Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...o.k. it can stop any time now!

If you look real close in the picture below you can see the tip of my magnolia tree and baby maple struggling to get a breath of air out of the giant snow banks. I hope they survive the winter!

I don't think we will be doing any grilling this winter, unless we can get a snowblower to uncover our deck and barbeque.

There is my poor lilac tree bent under the weight of the snow, I hope she springs back to life when it all melts, pardon my pun.

The view from my deck this morning, like I said, it can stop any time now!

Today was the joy Sunday of advent. Last week our school had our concert which featured the candles of advent. In spite of the hectic rehearsal schedules, wrapping a million boxes to decorate the set, and listening to the same incredibly catchy yet annoying songs a thousand times, there was a lot of joyful moments. I was getting so grumpy and tired, but I tried to focus on the joyful times. Here is a list of a few:

1. the giddy smiles on the faces of the girls covered in dust trying to get heavy risers out from under the stage

2. the giggling girls dressed as giant candles making up dances back stage as they waited their turn to perform

3. the ancy and innocent questions of the young children with "glitter gloves" anxious for the curtains to open so they could dance while I tried to get them to stay quiet

4. the beautiful snowflakes created by my class while they sat through many rehearsals that are now plastered all over my class room

5. as I was trying to get costumes organized back stage the small jk child who turned to me with a halo of tinsel on his head and said "we're angels you know".

6. the sweet voices of the same jk kids singing at the top of their lungs "PETIT JESU....DANS LE CIEL"

and so many more

I hope that as I enter this week I have the patience to remember moments like those ones and smile my way through crazy last days as the kids and teachers alike count down the days to the holidays!