8 December 2013

We're running behind ordering our Christmas cards this year.  Here are some of the photos we didn't use for the card.  Helen elbowing Abe is certainly an honest Hull family photo, but not the greeting we want to send.

 Abe posing with a pineapple?

 Helen taking a bite out of our glass pickle ornament?

This is a photo of Gibson pretending to be Santa Claus.  His coat is from Sofi's Cruella DeVille costume of about 6 years ago, turned inside out so the red lining shows.  

 Friday was St. Nicholas Day.  The kids all woke up to find candy in their shoes.

No one ever remembers that St. Nicholas Day is coming (except for Becky.)  Gib was very delighted.

We had an even lovelier surprise on Friday-- a true snowstorm!  We got about 4 inches and with the cold temperatures, the snow has stayed all weekend.  This is the most snow we've seen and the longest we've had snow since we moved to Oregon.

School was canceled before the snow even started falling!  Helen is our polar bear.  She has spent most of the past three days outside.

 Our neighbors built a small jump at the end of their driveway and the kids have spent hours sledding down the short hill.

 Our church was shortened to Sacrament Meeting only.   Brandan took some photos of the frost outlining spider webs.

 Here is frost on the railing.

 And here is snow on a Japanese maple.  We're trying to enjoy the snow and not think about the probable damage to plants not meant to withstand temperatures this low.

We haven't gone out much the past 3 days.  Our town doesn't have snow plows or a way to spread gravel and the roads are very icy.  The time at home has been very cozy.  Abe surprised himself by checkmating Brandan.

The theme for our Christmas advent this year is from Isaiah 1:18, "though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow."  Every night we unwrap a crocheted snowflake and read a scripture about Christ's Atonement.  We hang the snowflakes on a small tree in our entryway.  By Christmas the tree will be decorated with 24 snowflakes, probably not enough to cover the tree, but enough to remind us of the blessings of repentance and forgiveness.