Fun In the Snow!

Last Wednesday and Thursday we got snow--over 14" of the stuff! It was the 2nd biggest snow storm in Wichita history! On Wednesday all of the school districts were dismissing early. Roger made it home from work that day fine. On Thursday morning, schools were closed and so many businesses were closing, but not Roger's. He tried to go in to work, but couldn't even make it out of our driveway. Even if he had, I really don't know how he would have made it down our snow packed country road. So, he called in and said he wasn't coming, and then a couple of hours later his work decided to shut down. I even allowed the kids a snow day from school Thursday.

On Wednesday the snow did let up a little while and wouldn't you know it, it stopped during the time the kids and I had dental appointments in the afternoon, but I had cancelled thinking the it would be too dangerous for us to try to get into town. I'm glad I canceled though, because the streets were not plowed, and there were so many car accidents all over town. Then the snow picked back up again. However, even with the snow falling, the temps were not that cold, and it was such a gentle falling snow the kids literally played outside for hours at a time on both days.

Thursday Roger and Evan had spent some time in the morning shoveling the driveway. They got a little bit done and then down our country road came a farmer in a humongous tractor. He drove right up to our driveway and plowed it for us and then plowed all of the neighbors' and the road! Roger gave him a cup of hot cocoa to thank him and found out his name was Rick. We're not sure where he lives and Roger said he seemed like he didn't want to talk because he wanted to keep plowing, so we don't know anything else about him.

Plowing our driveway

Roger giving him some hot cocoa

The neighbors built igloos, forts, and a hill the kids went sledding on. Evan built some tunnels and a s'nome-man (gnome/snowman) with dad's help and a ladder. A lot of fun was had with this snow storm, and it was most definitely an answer to prayer because we have had such a warm, dry winter.
Wednesday fun:

Lauren getting buried in the snow

Evan and neighbor building some snow walls

Lauren seemed to enjoy laying underneath the trampoline eating snow

Burying the neighbor

Some more neighbors building a fort

Our lovely pile of winter clothes after hours of playing in the snow

Thursday fun:

More snow on the deck than yesterday

Shoveling the drive before the farmer plowed us out

Building a snow tunnel

Deep snow

The farmer dumped the snow into a tall hill by the mailbox

Another snow tunnel

You can see the snow was still falling but the kids loved playing in it for hours

Right now, it's 4 days since we received the 14" and snow is falling once again. It's gentle as I'm typing, but it's not supposed to stay that way. We are expecting another 7-10" with blizzard conditions. Our grocery stores have empty shelves as people have been stocking up on groceries. Yesterday, Sunday, the school districts decided to go ahead and close schools again for a 3rd snow day. I think kids could have gone in this morning, but it's the afternoon everyone's worried about. Tomorrow is supposed to be the worst, so I'm sure the school districts will have their 4th snow day. I also have a feeling Roger will be home tomorrow for a snow day, and may have to come home early today as the storm gets stronger.

The s'nome'man

 

Braces

Three weeks ago Evan got top teeth braces. They got put on in the morning and by the afternoon one bracket had popped off his tooth. I called the orthodontist and the receptionist asked if it was bothering him. I said no, so they did not want him to come back in to get it fixed until 4 days from then. It wasn't hurting him or anything but the bracket started swinging around on the wire and we just thought that was weird so I didn't even call back, we just went straight to the orthodontist and I was going to make them fix it. As soon as we walked in, the receptionist was actually glad to see us because she said as soon as she got off the phone with me she felt she should have told us to come on in. (Well, she could have called me back...but anyways, I'm glad I decided to just show up). They said the reason the bracket popped off the tooth was because that particular tooth had so much pressure on it. Another lady bonded it back on and we think she didn't bend back the end of the wire because Evan started noticing it poking him in the cheek. Once we got home, we fiddled around for a while trying to figure out how to get the wax on so it wouldn't rub so bad. Once we finally figured that out, and after two days of Motrin which is what the orthodontist told us to do, he was feeling a lot better.

I am happy to say that he is doing great. After those first couple of days, he has not had anything bothering him since. He is still adjusting to figuring out how to chew certain foods, and is doing a great job obeying what foods not to eat, but he sure misses his favorite dessert--popcorn. The lady who put his braces on was very impressed with what a good job he had been doing keeping his teeth clean, and they get rewards based on if he can keep his teeth that way. Even though I never had braces, the kids who did when I was Evan's age hated them and got teased a lot. Evan has had a great attitude through the whole ordeal and is just so happy that his teeth will be corrected. He says if anybody makes fun of him, we will just simply shrug and think about how nice his teeth will be once the braces come off. Just the other night he wanted me to look at his teeth because the gap between his front teeth was already closing and he was so excited! I never took a before pic of his teeth, but I found one from a couple of months ago, and then in the next pic you can see his teeth with the gap closing in. In 5 weeks he goes back to get braces put on his bottom teeth.