Let it snow...

This weekend we FINALLY got a little snow to stick. Well, scratch that, it was a LOT of snow, and it isn't over yet! It all started on Friday morning. We woke up and it was a normal day, by ten it was coming down so much we couldn't even see across the street. It snowed all day long. Every now and then it would slow down a little, but it never did stop. Around 5:30 Troy called to tell me that he was just leaving Salt Lake. He had been called down there to assess the damages after a car slid out of control and into one of the buildings they were working on. We were having a party with some friends at 7, but I thought he would still be able to make it home in plenty of time. - Oops, I forgot that it was snowing. I called him at a quarter to 7 when it was time to go get the sitter before the party to see how close he was. He was still in Syracuse, about 30 minutes away-in normal weather! I rushed across town to get the sitter (she just moved clear across town, but she is worth endangering my life to drive across town where it seemed that every lunatic was on the streets just to get her. She's that good! When we got home we had barely taken off our coats before people started showing up. Luckily one of those people was Troy. He was only about a half hour late. We had a great time with our friends visiting and playing games. Not everyone we invited was able to come because of a stomach flu, work, and the weather, but I think we ended up with the perfect amount. When it was finally over our friends Brad and Melissa, who had brought their kids, decided to leave them overnight (They were bringing them back first thing in the morning for me to watch while they did service at the DI.) So we ended up having a sleep-over! We don't do that very often, so it was quite a treat. We really did have so much fun. It was almost midnight before everyone left and we all had jammies on and and were settling into bed. All four girls cuddled onto the sofa bed in the family room, and Ethan slept on the floor. They were good and didn't make much noise, but no one went to sleep either. Finally around two I went down and Adia and Emmalee were out, and Katherine was almost there, but Ethan and little Hannah were wide awake. I took Hannah upstairs and laid her down on the couch and she was out in a matter of seconds. I tried to sleep, but around three Hannah was in my room asking "Where's Emmalee?" As soon as I told her that Emmalee was sleeping she curled up on the floor in my room and went to sleep. I covered her and went to check on the rest of the kids. Ethan and Emmalee were wide awake playing. I turned off the TV and told them to go to sleep, but I could still hear them giggling down stairs for about an hour. Hannah kept waking me up every thirty minutes asking me where Emmalee was but as soon as I told her she would lay back down and go to sleep. Troy was asked to be an escort at the temple for one of his friends who was going through on Saturday morning, so he had to leave the house by 5:30. When he did all of the kids woke up, and were up for the rest of the day. We had so much fun playing. The kids kept doing things to make me laugh all day. It was great! And actually, for having five kids trapped in the house all morning running off of VERY little sleep it went pretty well. Ethan was a little bit much for the girls sometimes, but for the most part they played really nicely together. We are going to have to do that again soon. When their parents came to pick them up they brought the cutest little gift certificates they had made for us- good for 2 hours of babysitting! It was sweet, but I doubt we will ever cash them in, we still want them to be our friends:)
The rest of the day we took naps (AWESOME) I worked on my lesson for the next day, and we went shopping for a few last minute presents - Thanks Grandma Gloria and Grandpa Jim for the gift cards. Then we helped the kids wrap what they bought, and watched movies for the rest of the night. I LOVE Christmas movies! I love how sappy they are, and how you can always guess how it's going to end. I love that all the girls are named Hollie of Carol, and all the boys are named Nick. I love that it gives you hope in Christmas Miracles. My family does NOT love Christmas movies, but I love that they snuggle on the couch with me and watch them anyway just so we can all be together.
Sunday was clear, but yesterday and so far today it has not stopped snowing. It is crazy. I have shoveled snow until my back aches. We have made snow men, snow angels, snow forts, snow balls, and snow-ice cream. We are having so much fun with the snow. Of course, we haven't had to drive in it. We have stayed home and enjoyed it. Troy isn't loving the snow quite as much. Of course he has been caught in Traffic every day since Friday. Twice he made it home within minutes of them shutting down the freeway. I am one lucky girl that I can just stay home and play with my kids while my sweet honey goes to work and makes the money:) Now if we can just make it through Christmas Vacation without me KILLING anyone!:)