My Girls...

They are only four years apart and sometimes they get along and sometimes they don't!

She is the comedian of the family along with her dad!

We are trying to be aggressive with her warts.  Despite the numerous laser and chemical treatments, we are not having much luck.  She is continuously happy and optimistic and looks like she is ready for the boxing ring everytime she comes home from the doctor's office.  What a trooper!

Finally...

This picture was taken last Saturday.  We were burried once again!  The kids and I went out exploring because we were sick and tired of being cooped up.  Needless to say we didn't last very long in this winter wonderland of ours.

But a miracle happened on Friday!!!  We haven't seen this miracle since January and it was a welcome sight.  The sun was shining for the first time in months, really, it has been months!!!  The blue sky does exist!!!  The temperature made it to the low 40's and I swear we feel like summer is here!  The trees look dead, but who blames them after such a harsh winter?

We even discovered our long lost driveway!

We do have grass!!!!  Spring might actually happen.  The kids and I are convinced the snow is finished for the season, but Tim keeps warning us not to get the sandals and shorts ready yet because it is only March and Old Man Winter is just teasing us!  We actually do like your teasing, please let it last a few weeks.......

So we pulled out the short-sleeved shirts and opened all the blinds to just eat that sunshine up!!! 

 Hurry Spring!

Tomorrow we are forecasted to make it into the 50's!  You just can't imagine the happiness in this corner of the world.  I'm planning my garden even though it is still under snow.

Crazed!

There isn't much I can say about this little ham-bone, her face says it all!

This is what my kids do for fun!

Someday our grass will be this green again.  Maybe it already is because the snow has been moisturizing it so much!  Needless to say, I am ready for spring.  Dallin and Carley and the dog were playing "king of the mountain" on snow mounds in our driveway today.  I can't find my camera cord or I would show you some of these funny pictures of the dog on top of the mounds and the kids looking up at him.  They keep life fun!

I Wonder...

The most wonderful lessons in a classroom come from those not even planned.  After graphing today's high temperature on our science graph, we made clouds out of shaving cream and Elmer's glue, it was FUN!  We made cirrus, cumulus, stratus, and cumulonimbus clouds, they turned out so beautiful!!!!  We were hanging them in the hallway and one of my students said out of the blue, "I wonder so many things Mrs. Busch."  "Like what Griffin?"  "I wonder what the longest word in the english language is."  "That's a really interesting wonder."  Another student that was in the hallway said, "I wonder how many languages there are in the world."  So I grabbed that and ran with it.........we all went back into the classroom after admiring our clouds and I asked more students what they wonder.  Hands flew into the air.  So.......we made an "I Wonder..." chart in our classroom.  I put little sticky notes out so students can write down their wonders, it is filled!!!  So this afternoon we traveled down to the computer lab and library and tried to answer some of those "I wonders...."  It was an amazing day!  I didn't lecture, but they were learning and reading, it was truly amazing.

The longest word in the english language as of this moment:  pneumonoultramicroscropicsilicvolcaroconiosis

"To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves."

Our Winter Wonderland!

Might as well get used to these winters and just face the fact that I am now a northern girl from the south.  My blood is very slowly becoming thicker!  These bitter wind chills and less than desirable driving conditions are WONDERFUL!  I love them!!!  This newest member of our family loves when we bundle up and come out to play with him in the snow.  It really is beautiful!  At least I have a warm home and I don't work far from our home on those terrible driving days!  Life is good! 

The Kick-Me Sign

I caught Carley red-handed!  She was so proud of herself for successfully putting a sticky-note on Dallin's back without him noticing.  He walked around totally unaware of the doings of his little sister.  I told her that he probably wasn't going to be very happy with her for putting a "kick-me" sign on his back.  "Mom, I would never do a thing like that!"  As I looked closer it wasn't a mean sign at all, but very loving.  Why do I always jump to conclusions?  Note to self:  please learn to look for the loving little acts that happen right under your nose every single day!

How Did You Celebrate New Years?

We know some of you were enjoying a stay at the hospital with a sweet new baby.  And some of you were partying the night away.

Well, we went south to warmer weather and the hospitality of some of my favorite people!

We got to ring 2010 in with the biggest of celebrations!

I was reminded of the joy of cooking while visiting.  I came home and made smoothies, the healthy kind, and huevos rancheros.  Tim was thrilled with my cooking excitement!

We were introduced to a Brazilian delicacy, Guarana.  We even got to bring some home, what a wonderful surprise!  And I learned a few things on making my blog a little better!

Carley and Dallin enjoyed renewing friendships with their cousins.  Just as we were leaving, Avery was getting used to me!  We will just have to get back down there more often!










Thanks for the fun time!  We can't wait to see you again soon!  Wait until all this snow melts though!