ICE in Texas

Texas DOES NOT do ice.

In fact, it shuts the place down. 

School gets canceled, dance studio shuts down, stores close, airports cancel flights, and

grocery store shelves empty fast. Thankfully I stocked up days before.  

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Our trees made a creepy, crunching sound as they swayed in the wind. They were so loaded with ice. Thankfully we didn't lose any branches. Ice can do real damage to big trees. 

The Romero's took the kiddos around the hood on tubes until they popped.

Moved onto laundry baskets.

What a cute bunch!

It was so cold! 

Addie had already taken off her boots before I got a picture! She was a good sport and came back out in her socks.

Ranger liked to run around until he slipped. He wasn't too sure after that. Roxy is not a fan of snow and ice. She is a little closer to the ground. 

Dance party!

The Booths

Our dear friends, Jeanne and Jason, flew in on Thursday afternoon and stayed with us until Sunday. We have gotten really close to them since we left the church.  Jason was our Bishop in our Syracuse Ward. Markham was his executive secretary. I had served as Jeanne's first counselor in Young Women's a couple years before. 

 

Unbeknownst to us, they were struggling with similar doubts about the church around the same time we were. We were on a somewhat parallel path of learning things we didn't know, things we couldn't reconcile, things that changed the way we thought and believed, things that ultimately led us out of the church. No longer believing the church was divine or led by God brought so many feelings -  heartbreak, pain, loneliness, betrayal and ultimately loss. 

Members just see the surface. They just see people leaving the church and might think it was on a weekend whim or a wish to be free from the obligation of belief. But it is not that. Not for us and not for the Booths. They are some of the most genuine and sincere people we know. We've found a lot of healing and growth together; a trauma bond or something like it.  Leaving the church was devastating in a lot of ways and there are very few people who get it. The Booths get it.

Jason made a delicious vanilla cheesecake with a yummy strawberry glaze.

We had a ball! We went out to eat, went to a movie and talked and talked and talked some more. We drank wine and laughed and planned our next trip together. It's always fun with them. They are building a new house that is almost done and we are so excited for them! 

Long Weekend Vibes

We love our lazy weekend mornings to relax and have a family breakfast. On the menu this time, fruit and nutella crepes. Seriously yum.

The girls taking advantage of a long weekend to work on some paint by number projects.

The pups love it when everyone is home. 

The boys went to a Cowboys game together and watched them lose their chance to go the Super Bowl. Dang it. Sometimes its rough to be a Cowboys fan.

Kaitlyn was at a dance convention all day so it was just Addie and I. We went to the movie Clifford, the Big Red Dog and did our nails. Our new favorite method is dip. It's so much stronger and lasts a lot longer.

It was a really great weekend!