Another Bites the Dust

Braces

Traditions

The thing about traditions is you have to do them! I was reminded why they are so important this month. I have been so busy with Relief Society stuff (baby sitting, visiting sisters, taking sisters to appointments and stores, meetings ect.) that I just did a normal "green" dinner on St. Patty's day. Tess came to me in tears days later asking when we'd have our "traditional" green dinner, menu and out of order courses? In the past we've always included another family in on this fun family tradition but I just didn't have the energy to do that this year. So, I threw it together and we did it, just us.

Why are traditions so important? Because no matter how the day to day life changes, wether it's a move to a new state when I was a kid, or a busy busy mom it brings stability to kids. Plus it's just fun~

WINK!

February Snow Storm

Lesson Learned from being caught in a snow storm:
Last year it was the power outage while Dan was gone. This year it was being stranded on 270 in Frederick with a quarter tank of gas in a blizzard.

Saturday: The forecast said it would start around 1pm. There was a 30% chance until 1pm of snow from 3-8 inches. It was the Stake Womens Conference, being the RS president I kinda felt like I needed to go. I really didn't think the weather would be bad. Dan had a cub scout training that day as well, which got pushed up and cancelled so I thought I was good to stay for the entire conference.
At about 1030 I got a txt from Dan saying "not going. You are gonna have a hard time getting home. However stay as long as you want." And then, "no one should be out in this".  I thought I was there for a couple hours, roads would be plowed and salted by then and I'd make it home slowly. After the conference ended I started to head home. No roads had been plowed leaving 4+ inches of snow and more coming down fast. As soon as I got on to 270 I realized I was in for it. At first there were only 2 other cars out with me. I slowly made my way since visibility was bad and the road was so slick. Just after I passed the 70 turn off traffic came to a complete stop. I was worried I'd already missed my last exit for a long while and was running on a quarter tank of gas. I watched an SUV slide right off the road and into the guard rail of the oncoming traffic in my rear-view mirror.  I called Dan and totally started to panic. Dan was pretty frustrated with the situation. He had been watching the satellite and said it wasn't going to let up at all until night when it would turn to freezing rain. Luckily I got off at the last Buckeyestown Pike exit in Frederick. Dan told me to find a place to camp out. I tried the movie theater but the parking lot was too bad to navigate through.  I prayed my way through a huge pile of snow to get to the gas station and headed to a hotel parking lot. I just wanted to get home. I decided with a full tank of gas I'd try to go 355. I prayed the whole way home. I talked loudly to the cars in front of me, giving them a pep talk to keep some momentum going up the hills. Other cars were riding cars bumpers even though it was apparent they were struggling. Lots of cars were stranded off the road. Our back road had only been plowed once making it really difficult to navigate. I gunned it to get into our cultesac and into our driveway. I made it home. I've never see the roads so bad, or been in a blizzard like that. I left a little past noon and got home about 3, normally takes  about 25 minutes.

So, lesson learned. Check storms via satelite. When Dan says "no one should be out in this" leave pronto. I had the thought to fuel up but was going to do it on the way home. Keep a half tank at all times. And we need to have good car survival kit in each.

Sunday: Church was cancelled, it warmed up to 50 degrees and we played!

Jacob's new mouth piece.

Jake got his expander put in today.
Here is the before:



Now we have to wait a year for the "after" picture. He's been a trouper about it all. I get to crank the key twice a day, lucky mom job! The sweetest sibling moment happened tonight. Tess prayed for Jacob with his new mouth piece that he wouldn't talk funny and if he did no one at school would laugh. After the prayer she was about to go on with bed time business when Jake gave her a huge hug. Tender moment.

Love Day

Every day is love day right?
But today Dan surprised me with this:

 Jacob got to make his own valentine box for school and enter it in a creativity contest. Even though he didn't win I thought it was very creative, a winner to me.

The Valin-Jump 

(it's a trampoline with cute little jumpers that Tess came up with)

Coffee Table

Dan finished the coffee table for the living room. It's kinda honk'n huge. But turns out I like honk'n huge. It's a great space for me to spread out all my Relief Society stuff and work. He did a great job and is learning a lot.

Marine ONE

For Jacob's birthday Cara arranged for a Marine One tour. We had to reschedule because of sickness but we finally got to go.

Jake, Tess, and I picked up Cara from the metro and headed towards Quanico. We left with plenty of time because traffic is always bad that direction but we ended up with time to kill. We explored the base's PX, ate lunch and then met Cara's friend at a highly restricted, a.k.a. men with machine guns, area.

We were led into the command room first where we watched a video about Marine One. We got to take time looking at all the pictures of Presidents and see the model helicopters in the command room.
Then we went down to the huge hanger where we got to go inside the "cadillac" and "sports" helicopters that the President uses. We spent 2 hours asking questions and seeing all the helicopters. It was really neat to learn about, I wish Dan could have come because he would have really enjoyed it.
We ended the day with fries and milk-shakes from Chic-fi-la for the ride home.

Thanks to Cara for letting us enjoy her many great connections. The kids can't wait to take photos in to show their classmate.