To everything there is a season...

Last week our bishop announced that we would have a special meeting next week (today) and 2 new wards (or congregations) would be created. There were 6 wards involved in this meeting. We knew these changes had been in the works for a while, but it was still a bit of a shock that the change was finally here.

There are always lots of changes in our church. Every year we have new classes and teachers for the children. Since we have a lay clergy (volunteer, non-paid) all the positions keep changing. Our Bishop usually changes about every 5 years or so. Presidents of different organizations change every few years. That's just the was it is, we all take our turn filling different needs.

Attendance boundaries are different. They don't usually change. But sometimes they need to. The ward I grew up in no longer exists. It was dissolved because there weren't enough members to keep it going. My parents (who still live there) are now part of a different ward. This area is growing so fast, fastest in the country. In the 8 years we have lived here, this is the 3rd time our boundaries have changed to create a new ward or wards. Our boundaries work much the same way school boundaries do. People get their feathers ruffled at the thought of changing the boundaries, but then it settles down and always works out. The first 2 changes happened soon after we moved here. It changed things, but we didn't mind much since we hadn't made any great friends yet.

This time is different. We have lived her longer now, we know practically everyone. And when you live so far away from family, the people in your ward become your family. It seems silly that it would change anything because it's not like you our your friends have moved away. But when you are so involved in church things as we are, it is hard to foster those friendships when you no longer see them at worship services or the activities during the week. And the only thing that changed is that they now go to church at a different time than you.

We are no longer part of the Goose Creek Ward. That ward got it's arm and it's leg cut off (geographically speaking). We are now part of the newly organized Potomac Crossing Ward. We have been released from all our responsibilities in our previous ward and now wait to see how we will be asked to serve in our new ward (the waiting is the hard part). We are very sad to be in a different ward than our dearest friends. That is a hard adjustment to make. We still have some good friends who moved with us into the new ward. And there will be many new faces that we will get to know.

Change is hard, but change is good. It helps us to grow and to become a better 'me'.

Crazy girl

Rebekah found my mini play tent (used for demos from my days selling Discovery Toys). She had been using it as a house for her dolls and puppets. But then she decided to put it on. She became a roaming puppet show!

paint by numbers

Too many snow days. First week of Feb Emma had 2 days of school. Second week of Feb, no school at all. Third week of Feb, back in school but with a one-hour delay because the sidewalks aren't clear and the kids have to walk in the street. It's been like spring break, but without any plans and nowhere to go.

Luckily, I got out one day and Emma picked out a paint-by-number set. It has been the best $4 I have spent in a long time. Emma spent hours working on this everyday. Finally, something to do. An added bonus was that Rebekah wanted to paint with her sister, so I got out her watercolors and she spent hours turning paper into purple or pink puddles of mush.

Here is Emma's final product. :)

Adding a little color

What happens when you get snowed in for 2 weeks? You start lots of projects.

I have been staring at my white walls and finally got some inspiration. I looked at paint chips and fabrics. Finally I was able to make a decision. I bought the fabric and made 6 pillows for my old and tired couches. We bought the couches used when we first got married. They have been around a long time. But adding these pillows has breathed new life into them. :)

The other project I started was making hair clips for the girls. Several gals at church have shown me how to makes these cute flower hair clips. I had already bought everything I needed, so I got out the glue gun and set to work. This is actually less than half of what I made. I think I am going to sell the extra ones.

Happy V-day

Clay got up early this morning and made heart-shaped pancakes for the girls for breakfast. That makes 2 years in a row. A new tradition maybe??

Last night, we were supposed to have a church meeting but it got cancelled due to all the snow. We already had a babysitter scheduled, so we called and got early reservations to our favorite local restaurant, Lightfoot. It was a great evening. I love you Clay!

Disney on Ice

As an early Valentines Day surprise we took the girls to Disney on Ice. They loved seeing all their favorite character skating around on the ice. It was a fun day for all of us.

These army guys were pretty cool marching in place on skates!

We all loved Dory & Marlin & Nemo. Check out Ariel right behind Marlin. I couldn't stop laughing at her bell bottoms.

Day after the BIG snow

Here's the path I shoveled from our door to the driveway.

Clay is contemplating the amount of effort it will take to clear a path out of our driveway and into the street. Look how high that is!! And it is a few feet wide.

Looking down our street. There are people walking in the road b/c it would be crazy to actually try and drive in this...but I have seen a few cars try.

The neighborhood girls playing on the snow piles.

The BIG snow

This is what a lot of snow looks like! They cancelled school on Friday due to the forecast. The snow started around 10 am, but didn't get heavy until late afternoon. Around 10 pm Clay decided to go out and shovel the driveway before it got too deep. There was already about a foot of snow on the ground. This is what it looked like on Sat. It didn't stop snowing until around 4 or 5 pm.


Look at those poor cypress trees.

Front and center is our utility box, about 36 inches high. Across the street is a hybrid car, the snow up above the wheels.

Here is my glove on top of the pile from shoveling the driveway, again.

Can you even find your way to our door?

The girls enjoyed walking through all the tunnels of snow.

Snow day

Tuesday evening brought more snow. They cancelled school for Wed. We really didn't need it b/c the roads were completely clear by 10 am. Oh well.

We went over to Emma's best friend's house to play in the snow together.

Emma & Olivia building a snowman (and Ben playing with the snowball maker).

Rebekah with her alien snowman.

Later we went sledding. Rebekah wanted to go by herself. It was her first time sledding by herself.

Do you think she liked it?? She loved it!

Twinkle little star

Rebekah has started singing this in the car. It was so cute, I had to get it on video.