It's a Boy!!

We had our 18 week ultrasound yesterday and discovered that blue is the word for the day! We were so thrilled to see our little boy kicking around and touching his toes on the screen. Daddy got to pick out his first outfit...surprised at the choice in camo? We figured that our little guy is getting ready for sheep hunting someday with all those leg kicks going on.

I'm feeling him move every day now, several times a day. What an incredible feeling to know he's growing and moving while I go about my day.

Cold Days

Those of you from the "Lower 48" might wonder what a thermometer looks like at 50 below. Well, here's a picture of it one morning after we got a call that school had been cancelled for the day. They cancel up here if the temperature reaches 50 below by 6 am. We celebrated, even though we'd had just returned from Christmas break for one day back at school with kids. The next day was also 50 below, so we missed two school days for what they call "cold days" here.

So what do you do when it's 50 below? I got on the phone and had a great talk with my parents for starters. I also worked on curtains and chair pads for our dining room and kitchen. I did get outdoors to go to the store and get mail, but only after bundling up pretty good. You can survive in that kind of cold, you just have to prepare for it.

Nephews

Here are some pictures of my two adorable nephews. Thomas was born December 21st in Auckland, New Zealand and is doing well, hoping to come home from the hospital soon. Collin Ray (Mansfield, MO) turned 4 December 21st of this year. He still enjoys weekend visits with my parents from time to time. Notice that both Thomas and Collin Ray share the same birthday!

Today is the last day of our Christmas vacation, although we have a weekend before we return to school. Russ and I went back to our rooms today to get our heads on straight for the new school semester. As usual, after a break, we feel excited about starting fresh with our students. I feel more comfortable with the curriculum now and look forward to personalizing it a bit more.

I just made chocolate chip cookies after taking a break from sewing for awhile. I made new curtains for our dining room and kitchen. (I've had the material for months, but just now got motivated to get to work!)

We both wish all of you a very blessed and Happy New Year!