BOO to you Mr. Snow

Haven't "winterized" the yard yet.

 So many facebookers have been posting "Yay, our first REAL snow!" and "So happy winter in here!"  and "Isn't it great!"  Well, actually no, no it is not! So BAH to you all! Bah, Bah Bah, and DOUBLE BAH!     Wet puddled floors, soggy mittens and socks,  freezing hands, feet and cheeks, having to warm the car 10 minutes before going anywhere, scraping off the snow every time you want to leave the driveway,  (Yes that could be solved IF I'd clean and organized the garage!), idiots who don't know how to drive in the snow, needing 9 layers of clothes just to check the mail. Where's the joy?!?     On the plus side, hot cocoa is an acceptable beverage at ANY moment of the day, warm fuzzy blankets are an indoor luxury no matter what you're doing, and the kids enjoy shoving off the porch (for the moment, I'm sure it will wear off in a week or less).  To sum up-nope, this much snow in OCTOBER is too much and no, I am not looking forward to months and months AND MONTHS of this. (I will be happy about it during the week of Christmas and that is all!)

Such a great big helper!

His ever-so-noticeable, yet quite adorable James ears!
I LOVE how they poke out of his hat and how the one is tucked
in on itself. SOO stinkin' CUTE!

Yesterday as James and I were walking home from his preschool I was starting to get frustrated that he was taking forever. He kept walking off the snow cleared sidewalk and up on the snow piles and along the neighbors' yards. I asked him, "What are you doing?!" He replied, "I have my boots on. I'm using them." Now there's logic! He was right, if you've got boots on you better be using them to stomp through the snow and making fresh boot prints instead of sticking to the clear and dry LAME sidewalks!

Yesterday was an amazingly fun day of firsts! I was able to go with Marlayna and the entire kindergarten class on a field trip to a pumpkin patch in Fort Collins. She'd never been to a pumpkin patch.  We went on a hayride, picked out "the perfect pumpkin", ventured through a corn maze, laughed (as other kids screamed) at chickens and ducks trying to share our picnic lunches, and had fun sitting together on the bus and playing games. It had snowed the night before and I feared that it would be a cold miserable day. Though it certainly wasn't warm by any means, it didn't rain or snow again until we arrived back at the school after the field trip. Marlayna's such a great little girl and I was glad I was able to share her school day with her. (And I thought that it was also her first bus ride, but she reminded me that she rode a bus when we were out on Vashon Island a couple summers ago).  I also LOVED listening to Marlayna sing Primary songs all day, even changing the words to fit the situation.  When we were walking in the corn maze in small groups she starting singing ♫Follow the Leader, Follow the Leader, Follow the Leader, Don't Go Astray♫ And sang the song "Stand For the Right" almost the entire day. What a super example she is to me!

Yesterday was our "first real snow" (as the last few storms melted off quickly). I, for one, and NOT at all excited about it as this is what we have to look forward to for the next several months. Throw in with the snow the "never ceases to stop" wind Laramie is known for, and that's the glorious-ness that is called winter I have to look forward to! Yay me!  James more than made up for my lack of enthusiasm with his overly abundant excitement for the white stuff. He had gone to test the snow, I thought he had returned and was in his room, but 20 minutes later I found him in the back yard digging.  He had a blast and was a bit disappointed to have to come in for dinner.

 Last night was the first concert Mark and I have been to since having kids. A friend from out of town was wanting to come down but wasn't able to make it because of work conflicts.  Not finding a way to sell the extra ticket and not wanting to waste it, we decided to take Mark J. with us to his FIRST EVER ROCK CONCERT!!  (The last time any of us had been to one was for my birthday when I was pregnant with Mark J).  He was way pumped to go!  There were 3 bands playing at the University of Wyoming- Parachute, Boys Like Girls, and All American Rejects. Mark J only lasted through the first band and then slept the rest of the concert! (He had earplugs in, in case anyone was wondering). It was fun, however it made me realize how old I've become--I was not at all impressed by some of the language and "humor" used by one particular band (I was really glad Mark J was asleep during all that-would have walked out for sure) and rocking it from 7:30-11:45pm is too long for this old mom (can we all say LAME!?! I know right!). We all decided we'll wait a few more years before taking Mark J to his next concert--want to make sure he can stay awake to enjoy it!

Terrible Cell Phone Photos-just "proof" that we were there!

Indeed, yesterday was an eventful SUPER FUN day!

Over the weekend the kids and I headed to my parents' to celebrate my dad's birthday. We live a bit closer to them than we have in the past; it was nice to take advantage of that fact. I only make it home once a year and with the kids being out of school Monday I decided to jump on the chance to travel before snow falls and winter sets in.

The kids were very excited to celebrate Papa's birthday, but were just a tad disappointed that none of the cousins, aunts, and uncles were there also. It was a quiet, splendid, and (as always) not long enough weekend.

Papa taking Marlayna for her first motorcycle ride.

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Card Marlayna made for Papa

I never in a million years thought I'd come to this....starting my own blog. With all the numerous social media sites why in the world would someone add blogging to the list?! Welp, here I am. Tired of Facebook and wanting to move on to something bigger and better. Guess we'll see how it goes!