beautiful, beautiful snow!

This is taken from my chair, this fine morning. I had to get up extra early to shovel the driveway, because Lydia was coming by seven. The kids had a two hour school delay because of the snow.

It was still a little dark when I went out and found the shovel.
'




The Labs like the snow, but they also like coming in the house. They absolutely don't last long out there. Suri, the black one, sitting on the steps, with her hind quarters on the top one and her front paws on the lower one, and Sunny looking worried...


I am not exaggerating that I shoveled a foot deep of snow from the end of that driveway. The snowplow goes by and wham, lots of snow. Heavy snow, this time, too. The lake (Ontario) is still so warm, this cold air moves through and picks up all that moisture, and Lake Effect Snow!


Back in the house all warm and ready for coffee, and look how pretty the back yard is!

I got super chilly when I got back in the house, because I had worked up a sweat with the shoveling, blah, so I wrapped Lydia and me up in a blanket and had that hot coffee, cocoa for her.

So it looks Christmas-y in here, every window like a framed pic of winter's beauty. The branches are just LADEN with snow, and it keeps coming down.

I made a nice dinner last night, chuck roast...I dredged it in flour, salt, and pepper, then browned it up in olive oil on the stove top, then added it to: potatoes, carrots, and brussel sprouts which were tossed in olive oil. In a few hours, the house smelled yummy, and we had a good dinner. Oh, I also added a packed of brown gravy mix to the top of the whole thing...mmmm.

Tonight, I did not make dinner yet. I have lots of things to make, but today Anne was here, Ashley was here with Elise, and of course Lydia is here. So I haven't wandered into the kitchen and blah, decided what's for dinner. I mean, heck, I just made dinner LAST night, and I have to make it again? We never even finished all the turkey. And there's blueberry pie I have to throw away. That's sinful! I LOVE it, but decided I wasn't just going to keep eating pie every day, and now it's a week old anyway.

I could though, eat pie every day. Pumpkin for brekky, lemon for lunch, and maybe chocolate or blueberry for dinner. Coconut cream, for dessert. And apple on Sunday.

Whatever. Cutting out sugar is no fun, but alas, it's my life.

I've been doing online shopping. It's so fun to get the packages! The other day one arrived from Walmart, and the box was huge. Paul just raised his eyebrows, but it was one small thing in a huge box with tons of those big poppy bubbles. I've already wrapped some things, yay me! We did it yesterday, Char and Cam and Lydia and me.

Let's face it, 16 kids + spouses, five grand kids, and friends, it's a lot of stuff...even two things each. Then we do Secret Santa, and I have to help a few kids with that. It's fun, but sometimes it's a lot. Now throw in a Christmas feast at church, which I am buying the food for (80+ people), and helping with the cocoa/coffee bar and desserts, a Friday night cookie bake coming up, and then Mali is getting married! She's getting married December 12th at Ben and Ashley's house! I am making the cupcakes.

Kathryn's fiance is coming for a visit from Oregon soon (clean the house!), then Sam and Grace and baby Grant are coming again from Virginia, for Mali's wedding. (clean the house!). It's a busy season. We buy gifts for some of the kids at church, too, have to remember that. I make lists, and I check them twice, then I forget to bring them when I go to the store, ha. I am trying to keep track of what I have bought for whom, so far so good.

Having Lydia here every day is such a pleasure. She is excited about all the things that are getting meh for my little girls. She revels in the decorations and the candy canes! joy! Going outside to play in the snow!!! She was outside for an hour today, first with Kathryn, then with Charlotte Claire and Jonathan, she built a snowman with a carrot nose, as she tells everyone.

Little kids are joyful to have around because their joy is contagious. Lydia sings and twirls and chats, she cuddles and listens to stories, and follows me around. She helps me clean up, which shh, isn't always helpful, and she asks all day, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

She hides sometimes when Grandpa pulls into the driveway, and I have to tell him that he needs to look for someone. She shrieks in delight when he finds here hiding between the coffee table and the couch, in plain sight. Sometimes he walks in the door and she runs away yelling, "You can't catch me, Grandpa!", which is obviously an invitation. So it's joyful.

Right now Lydia is sitting on the couch with Suzanne eating Triscuits and reading a book, Anne is napping, the dogs are snoring and I have laundry to do, and dinner to make.

Tomorrow I have to take Suze to a dr. appointment, and get my passport renewed. Yay for passports, right!? Shh, I might just be going someplace warm....:)