Let's Hangout!

Our long distance family has dabbled in video chatting via Skype and FaceTime, but Renee told us about Google+ Hangouts.  We are now able to three-way video chat with all these crazy folks at once!  You get a small screen of each person at the bottom, and whoever is talking pops up on the big screen.  I think you can add up to 9 people.  I guess it stacks the video feeds up Brady Bunch-style as you add more people.  I can only imagine how crazy that would get!  We've been trying to "hangout" once a week, and it has been working pretty well.

Oh, The Places You Have Gone!

One of Jeff's Christmas presents from me was this set of maps.  I framed them in with no glass and with foam mats behind them.  I also got everyone their own colored thumbtacks so that we could pin the states and countries that we've visited.  Ashley was disappointed that she has only been to 15 states and 1 country.  I reminded her that she's six!   

There's a lot of this big world left to see!

Jeff (blue) is leading the states race with 29.  I've got 27 yellow pins, Nate (green)  has 18, and Ashley (red) has 15. The kids are hoping to get passports soon and start pinning some other countries.

A few more pics

I forgot about the pictures on my actual camera.  Here are a few of them:

Our home for the weekend: Cabin 8

An early birthday celebration for Jennifer

Racing down the trail

Marker at the peak

Back to Mount Magazine

We just got home from a weekend getaway to Mount Magazine.  After consulting the blog for reference, I realized it was exactly 3 years since our first trip.  This time, we went with the Fowlkes and stayed in a cabin instead of in the lodge.  It was so nice to have our own space and still have access to the lodge amenities.  If you are looking for a place to get away and unplug (not literally - there's electricity and WiFi), I highly recommend it! It is only a 2 hour drive from WLR.  Now for the pics...

We made it up the mountain on Friday night just at sunset.  After looking at the weekend weather forecast, I was afraid this was the only glimpse of sunshine we would have the entire weekend.

The wet weather held off long enough on Saturday morning for us to take a quick hike up Signal Hill to the highest point in Arkansas.

Found a geocache near the top

Signal Hill

Clouds rolling in at the Lodge

Nathan, Evan, and Ashley enjoying the big, indoor pool.  (That's Will swimming out of the frame.)

We asked someone to take a picture of all eight of us.  That never happens!

Flashback to 2009

And here we are today

The rain turned into sleet overnight and coated the trees - but thankfully NOT the roads - with some ice.  We made it down the mountain with no problems and are looking forward to another trip.

So Long, 2012!

I thought I would close out the year with some family pics. I've already shared many of these on Facebook and a few on our Christmas cards, but there were just so many good ones! Happy 2013 to all!

(www.pumpedproductions.com)

More Snow Day Pics

Just as things are getting back to normal around here, they are predicting another round of winter weather.  Say it ain't so, Ned Perme! While I still have electricity and WiFi, I'll post a few more snow pictures.  Be sure to watch the video of my dad sledding at the end!

Nathan's Snow Fort

Nate, Amanda, Mikayla, Dad, and AJ

The Blizzard of 2012

Just after my last post on Christmas night, our deck looked like this:

We all settled in upstairs to watch "The Goonies" on the kids' new TV.  We made it almost to the end of the movie, and then we lost power...again. :(  When we woke up on Wednesday morning, the deck looked like this:

That's what 9+ inches of snow looks like!! Wow! Unfortunately, this winter wonderland has caused 200,000+ customers to be without power in Arkansas.  Yesterday, the Stanisors came over for some sledding.  We all got in on the action, and Jeff has the video to prove it.  I will not, however, be posting the video of Audry racing me downhill.

  

As much as I've tried to keep the kids from complaining about our circumstances, five days in a calendar week is about my limit on being in the dark.  I was pretty tired of it this morning.  Tired of being cold, tired of sleeping in the living room, tired of everything smelling smoky.  This pioneer lifestyle is a LOT of work.  Plus, I've still been going to my real job everyday.  Tonight, we went to the gym for awhile just because we knew they had power.  It was nice to be able to blow dry my hair after my shower.  The roads are pretty clear, so we found a restaurant that was open and then killed some time in Wal-mart.  As we were driving up the hill to our house, we saw a glimmer of hope that our lights were back on.  When we turned in the driveway and saw that our Christmas tree was lit, we literally screamed with delight.  Thank you, sweet Lord (and also Entergy!) 

Fischer Family Christmas

Another great Fischer Family Christmas

We missed seeing the Johnsons but were so glad that the Stacy family made it home.  Hoping for AJ and Izzy to see their first snow ever!!!

The 10 year old boys

Mikayla and McKenna

AJ and Ash

Izzy!

Kayak for the kids and another GREAT scavenger hunt for the grown-ups!  Thanks again, Mom and Dad!

Merry Christmas from the Adams Family

Santa Nate

Ashley and her daddy

Santa left footprints leading the kids upstairs to see where "he" had installed their new TV.

December? Trying to Remember!

Sorry for the blog drought, but December has been a whirlwind around here!  I will summarize our month in a top ten list and a few photos of our activities that did not make the blog:

(10) Ashley had cheerleading camp the last week of November and performed on December 1 at the UALR halftime show.

(9) Nathan started his 5th (can that be right?!?) basketball season at Immanuel.

(8) I have been working like a dog!! If you haven't seen or heard from me much this month, this is why!

(7) Birthday parties

(6) Christmas parties

(5) Christmas shopping

(4) Visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  He even asked me what I wanted for Christmas.

(3) After a big storm blew through last Wednesday night and Thursday morning, we spent 3 days without electricity.  An electrical pole was blown down as well as several trees on our line.

(2) We enjoyed a great Christmas morning at home and then with my family.  (Pics to follow.)  We had to postpone our Christmas with Jeff's family because...

(1) We are home waiting for the Blizzard of 2012.  Actually, we just have a "Winter Storm Warning" here in Pulaski county, but other areas of the state are actually under a "Blizzard Warning".  We shall see...