It's my party and I'll smile if I want to!

Becca gets ready to blow out the candles . . . er, just prior to mommy putting the candles on the birthday cake! Even as she makes ready to blow, she's already thinking about those presents on the table!

"Can I open them now?" she asks.

"Not yet, Becca. We have to sing first."

"It's not time to sing yet! I have to open the presents! No, I have to eat the cake first! Wait, I have to blow out the candles! Where's the candles, Mommy?"

"Coming, Becca, in just a minute."

Daddy, it's warm by the fire!

Even though it's only 18 degrees outside, Becca lounges by the new ventless gas stove in the front parlor. She's sitting in the rocker her mother found at an antique store in Nappannee. She's also wearing one of her newest birthday outfits (Thank you Uncle Larry, Aunt Kristy, and cousins Caius and Ailey!), which she wore to church this morning.

The sun came out today (Sunday) after another day and a half of snowing, draping the ground with three more inches of snow! Roads started melting and icicles began forming around the eaves of our house. We're watching them closely because falling icicles can be dangerous.

We want all of our Arizona and Nevada family members and friends to enjoy the warm weather you're having and know that we're fondly thinking of you all.

SNOW ANGEL IN THE MAKING

After spending the day shoveling and hibernating, Daddy and Becca went to Magnetic Park to goof off (we tried to disc but the snow was too deep!). First thing Becca did was to make a snow angel. As you can see, the little snow angel herself is having wingloads of fun!

OUR HOUSE

After spending two days off last week because a storm came through and dumped 6-8 inches of snow, we spent another two days off this week because a winter storm came through and dumped another 12-16 inches of snow on top of the previous 6 inches, which made for a lot of shoveling!

As you can see, Charles scooped a path to the front door for the mailman and paperboy, cleared enough of the driveway (outside of the left edge of the picture) in order to get the cars in and out, and called it a day.

I was looking for a way to display our lovely antique house. A little history: The house was built in 1920 with the main part of the house being the square part with the two stories, and a little jut to the back where the kitchen is located. Then, in 1932, an addition was built on the right side of the house that extended the kitchen and dining room and made them larger. The house has an 880 square foot basement and is 1770 square feet above the ground. The two windows to the right of the door are the windows to the soul of the house: Bizzy's antique parlor. The garage is the left of the house and in the rear (barely discernable). Becca's back yard is behind the house.

I promise, in the spring after the snow melts, I'll post a picture showing my beautiful front yard.

Itsnodeep . . .

Becca takes a stroll through Magnetic Park Wednesday after school . . . er when after school would have been had there been school! Mommy and Daddy spent the last two days off because of a major winter storm blew through and dumped 16 inches of snow on the ground.

The reason it looks only deep enough to Becca's shins because a lot of the snow drifted. Becca thought it was wild anyway with the snow as deep as it was.