friday's snow day

It was freezing!!!

Blizzards, -40 degrees, howling winds.

Just terrible.

Okay, well, actually it was a beautiful day out, but since the US Embassy requested all US citizens to remain at home, we thought we would take it literally.

And while all the mayhem is pretty much over, we have all those blessed memories to cherish in our hearts forever.

Our day consisted of:

Playing in the laundry baskets while mom did 10 loads of laundry.

Each of the kids using the camera to take close to one hundred thousand pictures (yes, I am prone to exaggeration).

Snuggling up together (while mom folded all that laundry.... good thing it is her favorite house-hold task). It was a snow day - don't judge me by my appearance, all right?? Not the most flattering picture.....

Rearranging the chesterfield several different ways - building forts, etc. Finally settling on this cozy arrangement.

Watching "Ok Go" music videos on YouTube. They really are so entertaining. We highly recommend them!!

The neighbor kids came down and played for quite a while as well..... It is so great having them (although it often feels like we have 6 kids instead of 4.... for some strange reason they are at our house most of the time). They had such a great time playing that we didn't end up doing any of the things I had "planned" - which was completely okay by me!

On another note, regarding the whole shmazzle that went on, we know some people have suffered deeply because of it. Even though I have been fairly light-hearted about the problems with the police and all that, I know that it was a serious event, and for many, a terrible, horrible day.

The guard at our church is one of those people. We found out on Sunday that his nephew was working at the hospital, where much of this went down, guarding an ill prisoner. He was called into action and was shot. He is in critical condition..... a husband and father. And that is only one family we know that was affected.

Down by the hospital, along one of the walls where much of the fighting happened, there are (we have not gone down there) many memorials set up - flowers, candles, etc. and several people there crying and praying over lost loved ones.

So while the events are pretty well over for us, the pain is still very real for them.