A Beautiful Day...

A few weeks ago, we travelled to Utah for a quick visit with my family, culminating in a visit to the Salt Lake Temple to have Claudia sealed to us for eternity. What a wonderful day. The morning of the sealing, we awoke to about five inches of snow, but that didn't stop us. The ceremony was simple and beautiful, performed by Tim's dad, and attended by about 20 family members and friends. Afterward we returned to my mom's house where we had a delicious brunch and visited with even more family and friends. After the party died down, a group of us made our way to a local park for a little sledding - what a terrific day!

Tee-Hee-Hee...

Hair and Books...

... need I say more?

Let Them Eat...

... Carrot Cake!

Sarah recently saw a slice of carrot cake in a bakery window, and the little orange carrot made out of frosting on the top drew her in and made her desire the carrot cake. I told her that we could make a carrot cake sometime, and she proceeded to beg for weeks to do it.

Finally, this week for Family Home Evening, we prepped, baked, and frosted a carrot cake together...

... it was delicious!

Sarah got ready to help by rolling up her pant legs and shirt sleeves, "In case it gets messy."

Shredding the carrots.

Mixing the batter.

The finished product. Looks even better than a professional bakery, don't you think?

It's Snowing!!!

...again.

Yes, this is now our sixth day of cancelled school this year because of the snow. I am SO done! Besides my child's education going down the tubes (okay, she is in Kindergarten, so not really), there is nowhere to put the never ending snow. The piles next to our driveway are already taller than me, and that makes for difficult shoveling when I have to get the shovel up over my head to release the snow. Blaugh!

Here are a few pics from the last storm that prompted the cancellation of both school and work in our family:

Our Driveway

Headed into the backyard...

Our mailbox (many in the neighborhood are completely buried in snow).

Our sidewalk.

Our back deck.

January officially became the snowiest month on record, ever, for the state of Connecticut.

Look What I Found....

... peeking over the edge of the coffee table.

A Very Merry....

...UN-Birthday to YOU!!!

Sarah had her (un)Birthday party this weekend and a great time was had by all. We had a Mad-Hatter tea party and all the girls decorated butterfly wings. And, since it was an UN-Birthday party, we asked the guests not to bring gifts. Everything turned out splendidly and Sarah loved playing hostess.

A Great Lady!

This weekend we drove 13 hours to North Carolina to celebrate the life of a wonderful woman: Tim's Grandmom, Celia Janis. She passed away on Monday, January 10, 2011 at age 92. We loved the time we had to spend with her over the years, and were so blessed to know such a great lady.

Below is her obituary: Celia Catherine Janis November 28, 1918 - January 10, 2011 Celia Catherine Janis, age 92, of Wilmington died peacefully on Monday morning, January 10, 2011 at Lower Cape Fear Hospice & Life Care Center. Celia Janis was born on November 28, 1918 in Philadelphia, PA the youngest of seven children. She was preceded in death by her parents, Catherine and Albert Gorniak, her beloved husband John W. Janis in 1977, and all of her siblings and old friends who affectionately called her Sis. In April of 2005 she moved to Wilmington from St. Petersburg Beach, FL where she lived for 31 years, and resided at Brightmore and The Kempton of Brightmore. In her final few weeks, she lived in the Champions Memory Care Unit. The family would like to thank the staffs at The Kempton, Champions, and the Lower Cape Fear Hospice & Life Care Center for their kind and wonderful care. Mrs. Janis is survived by her two daughters and their husbands: Loretta and Jim Meyers of Wilmington, NC, Arlene and Trent Kitley of Twin Falls, ID; six grandchildren: Jonathan Meyers and his wife Stephanie of Charlotte, NC, Jennifer Meyers of New York, NY, Alexander Kitley and his wife Monika of Glenview, IL, John Kitley and his wife Jana of Boise, ID, Timothy Kitley and his wife Kimberly of Ledyard, CT, and Tiffany Erickson and her husband Loren of Lewisville, TX. In addition, Mrs. Janis leaves behind seven great grandchildren: Gunnar Meyers of Charlotte, NC, Klaudia Karatnik of Glenview, IL, Sarah and Claudia Kitley of Ledyard, CT, Gavry, Fisher, and Celia Erickson of Lewisville, TX. Mrs. Janis had a deep commitment to her Catholic faith and family. She will be remembered most as a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She was also a beautiful lady with an independent spirit who will be dearly missed.