The Great Blizzard of 2009: Maryland is closed

After eight and a half years in southeast Idaho -- and annual winter trips to Idaho during our eight and a half years in Las Vegas -- it takes a pretty hefty storm to impress us.



The weather this weekend gave it a good try, dumping more than two feet of snow in 24 hours in the Frederick area, and basically paralyzing the entire D.C. region. It snowed and snowed, from light flurries to large, heavy flakes. In some places it simply stacked up, inch upon inch. In other places it drifted, up to three feet deep against the house and shrubs.

Jason and Yvonne showed their concern by...going Christmas shopping. It was a great day, the Saturday before Christmas, to clear the snow off the Suburban, put it into four-wheel-drive, and head for the mall.



We knew we were in for a good day, because no one -- we mean no one -- was on the road.



Once we got to the mall, we were one of about 25 non-employees in the entire mall.



Santa was lonely and bored. It was sad.



Some stores were closed, but the ones we wanted to visit were ok, and we got great service and some deals there and other stores in the area before they closed for the day.



The kids, meanwhile, holed up in the house, nice and warm, and entertained themselves by making cookies, watching movies, and just hanging out.



They also found time to...dance (they may wish this video didn't exist -- but it was one of several they shot during the day).



The kids also got in a first round of snow-shoveling. When Jason and Yvonne got home, it was time for round two -- a heavy, heavy round of shoveling the driveway that looked so sweeping and grand in the summer and fall, but is entirely too large to shovel in the winter.



We thought it was a good storm, but after years in Idaho and travelling through Utah, we thought it looked more like an April squall. We were surprised to learn that Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia all declared emergency situations because of the storm that was called "massive," "historic," and "apocalyptic" (we made that last one up). But that's how we roll here in the East.

As a family, we finished the day with hot chocolate, popcorn, and the movie "Elf." Maybe a reason to stay inside was good after all.

A great, too short, weekend

Last July 29, we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

Well, “celebrated” might be a little strong. Our family was between houses (i.e. homeless) and less than a week away from moving across the country. So we had dinner and a movie, and we agreed on a mutual I.O.U. for a weekend getaway to mark the big day.

We thought about many places we could go – we’re close to New York City and Boston and many other great places we’ve never been. We’ve always wanted to go to Nashville or Austin or New Orleans together, or go back to Chicago or to the beach in Delaware.

After some of the most stressful months of our marriage (a new job, new relocation, and everything else that comes with it will do that), we were finally able to get away. But rather than go to one of those locations, we went to one of our very favorite places in the world: the Piets' house.

As far as friends go, they don’t come any better than the Piets. Our families have grown so close over the years, and we’ve always appreciated the memories and experiences we've shared.

After four months away, it was great, even for a too short weekend, to be together again. We snuck into town for fish tacos at Rubios, a hilarious show, a movie with the kids, In-N-Out Burger, seeing old friends at church, and lots of time with just the four adults catching up and scheming for the future. We didn’t sleep much (it was a short weekend), but we laughed a lot – easily the most laughter we’ve had since the last time we were at their house…in August.

While life goes on, it’s a great reminder that great friendships do, too, despite the distance.

Winter arrives

When we moved, everyone told us we would enjoy the four seasons, after living in the desert for so many years and basically experienced two or three seasons (and in some years, one and a half seasons).

The season we haven't experienced a lot of recently (except on trips to Idaho) arrived on Saturday, as a wet snow fell for most of the day and the temperature dropped into the mid-twenties. The low temps had been building and we knew snow was coming, so we were kind of prepared (the kids have received pre-Christmas presents of coats and gloves in an effort to catch up a little). We enjoyed seeing the white stuff fall from the sky anyway.

(The photos are our yard on Thanksgiving Day, then during and after the storm.)




As you can see, the snow didn't intimidate the boys; they couldn't wait to get out and into it.


We are hearing "ice storm" in the forecast for today...

A picture from Thanksgiving...

Jason writes:

I love this photo -- it summed up Yvonne's Thanksgiving day morning very well. She worked very hard (as she always does) to make sure we had a good meal...and we did. This brief and quiet respite was well deserved, even though it wasn't far from the site of her labors. It was just us this year, as family is a long, long ways away, but the seven of us ate well and enjoyed the day .

Melissa and the shotgun

On Thanksgiving Day, the kids (Melissa, Colin, Carson, and Dylan) went to a local park to play in our ward’s annual “Turkey Bowl” football game.

It was a great day for football – cool, damp, with a dense fog sitting up in the hills. The kids had a great time together and with those who came to play. When they got home, we heard about the game, and Melissa told us that she got to play quarterback for her team. That was the end of it…until Sunday.

A quick back story: on our first Sunday at church in Maryland, Jason was asked to introduce himself in priesthood meeting. He said that he had four boys, including Colin and Carson, who were in the room. Then, in a room full of men and 12-years-old-and-up boys, he said he also had a 17-year-old daughter…and a shotgun. The men laughed – and the 12-and-up boys tried to determine whether or not he was joking.

So back to last Sunday. In priesthood meeting, the bishop’s counselor talked briefly about the Turkey Bowl and how they all had fun. Then he said:

“I remember when the Bohnes first moved into the ward, and Brother Bohne said that he had a 17-year-old daughter AND a shotgun. He didn’t tell us they were the SAME THING.”

He then told the men and the boys in the room how their team went through three quarterbacks – including him – who couldn’t get it done. And then they let Melissa do it, and they finally had a quarterback who could make the tough throws and move them up and down the field. His words: “let me tell you, Melissa can throw.”

Jason, ever the proud dad, chimed in: “Aw, she throws like a girl” (which, in our house, is a high compliment). Melissa has walked a little taller this week after hearing that all the men and boys are talking about her throwing arm.

Tuesday Night Boys Club

Tuesday nights are busy for our family. Melissa goes to mutual, while Colin and Carson go to Scouting activities. Dylan's meets with his Cub Scout den, and Yvonne helps with the Cub Scouts.

Jason and Levi, meanwhile, are free. So Tuesday night is their night. They are the Tuesday Night Boys Club. Mostly they just hang out -- they'll do the dishes after everyone dashes off, maybe finish some laundry or clean up somewhere to help out, then play a game and watch a little television together. Sometimes Jason chooses, and sometimes Levi does.

And while Levi is generally an unabashed momma's boy, he belongs to Jason on Tuesdays -- and vice versa. And while Levi seems to act older during their time together, Jason gets younger...

Halloween!!!

Fall colors, a chill in the air, and a annual serving of sugar in one day. Time for our kids' favorite holiday...Halloween.

Our good friends Kyle and Amanda drove up from Alexandria, Va., in the afternoon. It was our first time together since we moved -- Kyle and Amanda moved to the East Coast from Las Vegas over a year ago. It was good to catch up with them during the afternoon and pizza dinner.


The kids split up for trick or treating. Melissa and her friend dressed as the Super Mario Brothers; Melissa hosted Mario and some other friends for scary movies (she was counting on some of her brothers' candy haul ending up in her hands -- and it did).


Colin, with a dark mullet, horn-rimmed glasses, soul patch, and black t-shirt, looked like a roadie from the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd tour. He went trick-or-treating with a friend decked out in a Ravens jersey and giant afro wig. They scored a lot of candy.


Carson dressed as a nerd. And yep, we had a lot of fun with that one. But Carson had the last laugh, going to a party with friends, then trick-or-treating with not one, not two, but six girls. I guess chicks dig nerds. He also got the most candy.


We were fortunate to get a photo of Dylan, our resident ninja. After dinner he disappeared (as ninjas tend to do) with some of his friends.


And Levi was (shhh) Batman. He got stuck trick-or-treating with Jason and Yvonne and Kyle and Amanda. It's been a long, long time since it was Jason and Yvonne with one kid. And it was a blast. Levi marched up and down the block, going to most doors on his own (unless it was scary, in which case Yvonne went with him).


At one point he was out of gas, ready to go home, but we were concerned that he hadn't gathered enough candy to sustain the four adults escorting him around.

In a scratchy voice he said, "If I just had a drink, I think I could go more." We all convinced him that a Starburst candy was as good as a drink. He chewed slowly on a cherry Starburst we luckily found in his bag, then stood up straight and announced he no longer he needed a drink -- he was ready. He got plenty of candy...

Jason and Yvonne did't dress up, sort of. Since Yvonne helped Levi/Batman, we figured she was Lord Alfred. And after Levi's long hike around the neighborhood collecting candy, Jason carried Levi home on his shoulders, making Jason...the Batmobile.