Winter Weather

As we all were eating after the baptism/blessing we turned on the tv to find out what was going on outside. My dad had decided that after lunch he was going to start heading home after only being here for about 12 hours. But to our surpise, they closed almost all freeways in the Portland area so no one could get out. My sister Natalie's flight home was cancelled, my Dad, my mom and my sister couldn't go home because the freeway was closed between our homes. So...to make a long story short, we had a very very long 4 days as 19 of us were stuck in my home.

Can you say "SARDINES"? Anyway, as we were all stuck here, we saw 12" of snow, interestingly enough rain with 30 degree temps turning it to freezing rain, a few more inches of snow and then it packing in like no other. There was 3/4 inch ice covering anything in sight. It took the guys about 45 minutes to chisel out one car. If you've never seen an ice storm here's a picture.

Anyways...I'm thankful for:

Prophets who have instructed us to have food storage (you should have seen the number of Number 10 cans in my recycle bin)

The knowledge of making homemade bread

Having a wheat grinder to be able to make the bread

Family and the opportunity we had to be together and their willingness to travel despite the danger they were in.

It was eventful, stressful, fun, exciting, relaxing, tiring, and a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget even with the bad mixed in. Thank you to everyone who came to support our family in these wonderful times for our children. We love you all and to those of you who couldn't make it, we miss you.