Winter Ball, Coloring, and A Princess in the Snow

 Goodness, I love this young man💓! I love his heart. I love how he tries to hop out of the car first so he can open up the driver's door for me and help me out. I love getting hugs from him throughout each day. I love the questions that he has for me and the conversations we have together. I love how he is always coming up and measuring his height to mine. I feel very blessed that I get to be his mom. Yesterday he made this note for me..............

 He had drawn a picture on the back of the note and had surrounded the clipboard/note with color pencils and color crayons so that I could color the picture he drew for me. I took half an hour just to lay on the floor and talk to him while I colored. Here is the finished product:

 Here is my little snow princess........

 

 

 The girls went to the Winter Ball last night. I had not known this little fact about LDS history, but apparently the Winter Ball is like the Gold and Green Balls held in times past. Did you know the first one was held in 1922?? I think they should bring this tradition back. Rhaevyn and Aeva were both so nervous before their dates arrived. They had only met their dates once, when they were being asked to the ball. Rhaevyn had made a list of questions to keep the conversation going. I had kindly been asked to not talk or ask questions. I have a habit of asking a lot of questions, and I suppose that I don't let the girls get enough talking in. As I drove them to the church, both couples were very talkative, and this set my own heart at ease. Rhaevyn's date was Wesley, and Aeva's date was Cooper. Both young men were gentlemen and very nice and friendly. It was very interesting how each couple was paired together, or chosen to be paired together. We are friends with the Stake YW president and the first counselor. Much of how they were paired together had to do with things they might have in common. Both Wesley and Rhaeyvn love to cook and bake. I wasn't really sure what inspired the leaders to put Aeva and Cooper together, but on the ride home Aeva and I were saying that it was probably for a reason that the leaders could not have been aware of......so it had to just be true inspiration. 
Apparently, Cooper and Aeva had talked to each other throughout the night about a friend, not saying the friend's name. They finally figured out that they had both been talking about the same person, Aeva's best-friend who is currently living in Germany. I guess Cooper and his family are going to be visiting this friend over the summer while on a European vacation. Knowing that they both had a friend in common made the evening even sweeter. 
Both girls really enjoyed the Winter Ball and getting to know their dates. Although they were tired and their feet were sore from all the dancing, they had smiles on their faces at the end of the night!! 
 
Getting ready, arrival of dates, boutonnieres and corsages: 

 

 

 

They had to come up with their own pose.....................Sound of Music pose......... 

 .

 We started playing Monopoly for Family Home Evening at the beginning of the week, and we are on our third day of playing it. We keep packing the game up, leaving a note of who is where on the board and everyone's money and property paper clipped together. Meg is our cheerleader. She cheers and claps every time the dice is rolled.

 And so ends another week at the Lindsay residence.

Snowtastic!

Everyone loves Molly!! Well just about everyone. The kids keep asking if I love her yet. I will get there, I am sure, eventually..... when all my dirt and germ phobias have been tackled. I like her, and the kids are helping me to love her. I must like her an awful lot though because I do sit and pet her, I've now given her another bath, I have been known to take her out to go potty in the dark when it is freezing cold, I talk to her like she's a little baby and even call her "Love" like I do my own kids. I feel a Fiddler on the Roof song coming on......

 
 There was no church on Sunday due to a snow and ice storm Saturday night. It was not horrible, and church probably could have remained scheduled, but it was nice to stay all bundled and warm inside. We watched some videos on Mormon. org, played Jenga (which technically I won except for an unnamed cheater), and Go Fish as a family, and then Chris played Playmobile with Meg.

 She may be "California Dreamin'" with all the snow we've had (and rain). I had to chuckle seeing that she found a spot of sun to lay in on Thursday.

 The girls each got to attend their new classes once before the big snowstorm hit. They both really like their teachers and classes they have this quarter. Aeva is taking CGT (computer drawing), Japanese II, and Ballroom Dance. She is thinking she might also do a class for traditional Japanese dance. It is free; they need dancers for the Spring Cherry Blossom festival. They even give you a traditional dress to wear. She is just a bit excited about that! Rhaevyn is taking Sociology and English 102. She is trying to get into a piano class, but it's not looking promising. There is always next quarter.

So Tuesday evening the wind was a blowing and the snow was coming down. Myles just had to go out and experience the wind and snow. He said it was crazy windy and cold!! It was still coming down halfway through Wednesday. Depending on where you were in the Portland/Vancouver area between 7-12 inches of snow fell. We got about 8 inches where we are. There has been no seminary or college classes all week. The kids really have enjoyed having all this snow. We have loved how magical it is. I love looking at it at night and marvel at the quietness. It is so different then quiet at other times.

 All bundled up and ready to play in the snow. The other kids were laughing at how bundled up she was. It reminded them of A Christmas Story.

 

 Myles, Elsa, and the neighbor boy built this snow fort. 

 Love this picture of the four kiddos hugging out in the snow.

At one point Myles was pulling Elsa and Aeva on a little sled.

Meg dancing and twirling and then hunkering down on the warm heater vent.

Since it was a snow day, Aeva's Japanese teacher gave them the assignment to create something out of snow. She opted to make a snowman from one of the Dr. Who episodes.

 Rhaevyn had seen a few months back an advertisement for all those who served LDS missions in Korea. There was going to be a 60th reunion. It looked like it was going to be really neat.  A gentleman in our ward served his mission there and went to the reunion. I visited with him for a bit today and asked him about it. Turns out there is an hour long recording of the program. It was a great way to spend part of our Sunday watching it. Two of the piano guys are even in it, and there is some history of the mission in the recording as well. I thought I'd post the link in case anyone is interested.

LDS Korean Mission Reunion:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gB-7DMmQvJ4

 While we loved the snow, we are ready for some sunshine and even rain that will bring warmer weather and melt the ice. Wishing you all a lovely week!

A Lesson in Answered Prayers

 If you've kept up with the blog, you might remember me writing about my "Where the Red Fern Grows" boy. My tenderhearted boy who sheds tears when we leave the Humane Society without a dog. My sweet guy who has been praying for just about a year for a dog.
If you know me well, you'll know that while I grew up with dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, pigs, etc., as an adult I have not been an animal person. I said I'd never own a dog, and for that matter any pet. You'll know I'm a germaphobe, and that is part of the reason for no pets. Pets are nice when they belong to other people, and I don't really have to touch them. Everyone has their quirkiness, and that just happens to be mine; all I see is germs. It takes all kinds to make the world go round, and I'm just helping out with that :)

Now, my heart has been softening somewhat. My heart had come to think it might be nice to own a dog while at the same time there was screaming going on inside my head with logic (according to my world) of germs, germs, germs.

About a month ago the family decided to have a family prayer about getting a dog. I think I did mention that in one of my posts. We've talked to the kids about asking for specifics in prayers when you have a good desire (No dear, I don't mean a new tv that doesn't have a green screen). Since I had the most hangups, I was voted to give the prayer.............no shedding, trained, in our budget (meaning free). The kids' faith was waning this past week and a half. They have made comments this past week of how we'd never get a dog. I kept telling them, especially Myles, that God is perfect and he knows us perfectly. His timing is perfect, he is aware of our circumstances, and his answer would be the best answer............
whether that was no or not yet.

So, Tuesday I just felt impressed to check Facebook in the afternoon. What do you think popped up???? A post saying that this little cutie needed a new home:

I was sure a cost was involved, but I got all jittery, which usually is a sign that tells me I should take action. So, with the kids gathered around me I began asking how to find out more information. Such a funny chain of people involved:
Jenni A. (a lady from our old ward here in Battle Ground)
Paula A. (Jenni's mother-in-law who lives in Red Bluff, California)
Doug L. (Paula's Cousin in Utah and dad to owner of dog)
Haley L. (she and her husband, Cameron, own the dog and are in LA)
Janine (Cameron's mom in Vancouver, Wa)

The world of Facebook can be so wonderful..............
I finally was put in touch with Haley. Super sweet and we both shed tears on the phone. Obviously she was crying because they are having to say good bye to this sweet girl, and I was crying because this was all the things we asked for in our prayer. It could not have been more perfect.

The funny, or interesting, part of the story is that the doggie is here in Vancouver. She was flown up here for Christmas, as her family was going to be making their way up here to visit Cameron's mom for Christmas. Cameron is in the Marines and will be serving overseas at an embassy, and the family cannot take the dog. She is a poodle and three years old. Cameron won't be leaving until April, and he hadn't thought he'd need to find the doggie a home yet. He is currently in Virginia, and this was hard because he didn't feel he got to give a proper goodbye to his baby (yep, it's his dog) The airlines would not fly the dog home since our temps are under 45 degrees. The family went home, and she stayed with Cameron's mom. Janine can't keep the dog because she rents her house, and no dogs are allowed on a permanent basis. The day before we got to meet the doggie Janine (the mom) tried to get her on a flight back to Los Angeles. It was 44 degrees, one degree off, and it was a no go.
We learned that Janine moved a while back from California. We asked where??? San Jose and Sacramento. We mentioned we were from Santa Rosa. She commented how she loves that area and lived there briefly when she was a teen. She said we probably didn't know her aunt and uncle, The McGee's. What????? I replied that they were in my ward as a teen, and I knew their daughter Christy. Small world we thought. What are the odds? I almost asked her if she knew someone I know in Sacramento, but I thought better of it because it's a big place and there are a lot of LDS in that area. It seemed ridiculous to bring it up.

We brought the dog home, and the kids are so in love with her. She is such a good little doggie. Her name is Teja (Tay-uh). Both the owners served their missions in Albania, and it's an Albanian name apparently. I think we are going to change her name to Molly. The older girls like Dinah (like the cat in Alice in Wonderland), but Molly sounds so cute when Meg says it. She can't quite get Dinah. I think Molly seems to suit her. If you have any cute suggestions pass them along.

Yesterday I was at the store and ran in to my best friend, and I was telling her about our little miracle dog; the whole story of how this all came about. She asked, "so the lady who was taking care of her lived in Sacramento and her name is Janine?" She thought that was funny because her sister, Jenn, who lives in Sacramento had a friend name Janine who moved up here to Vancouver, Washington. She texted her sister quickly with the last name and sure enough they are friends!!!!! Our world got even smaller. What made it funnier was the fact that it was Jenn I was going to see if Janine knew at all in Sacramento.

So, this was a great testimony builder and lesson about answered prayers and how Heavenly Father really is aware of us, hears us, and answers our prayers in the best way at the best time.
And here I find myself, a dog owner, and actually learning to love it simply because I see how much my kids are loving her and how they are finding so much joy in her. We are learning a lot! I gave her her first bath on Wednesday. Our Primary President said she'd teach Myles how to groom her.

The kids love to cover her up with this blanket and watch her fall asleep and snuggle her nose into the blanket.

Chris would have loved a dog when we first got married, but I had told him it would never happen. I guess one should never say never.

A boy and his dog <3 br="">

Taking some relaxation time while Meg naps.

Hide and seek with Myles.

Keeping a watch over Aeva as she takes a nap.

Myles taking her for her first walk. She is used to warm weather in L.A. It's been in the teens and 20's here.

On Wednesday Rhaevyn went and canned apple pie filling. Mmmmmm.

Aeva's winter ball date finally showed up last night. We thought he'd call to at least make sure she was home. He would have seen her if he hadn't gone to the wrong house first. As he was getting back into the car from the wrong house, Aeva, Chris, and Rhaevyn were leaving the cul-de-sac. Oh well. He brought her iced snowflake sugar cookies.

I wasn't quite thinking when he came to the door because I was doing three things at once with just Meg and the doggie home with me (and doggie barking), so I gave him the answer for Aeva.
She had made an origami crane with a note stating that yes, she would go, and  she looks forward to it in Japanese; with English translation. However, we are thinking of possibly another thing to drop off to him so at least they can meet face to face before the ball.

Well, we are slowly getting back into schoolwork. This weekend there is supposed to be a winter storm of snow and ice, and Monday the girls start back to school.
Fun, fun!!!!!