Wednesday

After a morning storm

First Day

Maddie started kindergarten today!

Sunday

Wrestling with Dad

Christmas Tea - Sunday

We went to Christmas Tea at the historic Sequim-Dungeness Schoolhouse.

Kids trying out the desks and chalkboard



The Schoolhouse
Steitler at the teacher's desk
Kids with the Christmas Village

Saturday

Choppy water as we went over the Hood Canal Bridge

Kids in Ben's office

Ferry parking in Port Angeles Oil rig boat in Port Angeles

Our ride up Lost Mountain Road this morning

Thursday

At some point, it will no longer be spectacular to walk out of any store in Sequim, look up and see these mountains...but until then, we will stare in awe like tourists.

Kids in Home Depot parking lot Our Wal-Mart
Nearly every building looks like a trading post

The angle of roof you see belongs to Home Depot Kids in Wal-Mart parking lot

Christmas Photo Shoot

Take 2:

Overheard

Preface: Sequim is a small town and the majority of the residents are retired.

e: We need to run to Staples tonight.
B: Well, why don't you go and I'll stay here with the kids.
e: I don't want to be in Sequim after dark by myself.
B: Why? Are you afraid someone will make you play Bingo?

Saturday Road Trip

Navy shipyard The Hood Canal Bridge
War protest in Sequim

Headed toward Sequim from Bremerton on Hood Canal Bridge

Saturday

Friday

Today

I am thankful for family and friends .

Today...

...I am thankful for these beautiful flowers that Ben's employees had delivered Saturday morning to welcome us to Washington.

Neighbors

Yesterday afternoon the kids and I bundled up in ridiculously inappropriate winter clothes and headed outside to play in the snow. Maddie was wearing a pair of Steitler's swishy basketball pants (because they seemed to be water - proof) , 2 long sleeved shirts, a pink rain jacket, a scarf and rain boots. Steitler was sporting an identical pair of pants, 2 shirts, Maddie's blue rain jacket, my scarf and rain boots. I ducked my head outside to check and see if any neighbors were out. Thankful that our first impression was not going to be the Clampett's Vacation in Washington, I herded the kids outside where both proceeded to immediately fall on top of each other, as it is very hard to walk with snow up to your knees. There was plenty of snow to make a dozen snowmen, however, our hands were cold so we made a smaller version of a snowman's head. Improvising, we gave him nickel eyes, a baby peeled carrot nose, a smile made out of pennies and celery arms. One of Steitler's old winter hats and Maddie's too-small pink mittens completed the snowman. Just as the kids were finishing up throwing snowballs at me, our next door neighbor walks out of his garage. Introductions are made and he says, "Can you believe this weather?"
"So this is not normal?" I ask.
"Oh no. We usually get a few snows each winter with a couple inches but that is about it." he said. I was delighted because Ben had said this was unusual but what does he know, he has not lived here in the winter and he knows how I feel about icy cold weather. I thought Ben was sugar -coating the weather for my benefit.
"In fact," he continued, " I think it was probably the late 80's when I saw this much snow fall. We were in South Carolina, I think it was January and they had a freak snowstorm that dumped like a foot of snow on the ground."
"I was there! I used to live in SC and I was 9 years old and we did not have school for almost 2 weeks! It was the most snow we had ever seen." I exclaimed.
I would have busted out a cartwheel if my legs had not been frozen. He said his dad had been stationed in Charleston, SC back then. I was so excited that someone knew where SC was and had been there! He, his wife and their 4 kids moved here from Las Vegas several years ago.
Maddie and Steitler joined their kids building snow forts until their hands were so cold that they hurt.
I am not sure which was more exciting: finding out that our neighbors seem pleasant and have children to play with in the neighborhood, or hearing the mention of SC in a random conversation.

Happy

Just a few things that make me happy today - our 3rd snowed- in day.


Freshly ironed shirts
Super capacity washer and dryer
Holiday decorations
Winter wonderland from my living room window

Still Snowing

9 inches and still snowing