Shov-hell

Yeah, that's at least 7-8 inches more on top of the 8-10 inches we had a couple of weeks ago (and it's still snowing). That doesn't include 1-2 inch snowfalls in between.



We have a lot of snow on the ground folks. If it wasn't for Harry across the street with a little snowblower help on the bottom part of the driveway, we'd really be suffering.

Now that I'm done whining, we are having an awesome time living in Northern Illinois. We love Woodstock, the people in the community we are getting to know, and yes, even the snow and cold. It's funny how quickly we have gotten used to the cold. I know that as winter drags on and spring comes far too late, we will struggle to keep our chins up. But we are enjoying the winter so far.

You can keep up with our ministry by visiting our church website and my other blog.

Concert

Molly and I were treated to a concert tonight starring Sarah and Elijah. For their age and ability, it was astounding.

Comin' Home

Well, our latest mini-vacation was a hit, enjoyed by all.





The family is home, and I (Steve) am on a planning retreat for a few days. It's gonna be pretty cold through Sunday up here, but us northerners can hack it. :)

Vacation pics...
Waterslides and Such
We Don't Need Water to Play
The Family Who Eats Together Stays Together

Vacationing

We are away from home and enjoying the silence and solitude. I'll be doing a ton of planning and praying the end of this week, so it's nice to get away for a bit first. We have been hitting indoor waterslides and Molly and I watched the first 2 hours of "24" last night. Next 2 hours coming tonight. Very good so far.

About ready to eat lunch (brats and potato something) and then later we are off (just down the road a bit) to the MooseJaw Pizza and Brewing Company for some dinner. It's a cool looking place,midpriced with pizza and lot more, including a microbrewery. Should be an interesting meal. I'll be sure to tell you about it in a couple of days.

Digging Out

Have you ever heard someone say they could tell a storm was coming because of the way their "trick knee" felt? Well, I know a snow storm came through Chicago because of my aching back. I've never in my life experienced this much digging out. We've seen much more snow while living in Colorado, but we didn't have a driveway then!

But today it's a beautiful day, below freezing, but just a little. Blue skies and crisp air. Refreshing and beautiful white. We took the kids sledding. Here are a few pics of Sarah. As you can tell, the hill was packed with people. It was Emrickson Park on a designated sledding hill.