A layer of ice, Jake @ Bil-Lo, and a tasty gift from nature...

At the beginning of last week we couldn't even open the doors to the car because of the layer of ice that covered it!

Last Thursday UNC-Charlotte was in session but Jake's school wasn't...and I had to work. So, I brought him along. It was supposed to only be for 4 hours, but ended up being for 6...Poor Jake, but he was a real trooper and charmed everyone. The reason it was 6 hours is because when we went out to get in the car to drive to work, we realized we weren't going any where. The cold temperatures zapped the rest of the life out of the battery. I called work to let them know what was happening and talked to the store manager. I told him if I had a ride (I live a 3-5 minute drive away) I would come in, so he came and picked us up! Small town living is a good thing. The manager said he would drive us home too and asked if we could stay the 2 extra hours until he was leaving. Jake was psyched to get chicken tenders from the deli and some little ninja guys from the gumball machine. He even helped me at U-Scan. I don't think there are too many places that would let you take your child to work with you on a snow day from school. The ideal place for a mother is in the home, but if you have to work could you ask for a better situation?
Jake sitting next to U-Scan enjoying the chicken tenders.
Me in the break room.
Jake called the ice with snow on it "a tasty taste of nature" and "natures ice cream".

He is one cool dude.

Last Weeks Snow Days....

...4 to be exact, and one 2-hour delay. We were so excited we went out in our PJ's...with some layers on top of course. Aaron opted out of playing in the snow and went with sleeping in the bed. He was getting home from working 3rd shift as we were heading out to play. He had enough of cold and snow after a night out in it...Of course Bi-Lo was open so I headed in to work after playing. The roads were icy, but nothing compared to the parking lot. It was like a skating rink at work! It took me as long to get in the store from my car, as it did to drive to work!
Only long socks I had that were clean. I tucked in my PJ's so they wouldn't get wet.


Check out the icy streets. This was another day of playing in the snow...(Jake is wearing the home made scarf and ear muffs he got at a friends Harry Potter themed b-day party.)

All things Christmas in the Harmon Home...In One Big Post...

It came and went in a blur...Christmas. I have to say this whole year has been the same way. Every event is like an after thought. Work (Aaron's crazy schedule of 3rd shift and school full time), homework, eat, clean, sleep, repeat-BUT WAIT-Jake's birthday is this weekend!?!...Repeat crazy schedule for a few months and BAM!!!... it's Christmas...And it's over...I want to give some major props to full time working mom's, because as a part-time working mom I couldn't seem to find enough hours in the day to get psyched for the Holiday season...You probably already knew this if you read my post on not wanting to give Santa any credit...I think I faked it pretty good, but I am thrilled that after only having the tree up for 2 weeks it is coming back down tomorrow...In 2011 I will be ready for everything and pumped for every holiday...2010, well lets just say many traditions crashed and burned this year. I like to think it was because of President Uchtdorf's talk during the October General Conference, when he talked about simplifying and choosing "better...best" (there are a lot of really good things that we don't have time for so we have to choose what is the best way to spend our time). But it is really just because every event seemed to pop up out of no where...BUT, that just means new, better ones can happen next year! Thinking positive....And on to the pictures that I hope are self explanatory because my words are used up for now...I know you are shocked that I don't have to add one more thing...Oh, I guess I just did...Okay, maybe I will add a few words...

These next few shots are literally the only pictures I have of us decorating the Christmas tree...and Jake singing and dancing like a crazy person while doing it. Aaron and Jake are sometimes pictures taking party poopers. This was one of those days....


Skip to Christmas eve and baking....




Yes, I was there but the pictures are very unflattering and this is my blog so I choose not to post them. :)


Oh wait! There is my hand and the ginger bread version of me...
Not as fancy as last year's but this wasn't a kit so we had to use our own skill...
Christmas Eve...



Jake in bed hoping the night will go by quickly!
As I...I mean Santa...was filling the stockings and putting out the last of the gifts I turned on the TV and this is what was on one of the channels. It was called the "Yule Log", and this was the scene while they played Christmas music (it was on this particular channel pretty much all day and night according to the menu)....I didn't watch it but I did tape a few minutes to show Jake and Aaron. They didn't think it was as amusing as I did.
Our lovely tree, gifts and all. Only every other pre-lite section actually worked....
Christmas morning....Lego Harry Potter characters.
Santa answered...and so the lie is perpetuated another year....

Jake got me the dishes I have been drooling over at Target for months now. I was surprised...Can you tell?
Aaron's Seattle shirt and some candy in his mouth.
The gift I was expecting.
The gift Jake was wanting but not expecting at all. Good Job Daddy. :)
Aaron opening his home made Snuggie from Nee and Papa....
...followed by the Snuggie dance.
Star Wars Lego set from Daddy...another surprise. It was a Lego Christmas.



Packing the gifts to bring to Spartanburg.
Forgot to take out the camera for pictures of the unwrapping so I pulled it out at the Church for a few shots when we were eating dinner.




Cousins...
Aaron torturing Riannon with the game where you try to slap the persons hands before they pull them a way....
It started snowing on Christmas day!!! Aaron's first ever white Christmas! He said it didn't count because it didn't snow until the evening and you have to wake up to snow. Party pooper. I say for the South, it totally counts....

And the day after Christmas we woke up to this...And we were all so tired we didn't even go out and play in it! We did throw a couple of snow balls...does that count?

Christmas 2010. The end....