Last Sunday night, the temperature got down to 18 degrees - with the wind chill, it felt like 9.!! Now, that's cold for Alabama. When we know there is a risk of freezing, we let the water run all night to keep the water line from freezing. Unfortunately, it just got too cold for our trick to work and the filters outside at the well head froze solid. So, Monday morning, we woke up to no water. We are able to keep warm enough with 2 space heaters - and we have the camper heater set at a "catch" temperature in case the space heaters can't keep up.
This is a picture of the inside of our camper window - frozen!!
Do you want to know the really crazy thing? The Friday before (2 days earlier, mind you), we were wearing shorts outside to work in! We poured some concrete that day and it was plenty warm to be in shorts and a t-shirt.
Tuesday night, we enjoyed Christmas lights at the zoo - complete with train ride, watching dancing lights and petting a Norway rat.
Alabama is crazy for football - it's either Alabama or Auburn. For some reason, the kids have chosen Auburn to "like". Here's my thought - in a year when Alabama was #1 and undefeated for most of the season - call me crazy, but I might have chosen Alabama to be my favorite :)
Christmas morning, we ate cinnamon rolls and then took a nice hike to Chimney Rock. It was Savannah's first time actually up on the rock. I forgot to take my camera along, but it was a beautiful crisp morning.
We decided we had let them wait long enough and opened the remainder of our presents. We have tried to teach our kids that giving is a blessing and that we celebrate Christmas because of what God gave us - His son. This year, we saw them really enjoying giving, too. Our church had a birthday party for Jesus that our kids attended. Part of the evening, they were able to shop at the "store" that the leaders had set up. The kids were able to choose and wrap gifts for their parents (or whoever they wanted to give to). Our kids were so excited to watch us open our gifts - I was blessed.
We were able to get the kids a trampoline for Christmas with the gift money that we had received for Christmas. They were VERY excited and have spent almost every spare available minute jumping on it. It struck me funny yesterday - this is just a bigger version of a pack-and-play! Do you need a place for your kids to play ALL DAY LONG while you work on the house? Get them a trampoline :)
And, finally, Buddy has settled in and is very comfortable - and spoiled, I might add. I call him "little pipsqueak" and that makes Savannah laugh.
Christmas night, we enjoyed an incredible meal at some friends' home - thanks, Cheney family! The kids had a wonderful time playing and the guys had a very long competitive game of scrabble :)
House update:
We have the forms set up again to pour next week sometime. Once finished, we will have 3 full height walls, a 2/3 height back wall, foundation for the stairs, foundation for interior support walls. Progress - exciting!
Hannah's cards:
From the caringbridge site - the card count is over 57,200! Hannah has started chemo treatments - please pray for a miracle.
Phillipians :9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Oh having spent a couple of winters in our RV we appreciate what you dealt with. Fortunately we never got completely frozen like that and yes, it helps to run the water. One of our friends had his hair frozen to window one winder!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSusan
Sounds like your family had a wonderful Christmas:) I think we need to invest in one of those trampolines...unfortunately with our terraced backyard we would have to leave at Grandma's house:)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
That trampoline is so cool....I've never seen it with the side guards...how smart is that!!! That's a great picture of Hadden...looks like they are having a ball!!! I'm glad you had a great Christmas. We are going to celebrate with my family today and Rob's family maybe next week....our plans had to change because of the snow. Your camper looked chilly....so glad you have those space heaters.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun Christmas! We let the kids give this year and boy was that fun! They had a great time keeping secrets and choosing special gifts for everyone. Truly helped them understand it is about GIVING! :)
ReplyDelete(The weather is carazy huh?!)
Welcome to the South!
This new dog is so cute! It is no wonder that he is remaining with you guys...how could you resist!
ReplyDeleteWe lived in a 1 bedroom mobile home for 8 years...it was a cheaper one with thinner walls and could get quite cold. As the years went by the bathtub got a crack in it (it was a plastic tub). On one of our winter freezes the water froze so I went under the mobile home to use a blow dryer to thaw out the pipes. I looked over to the spot where our tub was and there under the tub was a pedistool of ice going from the bottom of the tub to the top of the ground....a big icicle! I just looked at it and laughed! Not many people can say they have an icicle coming out from the bottom of their tub..but I can!
Your house walls look like they are coming along!
I hope you all or is it y'all...I am not sure how it goes either..had a Merry Christmas.
PS...I have never thought of a trampoline to keep the kids busy while building!...hmmm?
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Alabama weather. It is absolutely Alabama to be in shorts one day and parkas (jk) the next. Oh and, BTW, Auburn is the best. Your kids are obviously smart, though my husband would disagree.
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