The weather outside is frightful!

Oh the weather outside is frightful... 

But the fire is so delightful...

Okay, corny... But I couldn't help it! 

Those pictures are from this evening. 

Laura's friend, Claire, got stuck in the ditch...

Or, more like ran completely off the road.

The picture was taken after my family extended family went to get her out,

(including 1st and 2nd cousins) 

but her car was in the ditch down there.

We were parked on the side of the road, and the cars that went by would get stuck,

it was a bad, cold, uncomfortable, yet very entertaining situation.

We ended up staying for a while pushing slipping behind the other cars that were getting stuck...

Anyways, Big Daddy has a new truck that he thought was a "sissy" truck because it is a Toyota.

He got it because his Fords and Chevys broke, but he wasn't really satisfied with a Toyota.

Today he took it out to go get Laura's friend and tried it out in the snow.

"Trying it out," meaning...

We live on the mountain with huge hills that get very slick in snow.

One of the biggest hills on the mountain is called Van Duesan and Dad has previously

 slid down it in the snow with Laura.

So, after waiting 5 minutes for a car to slide down backwards, 

we flew up it at 40 mph.

We helped Claire and various other people, 

then my uncles and friends all got back in their cars to go back home (and down the big hill)

They followed us, and we waited again for about 10 minutes for a car to slide backwards down Van Duesen. Then Dad drove his new Tundra down the hill, about halfway down.

He then put the truck in reverse and gassed it backwards up the hill. 

Then he punched it, and we flew down the ice-covered hill at about 30-40 mph. 

I really wasn't nervous because the truck took the ice so well, it surprised me!

And I trust my Big Daddy. 

Everyone in our family except Mary was in Dad's truck.

Mary was behind us in another truck and said that she was afraid she would be the only 

one left alive in our family. But we made it just fine...

And Dad's "trying it out" apparently impressed him. 

He's thinking that his Toyota might no really be a sissy truck.

He's been out driving around all the cars in ditches while we sledded.

And now we're all cuddled up in the living room watching a movie.

(Our whole family is not cuddled up together with each other, 

but our whole family is cuddled in blankets in the same room with a fire going.)

We have about 4 inches of snow and the schools are called off tomorrow...

A great first weekend of Christmas break for me! 

I'm sure we'll frolic in the snow all day for about an hour tomorrow

and then watch movies and read and visit Granddaddy.

I tried really, really hard this morning to talk Geoffrey to come to the mountain for the snow.

Because he loves snow!

And dad said he'd pick him up if the roads were bad...

And Uncle Paul said he would take him duck hunting in the morning...

And he could go sledding down the huge hill next door with us... 

And I would help him study for his exams tomorrow...

But he wouldn't come! 

Who can resist that?

It would have been perfect!

But... He just had to be a good student. 

Geo, if you read this, I'm not trying to rub it in, I just wish you were here! 

Anyways, hope you all are cozy and safe and enjoying the cold weather

and getting into the Christmas spirit! 

Merry Christmas y'all!

Life During Exam Weeks.

Hey guys!

Who knew it is December? December 7th, at that!

The last time I checked it was October, then suddenly I woke up to this:




Winter hit me flat in the face, in a good way.

It's not normally my favorite season. But the snow did make it better. It was just gorgeous; I couldn't help but love it.

So anyways, I woke up to my roommates Nat and Gav running in and telling me there is snow and opening my blinds. Then we got dressed and went to play in it a little. Our neighbors didn't wake up when we banged on the door, so we went to find Will, our other friend and chilled out in the parking lot for a little while, because you know, the parking lot is the ideal place to be in the snow.

Then I headed to Paulette's, for brunch with my small group. I was thirty minutes late, for the sake of the beauty of the drive.

We had amazing gingerbread waffles with cinnamon ice cream, blueberries, and strawberries topping them.

Her house looked, felt, sounded, smelt, and tasted like Christmas. And that made me happy.

So all of this together made me excited about the frigid weather, well for now!

Last week we had Christmas dinner with the neighbors.

Geoffrey made a massive 22-pound turkey, Toms made some tasty dressing, and we made sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and brownies. It was the best dinner I've had in a long time (since Thanksgiving). Those boys' cooking skills impressed me.

And then, today: Monday. The day of my hardest exam.

It consisted of: waking up at 8 o'clock. Snoozing my alarm until 9 o'clock. Getting up, drinking coffee. Turning music on to help me stay awake. Playing scrabble on my keyboard with the new Scrabble Cheez-Its as I studied. Watching the dumpster truck come pick up the dumpster. Texting numerous people. Getting myself dressed and ready in only 3 minutes. Driving to my exam and getting stuck by a long train literally going about 3 mph. Doing a U-turn in the middle of the road to go a different way around the train. Turning my exam in 6th out of about 200 (because I just knew all the answers off the top of my heard, of course). Being gone from home for only an hour and a half total for my exam. And now, blogging when I should probably be studying for my Portuguese exam tomorrow.

Oh, life of the exams.

One really good thing about my day: after my exam, I got into my car and "I Am Bound" was on.

No chilling winds or poisonous breath

Can reach that healthful shore;

Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,

Are felt and feared no more.

I am bound for the promised land,

I am bound for the promised land;

Oh who will come and go with me?

I am bound for the promised land.

When I shall reach that happy place,

I'll be forever blessed,

For I shall see my Father's face,

And in His bosom rest.

That is so right. But for my case and for my procrastination, I'm going to change it a little to say:

No chilling winds or stressful exams

Can reach that healthful shore

Procrastination, pain and traffic jams

Are felt and feared no more.

How great will that be?

I'm excited! (And I am so dang cool too for writing my own words.)