We have been singing this song at our house for the past month, especially Grace and Henry...and Britta...
Today while playing in the snow, Grace threw up little handfuls of snow while singing "Let it go, Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore. Let it go, Let it go, I'm the perfect girl to know!"
My dish washing gloves are almost the same color as Elsa's gloves in the above video. Grace puts them on and tells us she's hiding her magic and has to wear the gloves so we don't all freeze. She insists we call her Elsa.
On a doodle iPod app, Grace created a picture of Olaf and made sure we all knew that she had created Olaf the snowman, just like Elsa.
We saw the movie just after Thanksgiving and Grace still has a very vivid memory of the story. She tells us all about it when she's in her Elsa mode. She tells us about her ice castle and how she made it.
It's fun. We like the movie. Go see it if you haven't yet.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
My Grandpa is pretty cool.
In December, my Grandpa Steve had his 90th birthday. Naturally, we threw him a party!
My mom designed a program with music and stories about his life. It was really neat to relearn, with added details, the stories that make up my family's history.
My Grandpa's war service stories are phenomenal. He was a paratrooper in an Airborne unit, a very elite position. He was dropped behind enemy lines and spent a harrowing night in the basement of a German occupied house where they threw hand grenades down the stairs to kill him, but he survived thanks to the unevenness of the floor. During the Battle of the Bulge, he was assigned to scout ahead of his unit to draw fire, essentially used as bait. (Fortunately, Gen George Patton and his tanks made an impossible, completely unauthorized and reckless dash to capture the bridge at Remaugen before it could be blown up by the Germans, so he didn't end up scouting.) His unit was the longest serving unit in front-line duty of any unit in the war. He fought in Italy and France and served on occupation duty in Berlin for six months.
But there is so much more to this man. I didn't even learn most of the military stories until I was an adult. I knew Grandpa, the creative genius, the engineer, the geology enthusiast, the gift giver, the inventor, Santa Claus, the man who would do anything for his family and friends, giving up the shirt off his back if it was needed. He's a generous man with an amazing history. I wish I could share his awesomeness with the world. I guess that's why I'm posting this blog. I'm so proud to be a part of his family.
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| Me and Grandpa Steve dressed in military garb. |
My mom designed a program with music and stories about his life. It was really neat to relearn, with added details, the stories that make up my family's history.
My Grandpa's war service stories are phenomenal. He was a paratrooper in an Airborne unit, a very elite position. He was dropped behind enemy lines and spent a harrowing night in the basement of a German occupied house where they threw hand grenades down the stairs to kill him, but he survived thanks to the unevenness of the floor. During the Battle of the Bulge, he was assigned to scout ahead of his unit to draw fire, essentially used as bait. (Fortunately, Gen George Patton and his tanks made an impossible, completely unauthorized and reckless dash to capture the bridge at Remaugen before it could be blown up by the Germans, so he didn't end up scouting.) His unit was the longest serving unit in front-line duty of any unit in the war. He fought in Italy and France and served on occupation duty in Berlin for six months.
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| All the cousins, minus 3, with Grandpa. |
But there is so much more to this man. I didn't even learn most of the military stories until I was an adult. I knew Grandpa, the creative genius, the engineer, the geology enthusiast, the gift giver, the inventor, Santa Claus, the man who would do anything for his family and friends, giving up the shirt off his back if it was needed. He's a generous man with an amazing history. I wish I could share his awesomeness with the world. I guess that's why I'm posting this blog. I'm so proud to be a part of his family.
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| The whole party. |
Monday, January 06, 2014
This is how we do it.
I feel like the whole country is frozen down. We went outside today for about 2 minutes. Scott had the great idea of watching bubbles freeze in the sub-zero temps, but the wind was too gusty and they all blew away. On top of that, we have just come off a couple massive snow storms.
Let's zoom out for context. This is on our front sidewalk. That huge pile of snow on the left is the exit to our driveway. Luckily we're neighbors to a small business parking lot so we can maneuver, kind of.
School was cancelled today for snow and tomorrow for wind chills at -40 below or colder. Scott went in to work today for six hours and only two patients showed up. There was only one staff member who made it to the office besides him and the doctor.
We're kind of going stir-crazy. The phrase from the Christmas song keeps going through my head: "...and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again." I miss my routine.
However, we are managing to keep our sanity. On a cold, snowy, homebound day, it's really refreshing to create a terrarium. We made a little home for Venus Fly Trap Peterson, as Grace has named it. It's recommended for VFTs to be in indirect light so the terrarium doesn't heat up too much. However, today it was so cold it made me happy to leave it in the sun for a little while, then open it up, hover my face over the top, and smell the humid, warm dirt.
Isn't that yellow bench in the sun just so warm and happy? I think VFT Peterson enjoyed it, too.
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| Grace was a little cold. |
Let's zoom out for context. This is on our front sidewalk. That huge pile of snow on the left is the exit to our driveway. Luckily we're neighbors to a small business parking lot so we can maneuver, kind of.
School was cancelled today for snow and tomorrow for wind chills at -40 below or colder. Scott went in to work today for six hours and only two patients showed up. There was only one staff member who made it to the office besides him and the doctor.
We're kind of going stir-crazy. The phrase from the Christmas song keeps going through my head: "...and Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again." I miss my routine.
However, we are managing to keep our sanity. On a cold, snowy, homebound day, it's really refreshing to create a terrarium. We made a little home for Venus Fly Trap Peterson, as Grace has named it. It's recommended for VFTs to be in indirect light so the terrarium doesn't heat up too much. However, today it was so cold it made me happy to leave it in the sun for a little while, then open it up, hover my face over the top, and smell the humid, warm dirt.
Isn't that yellow bench in the sun just so warm and happy? I think VFT Peterson enjoyed it, too.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Saturday, January 04, 2014
Christmas Morning 2013
I've lacked motivation to take casual photos lately. My camera stayed stashed in it's case for our whole Christmas vacation. Luckily, Scott captured a few clips from Christmas morning on his iPod.
Friday, January 03, 2014
You know you live in a small town when... (continued)
...The only snowplow you see is a pick-up truck. And you live in Michigan.
...You can stand in the middle of downtown and smell the cows on the farm.
...You can't find what you're shopping for at Walmart so you're out of options.
...The only coffee shop in town is at the back of an old church, and since it's not a legal restaurant, it's on a donations only system.
...You call the town hall to ask a question about yard waste pickup and the guy who answers the phone is the guy who picks up the yard waste.
...You can stand in the middle of downtown and smell the cows on the farm.
...You can't find what you're shopping for at Walmart so you're out of options.
...The only coffee shop in town is at the back of an old church, and since it's not a legal restaurant, it's on a donations only system.
...You call the town hall to ask a question about yard waste pickup and the guy who answers the phone is the guy who picks up the yard waste.
Thursday, January 02, 2014
My Flea Has Dogs!
In the past month or two we have discovered a new musician that everyone in our family enjoys. Seriously! How often does that happen?! Even Scott made the effort to download the songs and make a playlist that we could listen to during our 10 hour car ride. We listened to it 3 times!
So, with no more ado, please enjoy this, one of our favorite songs, from Caspar Babypants:
He has at least six children's albums with about 20 songs each. Besides "My Flea Has Dogs" we also get frequent requests for "Stompy the Bear" and "Butterfly Driving a Truck." If you have kids 6 and under, we highly recommend his songs. He's a very talented musician. It helps that he lead the band Presidents of the United States of America from the early 90's with familiar songs like "Peaches" and "Video Killed the Radio Star." What luck that he now does kid-friendly music!
So, with no more ado, please enjoy this, one of our favorite songs, from Caspar Babypants:
He has at least six children's albums with about 20 songs each. Besides "My Flea Has Dogs" we also get frequent requests for "Stompy the Bear" and "Butterfly Driving a Truck." If you have kids 6 and under, we highly recommend his songs. He's a very talented musician. It helps that he lead the band Presidents of the United States of America from the early 90's with familiar songs like "Peaches" and "Video Killed the Radio Star." What luck that he now does kid-friendly music!
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
In 2014 I will...
Create a sustainable routine for cleaning my house.
Continue reading the Old Testament along with the Institute Manual in my daily study... hopefully finishing it.
Write up a proposal for a community center that will improve the quality of life in my community.
Consciously create more.
Waste less time online.
Blog every day this week :)
What are you going to do?
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