summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Thursday, December 19, 2019

eight degrees! (-13.3c)...with a bit of snow, and some wind?

And this isn't even the midwest! A few years back, when Mirielle and I drove across the country, I remember pumping gas in maybe Iowa, brr! In any case, it's cold here right now. The snow crunches underfoot. It looks pretty though!

So yesterday, Jonathan and I tried to get out and about and get some Christmastime groceries, find a Secret Santa gift for one of the kids who wasn't able to do it, and stop at the auto parts store to get something for fixing his four wheeler. The sun was shining on the snow when we left. I knew the forecast, snow was coming, so we TRIED to hurry. We were a good 40 minutes from home, although it's only 20 miles. So we went to Aldi first...avocados, chicken (boneless thighs for 85 cents a pound!), heavy cream, butter ($1.99 a pound for butter!), Brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, chocolate, eggs...a good cartful.

Then Target, where we walked around in circles, me not wanting to leave until we checked off the items on our list, wanting to hurry to get home before the snow started falling, but not wanting to have to go shopping again before Christmas. We were in line when someone commented that it was snowing. Dang, I had wanted to beat it. Target is to the east of us, so we would have to drive home right into the wind, and when that wind contains snow that is coming 1 to 2 inches an hour, it's not fun.

We stopped for gas, then at the auto parts store, and made our way home. I wouldn't call it treacherous, although it was for a bit here and there, in places where the snow just blows across the road, and there were a few whiteouts. The car in front of us didn't have it's lights on, and I couldn't believe how many vehicles passed us with no lights on. It was hard to see! This was in daylight, I'm glad it wasn't at night!


Home, ah home. We finished up some gift wrapping, then started in on frosting those cookies. Sonja started dinner while we were still frosting and sprinkling, Jonathan helped her. Taco beef, Jasmine rice, fresh cilantro, tomatoes, green peppers, cheese, sour cream, black olives, tortillas or wraps. It was a nice yummy cozy dinner.

It was a nice cozy night. No one could go anywhere, things were cancelled because of the weather. I texted my girls and made sure they all made it home from work safely, they did. So we had all the Christmas lights on, and watched, "Eloise at Christmas", which I HIGHLY recommend! "Eloise at the Plaza" was a favorite of the kids when they were little. Eloise (based on the books), is precocious, spunky, but funny and cute and kind. Julie Andrews played Nanny, and was just golden. It was the perfect movie, even Paul watched it.

Today's agenda: get this house cleaned, find the Christmas stockings...I am planning to fill stockings for only the five kids still at home, but maybe I'll fill 13 stocking. (Aaron and Kathryn and Samuel: sorry, I am not mailing them.


I got distracted looking at old pictures...ten years ago, this was our family...living at home, all 18 of us. The five boys and eleven girls. Now it's just Jonathan, Suzanne, Sonja K., Charlotte Claire, and Camille. I can't even think of how it'll be in ten more years! Cam will be 22...oh dear! And the one of Paul and I when we were young, ha!

This is just one of my favorites...when Mali had just had Lydia, and her nice brother Aaron came for a visit. Aaron is an R.N., and was working, thus the scrubs and stethoscope. He lives in California now, but he and Mali were very close growing up.


And this one, so random, but Camille was/is so cute, and Suri is the best Labrador, isn't her face just the cutest?


And that's it for today!

6 comments:

Linda said...

Same weather here in Hornell, hey, its December, righttttttttt????? I so enjoy looking at others photos, thank you for the smiles. Umm, how did it get 6 days to Christmas???? wow...smiles

Have a great day friend. siles

Rose Sperlonga said...

Oh you are a braver sole than me in snow! Especially that kind of blinding snow! But to be honest, I'd rather drive in snow then fog! I don't do well in fog. Glad you guys made it home safely.

You have so many kids that are in the medical field. Is there a reason they gravitated to the professions? What drove them to it? I know a random question. I'm a curious person! lol

Happy almost Merry Christmas!
Rose

Billie Jo said...

What an adventure!
Glad you got so much accomplished, and then home safely.
Your dinner sounds delicious, very much like one of our favorites.
We just put everything in a bowl, and call it chicken bowls! LOL
Enjoy your week, my friend!

Cheryl said...

I thought I was going to beat the weather yesterday, too!! It was still sunny and clear when I left my last store.. then on the way home I hit the CURTAIN! I was coming from the South. It was really odd and very treacherous! A lot of people received alerts on their phones.. I did not. But I prayed.

16 blessings'mom said...

Linda, Christmas seemed SO far away for so long, then boom. And the weather makes it hard to get those last minute things done.
Rose, I hate driving in fog too. There is a stretch along route 81 through Pennsylvania, it's like driving with a blindfold on sometimes. Blinding snow is rough, but when it's slippery too, ugh. So Emily, our oldest, decided to go to nursing school as she was always interested in medicine. She was with me for the births of the younger kids in the family. She kept going to school, for the four year, then the master's degree, she really wanted to diagnose and prescribe. She loves it. Mariel (I call her Mirielle on the blog, it's a deal she made with me if I were to mention her, back when she was younger) is working towards her master's degree too, she wants to go into teaching. Aaron is supposed to be going back to school while working as a nurse, to be a nurse anesthetist. Molly is also a registered nurse. Why? I am not sure. Maybe the two years of school, then a good paying job. If you land a job at a state hospital, they will pay for continuing education. Maybe it's because they are so used to doing ten things at once, working under pressure, and having chaos in their lives, ha. In any case, they certainly are compassionate.
Billie Jo, it's always such a relief to pull into the driveway after a stressful trip home. And yes to chicken bowls! It's just easy all in one bowl!
Cheryl, I know! It was so sunny, so beautiful, but cold and windy. Then, it was like the sun was blotted out! There were a few really rough moments. I also prayed. And was very thankful to make it home.

Susan said...

I love the photos Della but my favorite is the one of you and Paul. Wow, he sure had a head full of curls!
♥️♥️♥️