Our Snowy Winter Wonderland Day

 Hey y'all!  Here is the post that I promised that includes tons of our snow day pictures.  We actually had a SNOW DAY here in Alabama which is not normal and was soooooo exciting for us all!  Jesse and I were actually at his family's house when it snowed and we had lots and lots of fun together. :-)

 We finally ended up with a grand, whopping total of 5 inches! Yay!

I know that isn't a whole lot for some of y'all, but it was a big deal around here.

  Everything looked so pretty covered in the fluffy snow.

We also got to enjoy some yummy treats included hot chocolate and

Snow Cream!!! (click here for the recipe)

Actually, we ended up making some chocolate snow cream too, using chocolate milk instead of regular (and omitting the vanilla) and it turned out great!

Gina, Alice, and Chelsey

Jesse and Alice

Just a warning, I included a whole bunch of pictures:

 Sadly, we didn't get to go sledding this year.  But, last year when it snowed, Jesse and his friends tied an old truck hood to the back of a pickup and pulled us all around.  Probably not the safest thing to do, but it was awesome! :-)

A whole pile of cold puppies trying to stay warm. :-)

Alice's snow angel

 This is the snowman that Alice and Charlene had fun making!

 No snow day would be complete without making a giant snowman.

 This is Jesse's snow turtle creation.

Gavin absolutely LOVED playing in the snow!!!

 (sorry for all the baby pictures, but they were just too cut not to include)

We had a very awesome, happy snow day!

Do any of y'all get a lot of snow where you live?

What kind of stuff do y'all normally do when it snows?

Snow Cream Recipe!!!

Hey y'all!  We've been having tons of fun today, because it SNOWED!!!  That doesn't happen very often here in Alabama, so we were all super excited.  In addition to all the snowball fights and snowman making, we made this delicious, winter dessert: Snow Cream. Yay! :-)

Snow Cream Recipe

4 cups freshly fallen, clean snow

1 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

We actually didn't have any milk today, but we did have half-and-half, so here

is a variation of the above recipe.

Snow Cream with Half-and-Half

16 cups freshly fallen snow

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp. vanilla extract

 The snow cream was such a treat after we

all came in from playing in the snow.

 Gavin really loved the snow and had loads of fun!

(tons more snow pictures to come soon in another post)

 First, you'll need to collect buckets of clean, freshly fallen, snow.

 Our little helper! :-)

 Start by mixing in a large bowl the

 Sugar

 Half-and-half or milk

 and vanilla extract.

Mix thoroughly.

 Then stir in snow.

Serve and Enjoy!!!

Last year we added strawberries and it was really good.

You could also try chocolate syrup or any other fruits.

Be creative! :-)

How do y'all make snow cream?

What other kinds of snowy dishes have y'all tried?

Our Valentine's Day

Jesse gave me these potted, mini roses and the sweetest card ever!

Hey y'all!  So much has been going on around here lately and I know this post is a little late, but this is how we spent our 3rd Valentine's Day together as a married couple.  I had hoped to finally write out our love story, from the time Jesse and I first met to our wedding day (since so many people have asked us).  Maybe, I still will soon, but for now, this is how we spent our Valentine's day. :-)

First, early that morning (actually at about 4:30 a.m.), I made Jesse a romantic breakfast with heart-shaped cinnamon rolls and a piece of toast, that I had cut a heart shape out of the middle of, and fried an egg in that empty heart space.  Shortly after eating, we went to Collinsville, Al to the trade day/flea market that they have every Saturday morning.

While there, Jesse bought a 270 rifle, which he later traded with another guy there, for this 243 break action ( so there would be a little less kick for me and Gavin when he gets old enough to learn to shoot) that he gave me as a present!  'Cause every husband gives his wife a rifle for Valentine's Day right?

The three of us had an awesome day going to antique stores and such all over the place, then had a pleasant walk by the water and enjoyed a most beautiful sunset!

Our little giggly Gavin is so much fun. :-)

He had fun watching all the birds.

I love sunsets and they always remind of God's great love for us!

Finally, last, but certainly not least!  We were surprised along with the rest of Jesse's family, with this amazing dinner that Chelsey worked all day on and made for us all!  (You are so sweet Chelsey and we love you so much!)

She went all out and everything was simply gorgeous!

Even complete with pretty lights strung throughout the house.

We all had a card at our plates with our names on them and sweet notes inside about why she loves each one of us.

All of the food was delicious!!!

For desert we ate this beautiful cake (that tasted sooooo good) she had made by a friend.

This was such a special surprise to end the night and all prepared by this lovely lady.

We love you Chelsey, and thank you so much! :-)

All in all, this was definitely one of the funnest Valentine's Days I've ever had.

And I am so blessed to be able to spend it with the my wonderful husband, darling baby, and such a loving family.

"The Lord came to us from far away, saying, "I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. So I have helped you come to Me with loving-kindness. "". Jeremiah 31:3

"...I have found the one whom my soul loves."

Song of Solomon 3:4

How did y'all spend Valentine's Day?