ah, snow and more birthdays...

daddy got a special "brownie cake" that BOTH children helped make and very helpful candle blower-outers

mommy got a special birthday treat that she has ALWAYS wanted--a huge red kitchenaid mixer!!!

snow bunnies...oh my.

our friend, betty, asked us to keep her piano! the kids LOVE to play the piano, and all the family members who play (uncle robert, ama) are also excited to have a piano to play. the kids (with neighborhood buddies) have regular "concerts" with our keyboard, guitar, tambourine, microphone and piano. yes, they are definitely my children.

Hello folks!

we realized that we hadn't done a blog update in a while. AND, people were asking for pictures of Heath and Ella Brooks in the snow, so I figured it was about that time...

We had about 6 inches of snow, which was quite a bit for us here in old North Carolina. My poor family in northern virginia has got 30+ inches in the first part of the blizzard and then 14+ MORE inches. Nana hasn't left her house in a LONG time--and pretty much no one else has gone very far. Whew.

As for our snow--the kids got to sled for the first time! I don't have pictures of that right now, but it was quite a sight. Heath went down with Chris or me, but Ella Brooks was even going by herself by the end of the day. They had so much fun. And, it was really a lovely time for us to be home together as a family, snowed in for a couple days. By the end, everyone was ready to get back into the swing of things, but it was a nice time together.

Of course, I couldn't just sit (my husband would be rolling his eyes) so I went to work on painting the basement bath/laundry and getting the kids' basement "playroom" set up. I feel very accomplished because it is almost done! Everyone in our house is cheering that...

Chris and I celebrated birthdays in the last few weeks. Ella Brooks really enjoyed getting to help be "hostess" for our apple pie (I am not much of a cake fan) and brownie (the kids wanted to help, so i went for the easiest and best batter-licking option) with candles. Chris and I even got to go out to dinner for a long night out--Aunt Sarah and Uncle Robert came to stay with the kids for the evening. It was lovely.

0n the health front, the other three of us managed to escape the fabulous stomach bug that EB caught last week. Oh, sweet girl didn't feel well...but she has recovered nicely. It was a good reminder that Heath can be ok in the midst of things like that. We are getting ready to get rid of one more medicine for Heath AND we were able to cancel a regular Duke clinic appointment in February because he is doing so well that they didn't think he needed to do all of his blood tests and such a month before his next cath: March 11. I just say, "YEE HAW!"

We are looking forward to seeing family in the next few weeks (if the snow would let up!).

Ella Brooks is LOVING school and MP2 and Sunday School at church.

Heath is just wanting to be wtih the big kids ALL THE TIME, which is still tough with flu season still happening...he is hilarious as he pushes his way into EB's class on the rare occasion that he gets to go in with one of us. He takes his hat off and puts it in an empty cubby as if to say, "ok, i am here, let's do some playing..."

Chris is working hard at Westminster, and he (well, all of us) is loving being part of such a fabulous congregation.

I am enjoying being home--and I go before Presbytery next weekend to be welcomed in as a minister-at-large (this is NOT to take a call, just to be able to be present in the life of the presbytery). I am trying not to drive everyone crazy with my long list of projects...:)

blessings to you all. we count ours every day.

carrie

(sorry if there are any errors in this--heath won't get off my lap--one of the joys of being home with him all the time...)