S~N~O~W

On saturday it started to rain, the temperature was below freezing and it was raining so hard that it couldn't freeze fast enough. Church was cancelled. Sunday about 4:30am it started to snow, and snow and snow snow snow snow!!!! It just wouldn't stop. It was snowing big fluffy flakes. We love the snow!! The kids had no school anyways on Monday so they got out their snow gear and headed outside. YEAH!! Quite in the house. Roads were bad and it snowed again last night, so today school was cancelled. Kids were outside building snow forts.
Mom and Dad came up to visit mom's Brother in Hermiston on friday night and mom's Aunt and cousins that live in Prosser, about 30 min away, on Saturday. They got to our house just in time for the rain to really start freezing. I 82 was closed Saturday and reopened sunday AM (darn). I was hoping that it would be closed so they could spend time with us. We had fun though. They left about 10:30am Sunday and didn't get home until about 6:00pm I think. What a long drive in bad weather. Was snowy all the way to Portland. I am so thankful they got home ok. I was really worried.

Stephanie has a hot date!!!

So Stephanie has a hot date tonight. Steph has set a rule that she doesn't date (I should say "Steady Date") until she is done with college. Sounds good to us. Steph has been on several group dates and has lots of "boy" friends but this is the first time she will be on a one-on-one date. I think she is a little nervous.
Its fun to her "boy" friends come over to the house and have Steph beat them in their own video games and I like making up names for them and Mark likes intimidating them with his big muscles (inside joke). I think its sad that most kids now-a-days think in order to be friends with the opposite sex they have to be steady dating them. I am glad that we have taught the kids be friends first have lots of interaction so they can learn about each other with out the emotional roller coaster that comes with being "boyfriend/girlfriend"..
Stephanie needs help picking her outfit. Which one should she wear?

House Update

Well as you can see by the pictures that the house is slowly progressing and of course our blood pressures are slowly progressing too! When people stated that a construction was the hardest thing to do I thought ~ Na, no problem, we've been through worst. All I can say is never trust anyone no matter how nice they are. Always get everything in writing and if you don't well ~ your screwed!! Now all we have to do is make the best of it. I guess thats life... full of ups and downs. Sometimes a little more downs than ups but everything will work out just fine in the end. Thats where patience comes in.

A little girl time

This last weekend Jer, Stef and Baby Kohen came over. The boys played their obnoxious video games while Stef did our hair and had girl time. Stef did my hair which, turned out to be the best color that I have ever had!! We all feel so pretty. Because Stef was coloring the girls hair (Emme's too!)I had to relax and put alot of trust into knowing that she wouldn't go too wild or extream and she didn't. Thank you Stef!!
I did however go to Macys after feeling so pretty and got make-up and perfume and vowed to Mark that I'd wear it everyday. Upon return I was suprised by Angies short hair which I wouldn't have chosen but I have to realize its not my hair (darn, I hate the fact that I can't make all these decisions anymore ~ my girls are growing up so fast) and she does look soo adorable with it cut short and sassy.

Speaking of Angela.... Here are a few pictures she took of her and the Cat. Steph Had her hair cut short about a week ago too. I'm coming to realize its just hair ~ It'll grow back, Right? Right! I love girl time!!

Rewind to Christmas 2007

OK I have to go back to The Widing Christmas get together. My neice Braley an Mark had a great time. Here are a few pictures of Unkl Mark being a good sport!! Gotta Love that Braley!!

It is going to be a Great 2008

I can just feel it. 2008 is going to be the year that starts the future years to be the best!! As I look over the last few weeks it has been a blessing to be able to enjoy every ones company. On the Widing side we had a nice little dinner and played the left - Right game with ornaments. It was fun to see everyone laugh. Then on Christmas morning We fed the homeless shelter in Albany. We are getting quicker each year. They are so many people in our areas that can use our help. On the Ellingson/Barkley side Stef make a great brunch on Christmas which was really yummy! The day after Christmas we went to HooDoo and Mark, Jason and I Skied while the stronger, limber kids snowboarded. (I'm Sorry Stef I know I call you a kid but your not. Its a habit because that's what I called Aaron and Jer for so many years). I was surprised that we weren't too sore. We were really worried we wouldn't get out of bed the next morning. It was a fun but way too busy trip for all of us.
We rang in the New Year obnoxiously banging pots and pans at 12:am with 7 kidlets!! So Happy New Year to all!!!