Here are a few pictures I took right outside of our school door at noon, 2 days after the icestorm!
The good teacher that I am, taking pictures of my kids who are about to crack their heads on the ice.
All of the major walkways, even into the grocery store, look like this
On Monday morning began the miserably cold drizzle. By Tuesday, the drizzle had been combined with a high of 30 degrees. Tuesday night until Wednesday, the ice/rain stormed down (it sounded like nothing I’ve ever heard! Like thousands of nails being shot down onto the grass!). Schools were either canceled or let out early on Tuesday, and completely canceled on Wednesday to avoid massive car accidents. As it was, there had already been 78 in Dallas within the span of 2 hours on Tuesday morning!
But it was a cool experience, especially since Jesse and I got to stay home Wednesday and watch movies in a toasty warm house. Driving around later that day once the temperature had warmed up to around 35 (which actually melted some of the ice, believe it or not!) was a sight to see. Apparently, ice is hard to photograph, seeing as it is clear, but if you can just picture every single tree branch and blade of grass covered in a thin sheet of glass-like ice, along with icicles hanging from everything, you can get an idea of what it was like! MUCH cooler than snow, if you ask me! Apparently freezing rain occurs in parts of the country where there are ups and downs of cold and warm weather in the winter. That’s Dallas alright! If it were cold ALL the time, the rain would have turned to snow before it made it to us.
This morning was not as treacherous, despite the fact that it only made it to 25 degrees as I was driving in to work, but it was like a Fairy Winter Wonderland. A thin sheet of powdery white covered every rooftop, every embankment and lawn. It took the occasional patch of ice on the freeway (yikes! Talk about a wake up jolt!) to startle me out of the beauty of it all.
Here are some pictures of the storm yesterday. Keep in mind, this is after 10 hours of melting!
All of the cars in our complex looked like this
This table actually used to be clear
The walk in to Taco Bell was very slippery
Yesterday, the newly-illumined Christopher had his first communion. I won the battle with Jesse for rights as to who got to take him up to the chalice for the first time (actually, Jesse is so nice that he pretty much conceded it to me within a few seconds). I had a lady in the choir take a few pictures for me.
Courtney handing Christopher off to me
I am singing hymns to Christopher to prepare him for communion ;)
Demetrios helping out
Apparently, Christ's body and blood tastes a little funny to Topher
Later on, we went out to Panera Bread with the Unruh family. While we were there, Topher woke up from his nap in one of the most cheerful and attentive states I have ever seen him.
This is how he woke up!
A good Christian picture, featuring his new cross and his baptism clothes
Teaching Topher how to pray!
Happy with Mommy
Today was Christopher’s Baptism. Both the Unruh and the Voss families were able to fly in for the event. The Snells, Gaspards, Trants, Pothoffs and Katy and Curtis were also there. Everyone was joyful and excited.
Except for Christopher.
I knew it was trouble when Courtney handed me Christopher and said, “He’s cranky and he hasn’t slept or eaten. Good luck!”
I’ve decided that I am going to write a list of precautions for any future godparents out there. Hopefully these will save you much grief.
Things Not To Do As A Godparent During the Baptism:
1. Don’t light your sweater on fire with your godchild’s candle.
2. Don’t juggle the baby’s pacifier 15 times behind the priest’s back.
3. Don’t let the pacifier get lost in the altar
4. Don’t worry about getting the baby comfortable- he’s nude and being dunked. He’s not going to be happy.
5. Don’t expect to regain your hearing until the next day.
Here are a few pictures.
I'm laughing at Christopher for scratching himself and screaming as a result
The only time Christopher decided to stop screaming was after he became a member of St. Seraphim :)
I am aware that this looks as though Fr. Joe dropped Christopher- however, this is just Courtney retrieving him after he was churched
The ending prayers