Super Saturdays

Blake recently participated in Western Kentucky University's Winter Super Saturdays.  His class this semester was at the Louisville Science Center.  He picked the course, "Engineering Extremes".  For four Saturdays he went and together with other kids, he made a tower out of newspaper and tape, designed an artificial heart, made an artificial hand and a launcher with pulleys/springs and other materials. 
He really enjoyed the class and had fun trying to make all the different things.

Here are a few pictures:

SNOW day

Friday was our first snow day of the school year.  It is definitely a different experience when my boys know I may have some input into whether or not we get to have a snow day!  Thursday night it sounded like a huge blizzard outside with winds howling.  In about 30 minutes our street and yard were completely covered.  My principal called about 5:30 am and we made the decision to cancel school for the day.  The boys were thrilled when they woke up and realized we hadn't gotten them up for school!

Because it was so cold (10 degrees but felt like -8 with windchill), we didn't actually play out in the snow until Saturday when we woke up to a few more inches!  They spent their day Friday playing, building Legos and vegging out - which was fine by me!

The boys helped Daddy shovel the driveway and sidewalk up to our house.

They enjoyed sledding and making snowballs.

Jake watched from the front door.  I was leaving to take Blake to a class in Louisville, so he didn't get to go play.  I'm hoping we have another big snow so he will get to try it out!

Christmas Decor Around Our House

We have been doing some remodeling projects in our home.  Because of that, I have been VERY delinquent in posting on my blog.  I started several Christmas blog posts and didn't finish them.  Since it is now January 31 and I have taken down my Christmas decorations, here are a few of my favorites from around the house:



The front door:

The porchlights

The stockings hung on the mantle:

The awe and wonder of the lights on the tree for the first time

The Little People Nativity set - one of my favorites

The tree FINALLY up in the front room - the week before Christmas.  

You can see the wreaths on the windows and the touch of snow outside.

I didn't even put out all of my Christmas stuff this year.  It was the week before Christmas and we had finally finished the front room enough to put up the Christmas tree and I put a few other things out around the house.  Santas and other Christmas decor only got a brief showing.  I told Greg next year I am decorating at Thanksgiving.  Hopefully we won't be knee deep in drywall dust and demolition next year!

Obviously, Christmas is not about a decoration, a tree or all the "essentials".  It is a season of hope and love.  It is a time to reflect on the precious gift God gave us when he sent his son, Jesus, to be born of Mary.  It is a time to spend with family and friends we hold dear.  It is a time to do for others and give generously to those in need.

I pray you and yours had a Merry Christmas this year and are looking forward to a new and exciting 2013!