nana and Uncle Joe under the patio.

 Now I"m starting to like it!

 Part of our "path". 

 Hudson started to say "Walk, walk" so I would get him out and ask him if he wanted to walk.  Which of course he couldn't with his HUGE snowsuit.  What he meant was for me to walk and pull him.  He loved it!  We went and got the mail with Papa and created a new track.  That was fun too. 

 

Papa never misses out on a Hudson activity!  

Hudson loves to sled and often says "outside".  He defiantly enjoyed himself after the tears, pushing and shoving him into his snow suit, and getting over the big bump on his head.  Mamma can make anything fun, right?!  Ha!

I'm so THANKFUL!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year because I force myself to slow down and reflect on what we are truly blessed with.  At the end of October, our we received a letter from Compassion about our sponsor children to donate an extra $20 to give them for Christmas.  My first reaction was no because we give so much monthly but Jared kindly reminded me that last time we donated it provided the family with a goat and food for a month.  I quickly changed my mind and realized how much we truly have.  I admit I can be a bit...materialistic but I'm slowly starting to realize what is truly important and how much we are blessed with.  

Thanksgiving morning started with the usual playing inside the ottoman:)

Then we celebrated Papa's birthday which is the 23rd.  My mother-in-law has the same birthday ironically and I've always wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with both of them but it has yet to happen.  Maybe one day:)  We bought Papa some Whitworth Football attire!

Hudson got his own too!

Hudson loved re-reading the card Uncle Joe gave Papa.  Let's just say it was very Priest Lakeish.

As always, there were snuggles and giggles with Papa.

Then there was the traditional visit from Margie...

Then it was time for a quick lunch before the big Feast-his expressions just crack me up!

Using his spoon-he's so proud!

Then it was time for our feast-the gang

From left to right: 

Hudson, Aunt Kiki, Gpa, Gigi, Uncle Joe, Nanna, Dadda, & Papa

Hudson, ready to eat!

Thanksgiving prayers

The Haaks

Afterwards, Hudson was full of energy and ready to burn off some of his carbs.  So he was "running" all around.  His new trick was to step up and down the mantle of the fireplace.  He thought he was pretty hot stuff.  He would clap when he would step up and he expected us to clap too.  What a nut who loves the lime light.  I wonder he gets that from?:)

Hudson has started to say "poopy".  Sometimes he legitimately has a poopy; other times its just a little flatulence or a wet diaper.  Needless to say, he is starting to acknowledge when he goes or needs a change which I heard is the first step to potty training, YEAH!

Uncle Joe, reading

Last but not least, a little play time with Gigi.  Hudson loves his cash register.  He loves the number 9.  When he pushes it, it says "number nine is so fine, its a circle on a line".  I found myself repeating this at school when our number of the week was 9.  His favorite numbers so far are 0, 8, and 9.  My favorite saying is "It's the sale of the century!"  This doesn't please Jared but I find it humorous! 

 

Each and every year, I have more to be thankful for.  This past 1 1/2 with Hudson has brought out more emotion, compassion, and understanding in me.  I'm thankful for these emotions and for my family, immediate and extended who bring them out in me.  I'm thankful for each and everyone of you!!!  Thank you for being part of our lives.  

Veterans Day 2010

Working every day, M-F was never my ideal if I was to work part time.  I would have loved a job share where I work 3 days one week, 2 days the next.  Since that didn't happen, I make my situation work.  I do like working for only a few hours per day, versus long days.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE days off.  Every Thursday (and Friday) my mom (Nana) watches Hudson and takes him to breakfast with my grandparents at Holman Gardens, a retirement center (they moved up here in July).  I never get to do this b/c I work but Veterans Day I was able too.  

Breakfast at Holman Gardens

Gpa, Gigi. Huddy, & me

Hudson's favorite activity at Gigi & Gpas is walking up and down the halls with his train.  He likes to look at every family's entry way.  They decorate their entry ways for the seasons so Hudson learned new words like: turkey, scarecrow, owl, etc. 

Every time we're there, he has a blast.  Gigi and Gpa love seeing their one and only 

grandson and he sure loves them.  We're so glad they moved up here!!!

Cornstalk

He likes to get his train going on the ramps-he thinks he is pretty hot stuff:).

Since it was my day off, I packed in as much as possible!  Then we were off to The Flinns to make some applesauce and can it.  Darlene is Geri's mom, one of my childhood and best friends.  I love the Flinn family so much.  They are always so loving, caring, and nurturing when you need it!  

I have always been an applesauce coneseur, espeically when it came to Darlene's.  When we could go camping with the family, Darlene would bring 1 quart of applesauce for Steve, Geri, and her and I would get my own.  It was, and is, one of the best presents you can give me:).  So I decided it was

time to learn to make my own and Darlene had a free afternoon as well.

She was kind enough to make some jam too, which she is stirring on the stove below.

The way we made it was:

1.  Cut up the apples

 

 

2.  Put the cut up apples in a pot on the stove with cinnamon and a pinch of salt-cook.

Jam, mmm!

Jam in jars, even better!

3.  Mash apples

That's right, two pots going!!!

Now there is four!

Finished jam

4.  Pour cooked apples into grinder

5.  Grind out the sauce

As I grinded out the sauce, Darlene canned.  Hudson napped for most of the afternoon and then woke up to play with some lids and rings:).  I love the how the cheap, free things are the most entertainment to a toddler.

Thanks Darlene for a fabulous day and passing on a tradition of the world's best applesauce!