Snovember Part 2

 Well it happened again!  Another Snovember storm!  About 8 years ago we got hit with a ridiculous snow storm in November and it has happened again.  Everyone started talking about it last Monday and we all blew it off.  It snows all the time here and whenever the weathermen make a big deal about a storm, it never usually ends up happening!

Well this time, it happened!

It snowed overnight on Thursday (exactly as predicted) and just didn't stop!  We lost power around 7am and it didn't go back on until around1.  But honestly it was fine and we didn't even use the generator!

Thank God for Mark and Oliver!  They shoveled like crazy for hours!

And Claire did our part too!

But it just wouldn't stop!  These pictures are all from Friday, the 18th!

Saturday morning the sun was shining and it FINALLY stopped snowing! So Mark got up and got right to work clearing us out of the driveway.  The plan was to get one car out and one lane out to the street so we could leave if we had to.  There was a driving ban so no one could really anywhere but it felt good to be free!

We decided to just clear a path from our door to my parents so that if they needed to get out they could just use our car for now.

I still can't even believe that Mark (with some help from Oliver) shoveled all of that snow.  We really need to think about investing in a snowblower.

Claire and I came out and helped clear off the car!

Sweet success!  This took much longer than you would think it did!

There was just so much snow but, it was really just so pretty!  I loved being snowed in!  Claire and I baked and watched some fun TV, Oliver snuggled up and watched all kinds of sports and really helped Mark out. Life is so crazy busy that I love us all being "stuck" together.  Well, as long as my rockstar husband keeps shoveling me out lol.

Yesterday we shoveled out my parents (and I can say we this time because Claire and I went out and helped poor Mark) and cleared off their cars!

Then we had to get salt so a stop at Starbucks was necessary! 

Then school closed again for Tuesday so we decided it was perfect time to walk up to Fattys and do some day drinking!

We even talked our neighbors into meeting us!  We had a blast!  Can't say that I hate Snovember the Sequel!

Back To School Prep

 So summer is winding down and we are getting ready for back to school!

Lots of prep for my new Lil Monsters!

The always fun school supply shopping!

And some fun setting up my room with friends!  It's gonna be a great year!!!

I am not sure why this is just posting now but...here's a recap lol!

Happy Halloween!

So Halloween came and went this year! I can't believe it is already November and I haven't blogged anything!

Halloween gets a little boring as the kids get older but we still made it fun!

 

We had our annual Halloween Bash at my in laws.  And the kids had a blast carving pumpkins and running around.  Claire had to leave early to babysit but we still had a blast.  We were just missing our Rochester crew!

Claire did her annual Beggar's Night with her friends and then went to a haunted house!

I did Trunk or Treat at school.  And even though my trunk wasn't the best, dressing like Elmo was a hit with the little ones!

Then I got strep throat just in time for Halloween!!!! So our Halloween tradition of trick or treating at our house looked a little different this year but we still made it work.  I stayed home and gang went to the Cappelli's house this time!

Love our sharks!  And I love that the girls still like to dress up together!

The whole gang!  Oliver didn't really care what he was this year, so we busted out the old milk carton!

I love that they still want to trick or treat and that we can still be around for it!  I will take it for as long as I can!

Happy Halloween!!!

John

 On September 14th, my brother John had a heart attack and passed away.  It was a shock and we are all still working through it.  I have lost a lot of people that I love and I consider myself to be someone who understands grief and knows how to work through it.  But losing a sibling is different from anything I have ever felt in my life.

No matter what was going on or what was happening, no one in this world could make me laugh like my brother John.

Losing a sibling is losing a part of your family, part of who you are.  And it is lonely.  

John, we will miss your smiles, sarcastic comments, and jokes every day.  No one will ever make me laugh like you did, ever. Love you brother. 

September Recap

 So I missed the whole month of September.  September was not the best month for us over here.  On September 14th I lost my brother John. It was sad and heartbreaking for all of us but he will get his whole own post when I am ready.

On this post I want to recap all the good stuff that happened this month!

We spent our last weekend up at the lake!

We all started school (I will do another post with our goals for the year).

Claire started 10th grade!

Oliver started 7th grade!

We snuck back out to the lake for one more beach weekend!

Mark got COVID on my birthday so we couldn't do much.

But we celebrated with some take out chinese and sushi!

And I read more books!

Claire went to homecoming!

And the girls all wore heels this year and not just sneakers!

And that was September in a really quick nutshell!