Weekly Wrap-Up - February 16

 Snow!!! That pretty much summarizes our ENTIRE week . . .

Sunday was Ashlyn's end-of-book 1 piano recital. The good news was, that day's snow held off and didn't come until AFTER her recital. The bad news was, due to snow or other commitments, most of the people we invited couldn't come. But she was ok with that, since she's not a fan of having an audience anyway.  I love that, at least in this area, she has a true, natural, servant's heart. When her teacher pointed out that performing is one reason to learn to play piano, she responded that she wants to be able to play in Sabbath School and things, accompanying others, not as the "star" :).  Anyway . . . Suzuki method, or at least her teacher, requires that, at the end of book 1, they play ALL the songs in book 1, and someone wrote a "story" that incorporates all the song titles. So, Lexie read the story and Ashlyn played the songs, but then, at the end, Lexie joined Ashlyn and played a couple of the simpler songs with her (which also required Ashlyn to transpose the songs into the correct key for violin).

And, pretty much as soon as the recital was over, that day's snow started. That night, when I walked by our bedroom, the streetlight was shining through the icicles that were hanging from the porch roof. I couldn't get a great picture, but the no-flash picture, other than turning them green, didn't turn out horrible (and as evidence of what kind of SNOWY week we had, now, a full week later, they're STILL there!).

My parents came up for the recital and stayed to get projects done.

Mama worked with Lexie and Ashlyn on various sewing projects, including finishing a couple dresses for Lexie, that were in progress last time we were at their house. I love how this one turned out! We'd gotten a plain red long-sleeve t-shirt at Goodwill, and then found the "wild" fabric on the clearance table at the fabric store. When my aunt saw them starting to lay it out, she suggested ric rac on the shirt to tie it together, and it turned out PERFECTLY. Lexie LOVES it and it mirrors her "loud" personality perfectly.

Papa spent his time getting lots of inside projects done around here. The week before he, with the girls' "help" had painted their closet pink. this week, he continued on that project by painting the shelves for said closet, purple. And getting them installed. Now the girls have a wonderfully more user-friendly place to store all their treasures (they have a separate closet for clothes). Pictures of this, and the other projects will come later, because I'm too lazy to go take pictures right now.

Another project that I'm THRILLED to have done is a counter in my pantry.  The pantry is a rather odd space that used to be a bathroom, but then had space "stolen" from it during a kitchen renovation (before we got the house).  The result is that it's narrow when you first walk in, and then opens up bigger once you're inside. The previous owners had set a spare cabinet in there, and at that point there was also a laundry sink in that space, but with the kitchen and bathroom on either side of that room, and laundry in the basement, I didn't need a sink there, so Dad took that out early on. I'd laid a large cutting board across teh cabinet and had my wheat grinder sitting on it, and LOVED not having to get it out, OR have the noise in the kitchen (though it's not as noisy as most) when I grind grain, so that was what finally helped me decide what I wanted to do with that space. Dad put a counter top across the whole length of the space, but raised it high enough that the folding chairs (we use a drop-leaf table, since there's no good spot for a table in this house, so when not in use, the chairs need a "home") can store under it, next to the cabinet. Now I just need to find a power strip (I'm sure I have one, just have to find it) and I can have ALL my small appliances, accessible and ready to use, without taking up valuable kitchen space. Woo-hoo!!!

Mom and Dad headed home Wednesday afternoon to avoid the . . . MORE snow (like a foot of it!) that came on Thursday, meaning no music lessons for the girls, but they did have fun playing in it on Friday (it snowed ALL DAY Thursday) and made some rather impressive snowmen :)

And we wrapped up the week with MORE SNOW all day Sabbath. There wasn't much accumulation, but it snowed all day long. Made for a very pretty day to snuggle up inside together :)

We don't do much for Valentines, but Mama gave Little Bit some stickers, which she had great fun sticking ALL OVER Daddy (after covering him with every single blanket in our living room blanket basket!