I've photographed this old barn several times and posted it on my blog. The other day, it was dreary, cold and snowy. The clouds broke slightly enough to let the pink sunset come through.

This is a picutre of the same barn which I took back on July 17th.  My heart longs for summer weather.  I've got a long way to go though.  It's currently 18 degrees with a windchill of 7 .

Yep. Here we are on January 23rd and I still have my tree and all my Christmas decorations up . But it's just so pretty! I took this picture late last night when everyone was asleep and the house was quiet. I suppose I will have to begin the tear down process soon . This tree, which gave me so much greif when it crashed to the ground after I decorated it that first day, sure is beautiful!

I bought these little guys this season during the after Christmas sales. They are so whimsical. They light up too. I just love them!!  I think I'll have to keep them up just a little longer than the rest of the decorations.

I truly feel that of all the jobs I've ever had, this one is by far, hands down the most difficult, but also THE most rewarding.  I don't wake to an alarm clock anymore.  I wake to my 5 year old coming in my room and asking "mommy, can I get up now?".  I don't get promotions, I get to see amazing milestones take place like a first kiss, a first step, a first word, and losing a first tooth.  I don't get raises, I get hugs and kisses EVERY day.  I don't have to deal with workforce politics.  I get instant gratification.  Stay at home moms work hard.  We are cooks, maids, teachers, and professional shoppers.  We do everybody's laundry, clean toilets, and scrub floors (EVERY WEEK!!).  We do dishes and clean up spilled food. We are unrecognized chauffeurs.  We are spit up on, pooped and peed on, and even vomited on when stomach viruses hit.  We are at times completely sleep deprived but we still get up for that middle of the night on call pager which sounds something like this (although there are variations depending on the age of the child)..."mommy....mommy....".  You never know when it's going to go off, but there is definitely no ignoring it no matter how much sleep we have lost.  Yeah we've all been there.  We are doctors who can make boo boos feel better with nothing more than a kiss.  We can hug and snuggle away bad dreams and give and receive butterfly kisses.  We are playmates.  We get to fingerpaint, play with toys, and pretend again.  We get to read books using silly character voices and play with play dough.  We can go to the beach in the middle of the week during the day when it's not crowded.  We are never lonely.  We get to teach prayers and teach about God.  No matter how terrible our singing voices may be (for those of us who don't have the gift of song), it is always praised and requested by our little ones.  We get to see the world with wonder and amazement again.  Growing up, we've all heard the phrase "mother bear".  Well let me tell you, when it comes to my children, if anyone even thinks of doing something to harm them on any level, they will be faced with the most ferocious and deadly mother bear ever!!  So for those of us who chose to stay at home instead of choosing the workforce, I think it's time we let our little secret out.  Being an at home mom is by far the best job and most fun EVER!!!  There is nothing and I mean NOTHING that can compare to the gift God has give us women....in being mommy's.  And to all of those men out there who have stepped up to the plate to provide for their family's in a way that enables us women to stay at home, God bless all of you!  God has given each and every one of us a talent.  Some people may never know what that talent is.  I know mine.  It is a very strong calling.  My God given talent is motherhood.  I am so grateful Heavenly Father for these children you have loaned to me.  I will raise them in you and for you.  And Ron, I am so grateful you work so hard so I can be home with our children.  Thank you.

I am so proud of Tara. She is such a smart girl. Last week I asked her Kindergarten teacher to asses her reading level. I taught Tara to read over a year ago. She's been reading since she was 4 years old. Since that time, her skills have really amazed me. Her teacher tested her with a standard test they have. Tara tested off the chart. It only went to the end of first grade though. I asked her if that puts her at a 2nd grade level. Her teacher said that Tara is beyond a second grade level. My whole intent in having Mrs. Smith test her, is so that she will adequately challenge Tara on her level rather than a kindergarten level. Earlier in the year, Mrs. Smith gave us some first grade math books to which my baby is breezing through. Well yesterday, a reading specialist came in (she works to help teach the other children how to read), and now in the case of Tara, to challenge her reading. She did a test on Tara using non fiction rather than fiction, telling the kindergarten teacher that it will be more difficult. Well...apparently not for Tara as she once again tested off the chart. Mrs. Smith said that when they come across this type of thing, they will usually work on fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension rather than upping the skill level. Tara she said however, has mastered all of that too. Now, the reading specialist is going high up in the board of education to get advice on where to go with Tara, and to tailor a reading program especially for her. Mrs. Smith said they are also going to really start working with Tara and her writing skills. I'm so proud of my little kindergartner. She's so smart!

I love when Tara reads to Madeline

Back on the 16th, the sun came out and revealed the beautiful treasure which is left behind by an ice storm. For 2 days the sun shone and I was able to take all of these amazing pictures (among MANY, MANY more). It was truly difficult to decide what to post. It was a perfect combination of beautiful glistening trees and clean white snow. Yes..this is what winter is all about. Now that I've seen it, I'm ready for warm weather.

Imagine my surprise when I found that my Pink Viburnum was ready to burst open with blooms. You can see that even the leaves had begun to bud out. Hmmmm....wonder what that's going to do to my pretty flowers . I must admit that seeing them encased in ice like this was just as special as seeing the flowers themselves.

I must say that as I look at these photos, I can easily state that not one of them was able to accurately convey what my eyes actually witnessed. There are just some things of beauty that the camera can not fully capture.