Snow Days

So, as we drove out of my mom's driveway after our Christmas visit, i wondered to myself if maybe I should have packed up the kids's snow clothes and brought them home. Nah, how snowy can Arkansas really get...well boy was I wrong. Since Jan 1st we have missed 6 days of school so far...and this is just the beginning of this storm. I am running out of ideas on how to keep the kids happy and alive without the TV being the main source of entertainment.

"Go play in the snow" you say....well, noone has boots. I guess I need to do the plastic sack over the shoe thing that my parents used to do to us....hey, not a bad idea. At least we have hats and gloves, which is more than what we had in TX. So, if any of you have ideas other than making cookies and drinking hot cocoa, I am all ears. I am actually tempted to brave the weather and head to the golden arches tomorrow, despite all the nastiness and germs, to burn some of the energy bursting at this house. Maybe I will make them each do 30 minutes on the eliptical....another idea I am sure they would eat up.

Anywho...any suggestions, send them my way. Got a few crafts planned, but gotta fill up 14 hours....

Funny Videos

Here are some funny videos we shot at Christmas time in Eden.

Sledding off Grandpa's Barn

Kirk Wrecks..

And Robby Wrecks....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Dear Friends and Family

This past year has been one for the record books. We started off in Pflugerville, TX. After several thousand prayers and a huge drop in the price we finally sold our house in TX, thus officially closing out the TEXAS Chapter of our lives… Off to Arkansas we went to start another great and fabulous DeLong adventure. We were dangerously close to buying again, but it never really felt like it was the right decision for our family, so at the last minute we pulled the plug and decided to rent. We literally were looking on Craig’s list for a place to live 2 days before we had to drive across country to our new life in Arkansas. Nothing like adding a little sense of urgency! However it all worked out, like it always does. We’ve been in Rogers Arkansas 4 months now and we love it!!! Here’s a brief synopsis of what each of us have been up to:

Dan still spends the bulk of his time on the road. Most weeks you will find him at a Hampton Inn either in OK, AR, or LA. He has put some serious miles on his suitcase and LOVES the weekends home and the time he can spend with his kiddos. .

Angela is currently 7 months pregnant and excited to be officially done. She continues to make friends wherever she goes and she stays busy keeping the family afloat.

Tarin is 8 years old. She got baptized in October on her Grandma Welling’s birthday. She has started piano lessons and is doing GREAT. She is very disciplined with her practicing and has a great love for it. She has also started attending activity days at church and loves feeling like a big kid. We were too late getting here to get her into soccer, but she is looking forward to starting in the spring. Tarin was also elected by her classmates to serve on the student council at her school. She is a natural leader and has lots of friends.

Ella is 5 and started kindergarten this year. She is LOVING it and is doing SO well. She reads like a champ and her teacher says she is catching on quickly to each new concept. She has lots of friends at school and is enjoying it. She has a long day for a little 5 year old. They catch the bus at 7 AM and then don’t get home until 4 PM, needless to say, she comes home pooped and ready for some down time. Another big accomplishment for Ella is that she learned to ride her bike without training wheels. She just decided to do it, and she did. She is a very determined little girl. Once she sets her mind to something, it usually happens. Most afternoons you can find Ella coloring at the table, as that is her new-found love.

Walker is so big and is doing so great. We always joke that he has more friends here than any of us. He has a playgroup that he goes to a couple days a week and he LOVES it. He learned how to ride a bike this year and that is where you can find him most every afternoon. Hopefully next year we can report that he has been potty trained and has no pacifier, but as for now, he is clinging onto the last strings of his babyhood.

We hope this letter finds all well with you and your families. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Love,
Dan, Angela, Tarin, Ella, Walker and new Baby Boy DeLong