Grandbabies, you have to love them!!!

Tonight was a Cassidy night. Any one with a three year old understands that when they are in the house they are the center of attention. She came over to get her Zhu Zhu dress (a Zhu Zhu is a small mechanical hamster that is all the rage right now). After dressing up Zhu Zhu like a princess, then it was cooking with the play kitchen for everyone. Spaghetti for dinner and play dough with Matthew after dinner. Now that she has learned to coil the playdough, we made lots of snails of every color and design out of it.

Biltmore

Saturday the weather finally cleared up! We headed out for some family time at Biltmore, the largest home in America. It is over in Asheville, NC and was built in 1894 by the Vanderbuilts. The top picture is the house itself. Imagine having 43 bathrooms. The library was incredible. When you walk in there is a beautiful solarium with a fountain. It has tapastries from the 1500's and amazing furniture.

The lion we are standing in front of is on either side of the front steps. The "tree" Rebecca is standing by is actually a grape vine that they have trained to grow this way. They have a winery on side so there are tons of vines. Jennifer is standing on a sundial that is in the garden.

It took a while to go though the house, several hours but it was great. Jennie especally enjoyed the trip through. The boys enjoyed going to the farm section.

On the way home the adventure continued, we blew out a tire just north of JC and had to call Christopher to rescue us. He and Devin came and piled us all in the car and took us home. OUR HERO!! 

How much more snow can we possibly get? We counted it up and we have had school exactly 15 days since Christmas vacation. At first the kids thought it was cool, but now it's getting to be irritating. Algebra II and Chemistry are hard enough with out missing most of the classes. If the schools are not closed for snow, they have been closed for heating problems. 

Jamie and Lynn had the sheet-rock put in their house this week. It is really starting to come together now. Lynn has cut the trees that will be made into the wood floors and has taken the wood to the millers. Anyone have some spare garage doors? That is what is next on the list of things to do. They are trying to get to a certain point to get Obama's tax credit. The bottom picture is the view out of the back door of the house by the kitchen where the back deck will be. The pond you see has ducks in it during the spring and summer months.

The top picture is their living room, front door and windows. The cathedral ceiling still has to be done. The picture was actually taken from the kitchen area where the kitchen island will be. The second picture is the hallway with the bathroom, two bedrooms, laundry room in it.

The retaining wall in front by the driveway is marked but is waiting for cooperative weather before they put it in. 

They are hoping to have the wedding in the side yard with the reception in the back yard in the summer of 2011. They have planted hundreds of tulips and gladiolas so far to bring color into the yard in the spring.

Jamies broken ankle

Jamie asked for new shoes for her birthday. What she received what not exactly what she bargained for. She stepped off a ramp and broke her ankle. Now she has this "fashionable" shoe to wear for the next few weeks. Walking in the snow and mud in crutches along with teaching is sssooo much fun right now. It is a simple break, the bones were still in the right place, she says the muscles and tendons hurt the most.

But I need one tonight Mom......

Every parent remembers this. The night the middle school child comes home and needs a poster board that night for a project due the next day. Of course it is winter in Tennessee right now. So after rushing out, buying said poster board, working on the project, and having it ready to go the next morning, we have had four days off for snow. Project still sits by the door, and now we have "nothing" to do because of the snow.

Your Kidding Right?

You want me to go out there? And go pee where? Your kidding right? It's hard to go potty when your tummy is dragging in the snow!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Well the month of January was certainly full of snow. The kids didn't go back to school until the 13th, then missed part of last week and this week for snow. It is still quite deep, so we don't expect to go to school tomorrow either. Tj is having fun snowboarding, but I think everyone else is ready for it to be over. The big pile behind the kids is from the snowplow. The last picture is off our front porch and of our street.