Blizzard!

Mom will get after me for using the word blizzard after I've been refusing to call this winter storm we had a blizzard! Yesterday I thought all the frenzy about a blizzard coming was dumb since they've been predicting a lot of things lately that haven't come! I woke up this morning though kind of hoping to see a lot of snow. Weathermen are saying we got a foot of snow. With all the blowing that happened too though, what you mostly see are 2-3 feet deep snow piles against fences and houses. The rest of the snow that wasn't blown is barely a foot deep. Here are some pictures...

Yesterday the backyard looked like this. You can FAINTLY see snow swirling around on the right. It was pretty windy!

The next morning, (today), the backyard looked like this.

 This is about the biggest drift we have. It's probably about 3-4 feet deep and is only in this corner.

 The garage door's imprint on the snow. I guess this drift was pretty high too.

Some more drifts by the fence...

 Meanwhile I get a text from a friend just down the road saying that they have snow up to 5 feet deep in some places and they are making tunnels!! Here are some pictures he sent...

This metal stick is 4 feet tall.

That's some DEEP snow!!! I wish that we had gotten such big drifts here! Wow!

And check out this picture! Some of this is a hill, but most of it is piled snow! I guess they got the REALLY high winds! :-)

So that's what the blizzard looks like over here at the Vander Hart's! How much snow did you get?

He's a Busy One!

Just to show you how busy Minte is, I took pictures! I've added pictures of what Ethan and Ana were doing at the same time so you can see how he's even busier than them!

10:52- Ethan is working on schoolwork

 10:53- Minte is helping Mommy with laundry.

 10:53- Ana is cuddled on the chair.

 10:53- Woody is following me everywhere. What fun.

10:55- Minte is putting a dump truck on his head. Strange.

 10:55- Ethan is still doing schoolwork.

10:56- Minte is getting into a bank. Naughty! (You know his history with pennies, right?)

 10:56- Ana is still tired.

10:58- Guess what? Minte is still playing with pennies! I wonder why? Maybe cause it's naughty... Naughty things seem to keep him busy the longest!  

11:02- He's finally been taken away from the pennies and is given a muffin to eat. And since he takes a long time to eat, this should be guaranteed to keep him still for 15 minutes. Hopefully. 

The Three Silly Kids

I was trying to take pictures of the kids. Like nice pictures.

 This one would be cute if MINTE WAS LOOKING!!!!

 I pretty much gave up after that because all my pictures were turning out like this one.

I think Ana was supposed to be saving her brothers. Don't ask me how. Or from what.


One of these days I will MAKE them sit nicely with nice faces and nice expressions and nice poses and nice everything. Until then I will be taking these pictures.

"Boo Boo Buddy!"

Because he likes Elmo, Santa got Minte an Elmo Boo Boo Buddy! Little did she..oops...HE know that it would be such an important thing in Min's hurts! Everytime Minte gets an "ouchy" he comes running with tears running down his face for kisses, hugs and cuddles. But it isn't long before Minte calls mournfully, "Booooo Booooo Buuuudddy!" That's when the magic begins. Sniffles slow down, and "ouchies" feel much better. It's just so amazing! :-)

Ethan's Birthday!

Today is Ethan's NINTH birthday!! He is getting way too old! Each year it's a struggle to recognize that he's turned yet another year older! Years go amazingly fast!

Happy 9th Birthday, E! We love you!!

Compare Heads

Two different hair-do's. Same smile. Two different places. Same face. Two different outfits. Same Minte.

Minte's Haircut!!

Min's hair was getting pretty long so Dad shaved it Sunday evening. Minte at first thought it was pretty cool since he had watched Luke's hair "come off", but after a while once the razor had gotten stuck in the snarls in his hair a few times, it was no longer fun. Towards the end he was screaming and crying. He was trying hard to be a big boy though and would try to calm down to answer a question or comment about a distraction.  

 Here Minte is before. Man, that hair was nearly as big as his face!

 Halfway done, Dad took a break with Min so that Minte could have a break and so that he could watch Ethan get his hair trimmed. So here Min is with his hair half done!!

 And the finished buddy boy!!! Oh my gosh, he's SO cute!!! And he looks so old in this picture!

So this is what Minte looks like now! I LOVE IT! I have to keep giving him hugs and kisses because I"m still not used to it and I LOVE his new hair!!!!