This is what Rocks look like..

Ok..yes we are totally done with this winter.  So glad Spring officially starts next week..  I realize that it may not start here yet "officially".. but at least we are heading in that direction.  Last week we had some fabulous warm weather. The pollen was wicked.  Robyn ended up with lots of snot and a junky cough.  We just had her drink lots of water and Mucinex helped too!  She's doing much better.  During the warmer weather we finally visited a local new park just down the road from us.  It is not developed yet, just a few picnic tables and benches.  It has a great creek you can hike to and some nice trails.  Some are not done yet, we learned that the hard way when we got hit a very muddy patch!

Either way here is Robyn showing us "what rocks look like", and we had lots of fun skipping and tossing rocks into the water.  We are going to try to hike here at least 2x a month.

This week I registered Robyn for Kingergarten.. can't believe it's that time already!  She's growing so fast.  And the folks at her school were very nice.  She has a tour next month then a screening to see where she is at .. guess that's for placement or something.  I know she'll do fine..she's my smarty pants!

No job for me yet.  It's getting really depressing some days.  I try to stay positive, but it's getting harder as the weeks move on.  For now I just try to keep busy and get things done in the house and enjoy my time with Robyn in the afternoons.

So here's the video on "what rocks look like"

Zaijian
~Donna

Ya want to build a snowman???

Enjoy!

Snow.. yet again.

Here we go again.. except now there’s that added precipitation… ice & sleet.. you name it!  This time Atlanta and the surrounding metro area was NOT going to be underprepared.  The governor, mayors and all canceled school early, got the word out that no one should be out on the roads.  They had road trucks out early treating roads and going all the time.  The power companies got help from surrounding states and had tons of folks standing by to restore power.  It was great.  Very much how we remembered it was after the first hurricane.  Folks learned and acted accordingly.  The ice was the big worry this time around.  We had more sleet than freezing rain, that’s where it comes down as rain and freezes on contact.. that’s the stuff you worry about most with falling trees and stuff.  We were lucky.  I figure we had about 1/8” of freezing rain, then .75” or so of sleet then 2.5” of snow on top.  Yea.. all three.  We did not lose our power and were lucky to be home together.  David and I went out early on Monday (storm came in strong Tues night) and got food and anything we thought we’d need to take care of us. 

It was not fun to be cooped up again.  Robyn and David were home Tues, Wed And Thurs.  David’s school was already off for him on Friday, today.  She went back today.  The roads were fine when I took her in and it was a nice day to watch the rest of the snow melt away.

So Tuesday night is when the ice and sleet came down.  Again we had more sleet than anything else.  Then Wednesday night we got snow.. lots of heavy wet snow this time.  We were able to build a snowman and toss snowballs.. Last time’s snow was powdery.  It wasn’t as cold this time around either; which was good.  The melting was robust on Thursday.. most of the trees were ice/snow free by the afternoon..  which was a huge relief. 

We hung out in the house, did some baking and watching the Olympics!  We did get to do some sledding and play in the snow before it began to melt.  Robyn didn’t last too long, after about an hour, she was done, cold and wet.  Can’t blame her for being miserable.  We don’t own clothes that are water resistant… so the snow goes right through to her bones.  Only her jacket kept her dry.  I’ll have to keep a look out for that sort of thing at the thrift stores for the future.  Or make them myself. 

Here are a few pictures from the last few days.  And have a Happy Valentines day!

Ice part of the storm

Ice frog

You can see the ice layer, then the snow on top.

zoomed in on the chimney, you can see where the heat from our fire melted up top on the chimney then refroze as it dripped down.  Pretty cool.

ZaiJian

~Donna

Snowmageddon2014 or whatever they are calling it.

Here’s how it went down for us.

All day Monday we watched the weather forecasts..  Yes snow.. no snow.. dusting.  It was all over the place.  At the 11pm news the north metro was downgraded to an Advisory..  (which I later learned is NOT a downgrade..anyway) It was still being said that we would maybe get an inch.  School was not cancelled for Cobb County.

Next morning Robyn went to school.  We were upgraded to a Winter Weather Warning, but still not much snow and not till later in the afternoon, like it wouldn’t start till 2pm or so.  David was home.  He did not have to go into work until later.  They were having rehearsals for the Middle school play “Pirates of Pezance” and he was working a late day.  Around 1045am or so it started to snow, and we received an automated call that school was to be let out early at 12:30pm.  Hindsight, we should have looked at the radar at that point and left to get Robyn.  David’s assistant called him and said, don’t come in they were cancelling school for the day as well.  Whew.

We ate some lunch and left the house at 12:15pm to go get Robyn.  From our house to her school it’s 3.5miles and usually takes 7-8mins.  After an hour and a half, we had only gone 2 miles.  As we crept closer to her school the traffic just stopped moving.  At this point we were .5 to .7 miles from the school.  I gave my big jacket I got for our Alaska cruise to David and he left me with the car.  He had his cotton coat and the snow was just coming down at this point.  Mine was waterproof.. and because it’s just huge on me, it fit him perfectly.  I was wearing my slippers!!  Who knew this was going to happen!  He left me at 1:52pm and got to her school by 2:07pm.  Luckily we had sent her to school in her warmest coat with gloves, hat and the works!  I pulled the car over to the side by the entrance to a neighborhood.  Word had gotten to me that the road was impassable to her school.  The hill was ice and cars were stuck and could not get up the hill.

David and Robyn arrived around 2:25pm or so.  She told me that David slipped and fell on his butt and she didn’t!  He was ok.  We headed back home.

 It was slow going, but it was going and we were home just before 3pm.  We were VERY lucky compared to most folks in the area.  Stories from family, friends and neighbors about 12+hrs to get home were not uncommon.  There is one good thing about being unemployed!  Guess God has kept me jobless for that day.  Anyway we were able to get out and play in the snow and then stay warm and cozy at home.  They cancelled school for Wed, Thurs and Friday as the snow hung around and became black ice each night.  Friday it finally warmed up to where most of the snow was gone.  The roads had been treated.  Only those lawns and areas that didn’t get direct sun still had snow on them.

We learned that we need to make our own decisions regarding school and snow.  We can’t rely on the government to make timely decisions.  Many folks here learned lots.  Warm ground, plus snow plus cold air temps.. makes for nasty ice.  The snow would hit the roads then melt, but then freeze soon after because it was soo cold.  Georgia just isn’t used to this stuff; we are equipped to salt/scrape roads.  Why should we? This only happens every few years?  There is that possibility we’ll see it more often with Climate Change, only time will tell.

So that’s our story.  We were able to play in the snow some, had some warm fires and were VERY blessed to be home together.

Here are some pictures and video from last week.

David arrives with Robyn!

backyard

Four Snow Angels, Mommy, Daddy and Robyn did one, then Robyn did another. She said that one was for her sister!  awww

Looking out from front door at our block.

The frog on the patio!

From our front door.

first snow angel!

Snow!

Sledding with Grace! 

Miss cutie!

ZaiJian

~Donna

SNOW!!!

Here's a video my mom asked me to take of the snow!

Here's a picture too

Can't wait to play in it with Robyn.  She's still at school.  We'll be picking her up in 30mins!  Early release today at 12:30pm.

ZaiJian
~Donna

Fun videos!

We did these this month.  She was "writing" us some notes.  So Daddy took it upon himself to "read"  them aloud!  I missed her first reaction to when he said she was giving up 2 weeks of her tablet time! These are notes that she just kept giving Daddy.. and he just makes them worse!  Very funny as they just get sillier as it goes on!

So much fun.. 

ZaiJian

~Donna

House through the Year

I can finally post this.

Took a picture of the house at the time that best represented each season.  Not on the actually first day of Spring, Summer or Fall.. but when the season was .. here.  This year I'm going to take it from the same exact spot!

Two for Winter.

    

 one with snow one without.

 Spring...

Summer....

Fall...

Docs on Way to China!!

So much to say and update.

We finished our paperwork in early December.  The last document to get was my birth certificate.  We had a friend take it to the NY Consulate and due to a mired of reasons…it took a bit to get back.  But we got it and turned it all in just before Christmas and after review and translation it was on its way to China before the New year!!!  How exciting.  Will update when we have our LID!  Then the true wait begins.  Robyn is ready to go now!

So since my video post..  It’s been cold here this Fall/Winter.  Tomorrow starts the coldest temps in 30 years!!  WHAT.. I don’t want this now.. in my first year in our home in Atlanta.  I worry about pipes and the furnace and all that.  Ug.  Glad it’ll be near 60 by next weekend. 

I was let go by Disney in September.  No luck on a job yet.  Sigh.. hoping that with the new year comes job offers.

We’ve been having fun this fall/winter.  We went to a farm and had some fun.  Did some Halloween events and saw a bunch of puppet shows in town.  We are really enjoying being up here near family.  Christmas was great!  We had Thanksgiving at our house.  I said.. not next year please!  That was a lot of work!  Yet fun to have everyone here!  We were able to spend time with family here and then my side down in Pavo just after Christmas. 

Robyn really enjoyed Christmas!  We did the best we could and she still made out pretty well.

So we pray that the New Year brings me a job, warmer temps and another daughter!

Here are some pictures ..

Too cute!

Halloween!  Candy!!!

Fall Fun! 

Farm Day

Trip to Amicalola

Porcari Side

Christmas Eve

Me and our Tree

  

Gingerbread Houses