Late Fall Fun

It's been weeks since I've posted, but I do have updates.  Here are some of the things we've been up to in the last month or so.

Visiting Grandma Shirley and the gang up north.

We had a lot of fun visiting with Grandma and my extended family around Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, I was really disappointed to find out that I couldn't visit my sister and her family as her kids came down with a stomach bug.  (I'm sure they felt worse - in many ways.)  But, I was able to see my Grandpa and Grandma, and that is always SUCH a blessing, as I never know if it will be the last time I see them, especially Grandma, who is in heart failure.  Then again, Grandpa has slowed down some, but he always seems as strong as an ox, so I anticipate that, when his time comes, it will be sudden and I want to be prepared for that, too.

I had a great time with my sister Heather, though, going for a walk to get the mail in the bitter cold, and playing with the kittens.  Venty was my favorite - he surprised me in the bathroom by mewling from somewhere under the floor.  I removed the vent cover and, lo and behold, the scrawny kitten crawled up and out of the vent!  He and I had some fun time to bond, and I would have liked to take him home - but I am certain his reception would have been less-than-stellar due to the cranky middle-aged cat we already have.  The photos of me and Venty are dedicated to his (actually, it's a she) memory.  She died this week after once again crawling in a vent and, though she would have been able to get out if she wanted, ended up succumbing to the heat.  RIP, Venty - we loved you!

The girls and I also got to do some art projects, based on the bible reading of God's covenant with Abram - where God told Abram that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.  Here we copied the verse on black construction paper and then made glitter stars to go with it.  Both girls also made another glittery artwork of "snowflakes" on smaller sheets of paper.  (I'll have to add some photos later - the pieces of art are in the girls' bedroom and they are sleeping right now!)

Finally, there was recently a snowstorm here that, between gusty winds, allowed the kids and I to get out and play in the snow.  I enjoyed shoveling (really - I do love to shovel snow - just like I love to mow the lawn) and the kids created slides and jumped into the big drifts of snow.  I also turned half of our front steps into a slide.  Here are some photos of the kids in their winter gear and in a snow fort Paul made for them a day or so after the snowstorm.