Christmas, Winter Storms, and More

                                 Christmas Break

This year Cody and I were lucky to spend Christmas with our families again. When we moved to PA that's the only time we really wanted to go home while we were out here and we were so lucky we got to! We had a great break from school and work and three weeks with our families. It honestly felt like we were there only a few days, but at the same time it seemed like we were there forever.

Cody got out of school on the 12th of December and you bet our plane was taking off on the 14th at 6:45a.m. We didn't even care that it was that early we just couldn't wait to get home! We were actually very lucky to have our flight that early because that day was the start of a winter storm that hit the east coast pretty hard and a lot of flights were cancelled after 10:00 a.m.

My parents met us at the Salt Lake Airport and brought us back home. When we arrived home this is what we saw....

My cute family made us a 'Welcome Home' sign! It was so good to see everyone and how big the kids have gotten since we last saw them. Later that night we went to Cody's parents house and we were so happy to see them again as well! It's crazy just what a couple months away can make you miss.

Our Christmas break in a nutshell....
-Cody went around the Idaho Falls area trying to set up his rotations starting this August
-We spent Christmas day with both families
-Played with nieces and nephews
-We went to the cabin in Island Park
-Got a brand new baby nephew named Carter
-Played outside in the snow
-Celebrated the New Year
-And we stayed up way too late every single night playing games, watching movies, and just having a good time! We had such a good time we both got sick and I lost my voice for a week straight. I guess we partied a little too hard. :)

New Year celebration! The only pictures I got from the break.... I'm terrible.

When the break was over we were sad to leave but ready to get back to having a normal schedule again. Cody's parents were so kind to drive us down to the Salt Lake Airport to catch our flight. Thank you Monty and LuAnne! We are so blessed to have such great family that will do anything thing to help us out!

                                        Winter Storms

Here in Philadelphia we have had some pretty nasty snow storms and this last one took the cake. The first storm we had some storm warnings saying that there would be snow and ice and they have always done this, which is a good thing don't get me wrong, but Philadelphians make it more dramatic than it needs to be. Well, we just thought it would be like another Idaho snow day a few inches, or so. We actually got tons of snow, 12-16inches, and it was perfect for making a snow man. We also got another storm warning the next day saying that there would be rain and some power outage. This time they weren't being dramatic there was a ton of rain and some serious power outage. Cody and I woke up the next morning with no power. We waited it out to see if it would come back on and a couple hours passed by. Cody's school got cancelled and I didn't have to go to work. That was all fun but it was starting to get cold..... the power had been out about seven hours by this point and so we decided to take a drive and see how serious things were. While we were driving we realized why all the power was out. The snow we had and the mix of rain made it too heavy for the trees and branches to handle so trees just started falling everywhere. And I'm not even kidding when I say everywhere. Trees had fallen over power lines, we saw tons of power lines in the street, and trees were in the road blocking streets. We couldn't even get back to our apartment we had to take several roads just to get back. We even saw trees that had fallen into houses and on top of cars it was seriously so crazy! At one point it looked like a tornado had whipped through the Philadelphia area. We finally realized that it was pretty dangerous to be out since there was a ton of branches falling and if you stopped to listen you could even hear some cracking.

We were told that about 700,000 people had lost power and that the power wouldn't come back on for about 4-5 days. At one point the state of Pennsylvania was under the State of Emergency and then a few days later it was under a Federal Emergency. Power companies came from DC, New York, Chicago, New Jersery, and probably other places just to come help get power back up and running again. It was pretty serious out here folks!

This is where the story gets interesting Cody and I were nannying during the week of the storms. It was a pretty stressful time since we were responsible for three kids. Luckily they had family they could stay with so while we were waiting for their power to come back on at their house they were bouncing from house to house. Cody and I on the other had decided to tough it out the first night at our apartment. It wasn't that bad actually we closed our bedroom door and put towels in the windows and under the door, lit some candles, and had some Sparkling Cider while we played games! We actually stayed pretty warm during the night. I don't remember getting cold, but when we woke up it was pretty chilly! Our friends that live down the road were so nice to let us come stay with them for the day and the night. They were some of the only ones that had power so we were so grateful for that.

 

Just havin us a little Sparkling Cider :)

These pictures don't do justice, but here is a tree with its roots completely out

Almost every main street was blocked off due to all the trees

These trees were covering half the road at one point they just got moved to the side

We look a little homeless we know... We didn't have power give us a break :) And Cody bein a goof like usual!

 

We had to clean out our ENTIRE fridge :(

 

Our power finally came back on Saturday afternoon and we were so happy! Three and a half days without it... While we were going through this I couldn't help but think of all the things we have been asked to do. Food storage and being prepared. I have a greater testimony of this and how it is SO important. I got to witness it first hand and it was definitely a wake up call to be better at it and to not take it lightly. 

 

 

More

 

Cody and I have been in PA six months! I can't even believe it. Before we moved here we would talk about it constantly and how much time we had left at home but now we talk about how we only have six months left here! It's gone by so fast... Cody is still doing great in school. He has had a busy schedule and with all the power out it made it even more busy. A couple months ago he got called to the scouts so he attends mutual every Tuesday and has to attend all the meets that deal with scouts. He's got some good people to work with so that helps a lot. I'm staying busy as well. A few months ago I was called to the Activities Committee in the Relief Society. I work with some really great girls so it makes it easy to attend meetings and hold out activities. I'm also nannying like crazy. Every weekend I am doing some family. I am currently doing one family full time during the week and five other families on Fridays and Saturdays. I work it out whoever asks me first gets that weekend. It's nice to do different families so I work with different people and see different kids every week. I know I've talked a ton about my full time family but they are seriously THE BEST! I can't tell you what amazing kids they have and how great they are to work with. I love going to their house everyday because the kids are so fun and so nice.

Fun Facts about AJ

 

AJ is a hoot and one of the happiest babies I have seen! He's 8 months old and is getting two teeth and they are sharp! When I go get him from his nap he is always smiling like the picture above... it melts my heart! He loves to be tickled, laughs very easily, super active little boy, loves when I read him stories before nap time, loves watching Addie run around the house and wishes so bad he could go with her!

Fun Facts about Addie

 

Addie says something hilarious everday I'm there I wish I had a journal. She likes when we play "Restaurant" for lunch I'm the waiter and she orders something, or she likes to have picnics, she loves to sing Disney Songs, especially from the Disney movie Frozen. She loves to watch Mickey Mouse, Doc McStuffins, and Sheriff Callie. Addie has a name for all of her stuffed animals and she knows when they are missing. This is a true story! She loves to sit by the heater and pretend we are at the beach. We color and make crafts on a daily basis, and I'm pretty good at singing my ABC's :) if she could have Gold Fish (fishy crackers) for every meal she totally would she loves them! 

 

Well thats all I can think of for now. We will keep you updated thanks for stopping by! 

Thanksgiving

This year didn't really feel like Thanksgiving since we weren't able to get together with family but we have been blessed to make some good friends out here and share our Thanksgiving with our "Pennsylvania Family". We started off the day with a Turkey Bowl and it was the coldest day I have felt here in Pennsylvania so that wasn't as fun. After, we got together with the Belnaps, Harts, and not pictured, Shinkles. We are all in the same ward as well and are so thankful for these people and for the wonderful examples they are to us.  

 

 

 

We took these pictures so many times because something kept happening it was pretty funny

The dinner we made! It turned out pretty good and was pretty dang close to home :)

Kylee and I preparing potatoes

Goofs

The boys were able to take their eyes off the football game to take a picture

 

Even though we weren't able to spend Thanksgiving with our families we still had a great time and we are so grateful for the "family" we do have out here at this time. We are really grateful to be going home next week though... :)

Philadelphia Update

Yesterday Cody and I had the chance to go to a college football game! It was Philadelphia's college team, Temple, and they played Central Florida. And can I just say that was so much fun! I have never been to a college game (yes I've been living under a rock...) so it was so cool to experience. We figure we better go support our local college football team since we are living here. What was really cool about it is Temple plays their games in the Eagles stadium so we were able to sit in an NFL stadium for the game. Not the real deal, but pretty dang close. We wanted to get there some-what early to kinda look around and find our seats and little did we know that the first 2000 fans would get  Temple Owl blankets. You bet we got not just one but two! We are NEVER early to anything so it goes to show that being early isn't so bad. Maybe we will try it more often. :) The game was actually a really good game to watch and had everyone on their feet. We sat by some really interesting people to put it kindly. They were seriously some die-hard fans. If you've seen Napoleon Dynamite just imagine them like Uncle Rico. You could tell they wanted to be playing so bad  and if they could run down to the side line and ask the coach to put them in they totally would have done it not even kidding. It was hilarious! They were also cussing up a storm so that was somthin else....

Waiting for the game to start

Our seats

Walking to the game. You can't see it, but they have tons of other stadiums next the the Eagles stadium. (Philly's, Flyers, Sixers) That was really cool to see!

Eagles Stadium

After the game we got on the bus from the stadium and rode it into Philly since we were practically in the city. We figure we might as well go down there and check things out again. There is a Ross that we wanted to check out since it was closed last time and not going to lie I wasn't too impressed. It was so huge it was overwhelming and it was kinda dirty. But we did end up getting a few things so thats ok!
Once we were done with Ross it was dark out so we decided to head home since Philly is kind of scary at night and we were pretty tired from the long day! Even though Temple lost by one point and we had some weirdos by us I'm so glad that I got to spend the day with Cody it was a much needed break from school and much needed time to hang out together.

Most of you know that I am nannying for a couple families out here on the weekends and that I do a full time family during the week. I have been so blessed with my full time family they are amazing people. They are some of the best people I have ever met and I love them so much! They have the most adorable kids and they are some of the best kids I have been around. They seriously have stolen my heart and I am so lucky I get to spend three days a week with them. The little girl is named Addie and she will be turning 3 soon and she is such a smart little girl. She remembers everything I swear and I feel like I'm talking to a 20 year old instead of a 2 1/2 year old. I come home everyday with something funny she has said or done and it makes me look forward to the next day. The little guy is named AJ and he is 5 months old and is the sweetest. He always makes me smile and he always laughs so hard that he gets the hiccups when I tickle him. :)

This last week I was there Addie wanted to take funny pictures so I got out my iPad and we took these....

She was laughing so hard when we were doing this it was so cute

 

 

 

And I'm pretty sure she has Cody wrapped around her little finger too... :)

 

As much as I love it I do have my days when I really would like to be home. I have really good days and then there are some days I wish we could just pack up and go. This past week was escpecially hard I was pretty emotional all week and I wasn't sure why, but I think it's just because I was a little homesick. Idaho is just home and nothing can beat that. Everything is so different out here and I think I just miss being around things I'm use to. I know we are suppose to be here though I don't really know exactly what for yet and to be honest I don't really know if I'll ever know, but I know we were sent here for a reason. It may be to be missionaries in this area, or I may be here just to learn and grow and support Cody in school. If that's it then I wouldn't trade it for anything.  

Fall in PA

Fall is my favorite time of year hands down. Especially in the east..... the trees out here are GORGEOUS. There are millions of trees everywhere and so that means the fall here is insanely beautiful. They have so many colors and there is one tree here that I absolutely love and luckily I get to drive by one everyday when I go to work. It is a deep coral color and I absolutely love it. I haven't really bought anything for the holidays because I don't really want to haul it all home, so I went to one of those trees and got a big ol pile of leaves.... Cody thought I was weird at first, but I think he warmed up to the idea when he realized what I wanted to do and the leaves were free so it was a win- win for both.

 

This is what I did with the leaves! I put some on the coffee table and I want to scatter some on the entertainment center.

I also made these little ghosts to get into the Halloween spirit

 

 

Our first little pumpkin! I picked this little guy up when I went to the Freddy Hill Farms pumpkin patch with some really great friends from the ward.

 

Me, Morgan and Owen, then Mary and Brylee

They had this cute little farm the kids could go look at all the animals. They loved it!

Owen must have known I was taking a picture he was posing and everything for me

 

Little Brylee

They are some of the cutest kids! I'm glad Morgan and Mary let me hang out with them even though I don't have any kids...

 

And the after math of the owl hat.... We all had a good laugh!

 

Cody and I feel very blessed because we have made some pretty great friends out here. It makes living out here much more enjoyable!

 

 

 

White Coat Ceremony

Last Monday, October 14th, Cody had a White Coat Ceremony! Bascially this is what it sounds. Everyone receives their white coat in the field they are studying, but this isn't the "offical white coat" he will use after he is donewith the program. They use the white coats, they received on Mondy, when they go to the hospital and during their rotations. He will receive his official white coat after he graduates both years of school. And I guess the difference between the two is that his "official white coat" is longer and almost to the knee. Even though this isn't his official white coat he is one step closer to be a PA. I am so proud of him and all the hard work he has put forth in his school. He is doing great and I'm pretty sure he is in the top half of his class. Way to go Cody! We are all so proud of you and how far you have come.

His very own white coat with his name on it and everything!

 

He looks pretty darn good to me... I have a right to say that right!? :)

 

Cody with his biggest fan and cheerleader! I am so proud of him!

 

Cody with some of his buds in the class. He has a great class.

 

Me and a small portion of all the wives. The one in the orange is Mary and the one in blue is Jerrica. They are both in our ward and we love it! I hang out with Mary a lot and she has an adorable little girl, Brylee, that she lets me play with :)

 

Cody's really good friend Tim. They have a really good time together!

 

I thought I would add a picture of the program just in case I ever lose the original.

 

This was actually held in a church right across the street. They held it here so they could accommodate more people.The stage where they go up to get their white coats. Can you see all the white coats on the right??

 

Super bad quality, but the best I could get of Cody's class! He's on the far right... Ya good luck seeing him!

 

The pictures weren't the best, but they are better than nothin'. Cody his half way through his first semester out of three. Can you believe that?? Didn't we just move here?! Keep up the good work Cody we are all rooting for you!