"It looks like Narnia!"

Ok, so due to the unusual amount of snow that was dropped on South Carolina about a week ago, Darlington County School District was out of school for the entire week. Usually, when we get snow it is gone the next day. This time, however, the temperature didn't go up! It didn't get above freezing until Wednesday. Then, it was barely above freezing. By the time Thursday got here, the snow and ice was still there. Then, it melted a little but froze again and has repeated the cycle over and over all week. So, as you can imagine, that posed a problem for busses. Now, I absolutely love snow but by Friday (yesterday), I was plenty ready for it to just melt. Friday was considered a teacher work day, so my parents had to work but I was still out of a job. However, I got to spend all day with 2 kids (one of which was celebrating her 11th birthday!!!).

Now, my morning started off pretty good. I got ready and got in my car only to find out that my "Check Engine" light was on. Now, many of you know that my luck with cars has not been good at all lately. So, this put a damper on the morning. However, I was still looking forward to my surprise birthday breakfast that I was getting ready to make. We got back to the house and proceeded to make Chocolate Chip Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I decided that we were not going to follow the recipe for pancakes in the amount of chocolate chips we added. So, I allowed the birthday girl to pour the chocolate chips in. We ended up adding about 2 or 3 times the amount we were supposed to. That made the pancakes so much better! HA! We then walked out to my back yard (which let me tell you was still covered in snow and ice on FRIDAY!). The land behind my house is a Natural Reserve so no one will ever hunt or build back there. It is all woods! I used to live out in the woods with friends so I decided that the kids would love to be outside for a little while (especially since the extra chocolate chips were starting to kick in). We walked out the back gate and I immediately said, "It looks like Narnia!" to which one responded, "Can we go find the Snow Queen?" So, we walked through the woods to Black Creek looking for the Snow Queen the whole time. :)

Afterwards, we met up with their mom and had dinner. Can I tell you that I absolutely love their family and Ms. Montgomery met us as well. So, for those of you who have never experienced Montgomery/Blankenship/Flowers, you will either run for your lives or never want to leave. It was so much fun laughing and cutting up with them.

Countdown to Australia: 1 month and 3 days. :) I have booked my flight, my visa has been accepted, and my classes are lined up. Now, all I have to do is wait for Feb. 18 (very patiently of course......)

sledding

my mom and I driving around town

It's a new year! Welcome 2011!

So, 2011 has come, and I will still be writing 2010 for the next 2 months. Most people have a New Years tradition. Mine is going over to the Jordan's farm (people from my church) to shoot fireworks, eat way too much food, and have a scavenger hunt on the farm. We all stay the night there and wake up to waffles and friends. I love my New Years tradition and love spending time with friends from high school.

The group on New Years Eve (we were supposed to all wear our school colors)

I mentioned earlier that I am working as a substitute teacher while I'm home until February. So, the first full week of school started back up last week. I worked 4 out of those 5 days! I subbed in a 5th grade classroom and a 1st grade classroom for 3 days. The kids were absolutely adorable (a little talkative) and I could not have asked to spend my days with a better group. They were a little talkative but I think they were just excited to have someone knew for a few days. :) The best part of the job: I get $60 a day! It is giving me a taste of what a real job will feel like.

Although I am enjoying my time substitute teaching, when I saw all of the Facebook statuses of my friends going back to PC, I began to wish I could be there with them until I leave for Australia! Thankfully, semiformal was this past Friday so I got to spend all weekend on 3G! I enjoyed every minute of it and did NOT want to go back home. However, work was calling me (until I got home to find out that school had already been cancelled...). So, the weekend was spent with all of my friends at PC only to leave for home after 2 days. However, don't you worry. I will be back before I leave! :)

Paige, Elise, and I at Semiformal

part of the Diamond Family

Ellen and I getting ready

So, once I got home, I found out that school was cancelled due to the coming snow storm. My reaction to this was: "Yeah right. We're going to get a dusting MAYBE. Everyone will be upset that school was cancelled due to a little snow dusting." So, since I went to bed with that kind of attitude, I had a dream that I woke up to very little snow. So, when I woke up at 8:30, I decided that a little bit of snow was not worth me getting out of my warm bed for. However, I ended up getting out of bed at 9 since my stomach is on a very strict schedule and was telling me that it was time for breakfast. My dad was getting up about this time as well and asked me if I wanted to go outside. I then looked toward my window and it looked bright (you know that brightness that only a night of snow can bring?). So, I ran to the front door and was surprised to see WHITE and a lot of it! Apparently, Darlington got 9 inches in some places, but I measured 6 at about 2 PM. The snow was still falling though. Now, I haven't seen this much snow since I went skiing with my youth group in WV. So, as you can imagine I immediately turned 6 years old again. I ran across the street to make snow angels and play in the snow with my neighbor (who is in elementary school). My mom then came over to their house and we had coffee with 2 of our neighbors. We also rode around town (to get pictures of course!) with the neighbors and ended up cutting donuts on the square and sledding down the hill by my elementary school! Once we got back (thankfully!), my mom and I made a snowman and ended the day with homemade vegetable soup. Ok, so I know to some of yall I sound like I have never seen snow before in my life. Well, I haven't seen this much in a really long time! School is out again tomorrow in Darlington, and it is about time for things to start moving again. I'm getting a little stir crazy in the house. I love the beauty of all the white stuff, but I like going places too!

sledding down the hill! :)

our snowman

my mom and I taking pictures on the square

Well, off to watch the back to back episodes of Criminal Minds and spend all day tomorrow reading and baking cookies. :) Enjoy the snow! Love to all!

For unto you a child is born...

I absolutely love Christmas. I love spending time with family and devoting a whole day to celebrating the birth of my savior. Christmas is also the day when I realize just how much I have to be thankful for. I reflect on how blessed I am and realize every year that one day is just not enough to celebrate Jesus' birth. I should be celebrating this every day! Christmas is all about tradition in the Flowers' house. We do a few several things every year, but do add a few extra sometimes.

This Christmas Eve, my dad and I got up and did a 5K run (Bayler's Birthday Bash). This was a great way for my dad and I to spend time together while helping raise money for the children's hospital in Columbia. For those of you who don't know, Bayler Teal was a 7 year old little boy who lost his battle with cancer over the summer. The Gamecock baseball team dedicated their National Championship to him. Well, Bayler would have turned 8 on Christmas Eve, so his family decided to celebrate his birthday by raising money for the hospital that treated him during his fight.

After the 5K run, my dad and I ran to Walmart to pick up a few last minute things and then met my mom for a Wendy's lunch. This part of the day is usually spend shopping, however my family was on top of things this year! :)

So, after spending the afternoon painting (I get in a crafty mood sometimes), my family went to the Christmas Eve service at my church. This is one of my favorite services of the year. We sing about 6 or 7 Christmas Carols, light the Christ candle of the advent wreath, and take the Lord's supper. We end the service by lighting candles and singing Silent Night. It is a wonderful sight to see! After the Christmas Eve service, we then head to my Grandma's house (my dad's mom) where we have finger foods and open presents. We usually eat a lot more than we realize, open lots of presents, and then take way too many pictures. After eating and opening presents, we go home so that Santa can come visit!

Christmas morning is always a time that I look forward to with my family. One thing my parents started doing when my brother and I became teenagers is a scavenger hunt. I love this part of Christmas morning, because it always makes opening presents interesting. Usually, I figure out my brother's clues before I figure out my own and vice versa. I think my parents do that on purpose. HAHA! My parents give us one present with a clue on it. The clues go something like this:

1. "Roses are red. Violets are blue.

Somewhere we have hidden your presents from you.

When you come home from school,

You bring these too!

Dark they will be and you can see

In their place they always will be."

I found my second present in the dirty clothes hamper in the dark bin. :)

2. "You've found the first one, now here is another clue.

You go to school where things are blue.

Another present is hidden from you.

I hope you are thirsty as you need one of these.

Get one and your present will open with ease."

I found my third present in the cabinet where the cups are.

3. "Three down and one more to go.

Everything seems to move too slow.

The lights outside are off don't you know.

Cut them on and you will see

Your last present we give you with glee!"

I found my last present in the garage where we have the outside Christmas light switch.

4. "The last present you have found,

You did it without making a sound.

I hope you enjoy all your presents this day

Because this is all we have to say:

Merry Christmas!"

***Note, my parents are writing these riddles around midnight on Christmas Eve, so they can get a little corny. But, it is still one of my favorite traditions of Christmas.

After our scavenger hunt and opening my present from Jonathan, we get ready to go to my mom's parents house in Society Hill! There, we have Christmas lunch (where I stuff myself so full that I can't eat anything that night) and we open more presents. We then spend the afternoon talking and are unable to move because of all the food we have eaten. To end the day, we stop by my grandma's to visit for about an hour and then head home.

Tonight, my parents and I got in our pajamas and watched the movie "The Christmas Hope". This is the 3rd movie of "The Christmas Shoes" series. All of the movies in this series are tear-jerkers and if you would like to see them, I own all 3. :)

Now, as my mom came in and told me, we have 365 more days until next Christmas. All of the gifts that Santa brought and my family gave were great, but they can never compare to the best gift of all and the first gift of the first Christmas ever: Jesus. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Christmas at Home

Hello Bloggers! I have decided to join the blogging world to prepare for my semester in Australia so that everyone who wants to know what is going on on the other side of the world can read to find out! Though I am not in Australia yet, I decided I would get an early start on blogging. :)

The Christmas season always starts off with my mom trying to get the perfect Christmas card picture. This, let me tell you, is not an easy task. It usually ends up being a 30 minute ordeal with my brother complaining about how many pictures my mom is taking, my mom complaining about how my brother refuses to smile, and me trying to explain to my brother that if he would just smile once we would be done. This year, however, it was not difficult at all! Jonathan smiled in almost every picture and we only ended up taking 5 pictures total in about 5 minutes! Let me tell you this was an exciting time!


Today, I spent my first “real” day on break in my pajamas reading a book and getting caught up on some “me” time. Around 3 in the afternoon, I did have to go apply for a Christmas job at the new steak house in Darlington. So, some of you may know that I am going to be substitute teaching while I’m home until February so that I can save some money for Australia. Well, a few weeks ago I decided it would be a good idea to get two jobs! Let’s see how this works out. But, anyway, after going to talk to a person about a job, it was time to babysit two of my favorite children (there are several). We enjoyed a night of Chuck E Cheese’s and Hot Chocolate (from Starbucks).


Ok. Chuck E Cheese’s used to be one of the coolest places on earth when I was little. I have to admit, I still enjoy a game every now and then. Well, while I was sitting at a table watching the kids play, I saw a little boy (maybe 4 years old) climb into the basketball game (yes INSIDE) and start throwing the basketballs out. He decided that he wanted to continue playing without using his tokens I guess. I really wish I could have snapped a picture of this little boy. He was inside the part of the game where the basketball net is (not just the basketballs). It was definitely a sight to see.


Tomorrow, I will be spending the day with Mr. Renny cleaning. This is a bi-annual event where I go to his house and do DEEP cleaning. Now, let me tell you about the last time I cleaned Mr. Renny’s house (this summer). The first day, Mr. Renny and I went strong. We threw bags and bags and bags of trash away in just the dining room area. Then, the next day we went to the den. We moved around the house like that for a week. By the end of the week, Mr. Renny was tired of cleaning, but if you know me you know I was still going strong. So, Mr. Renny left me to cleaning the kitchen while he ran errands. Well, his kitchen is about as organized as the “Junk Drawer” that everyone has somewhere in the house. So, I started making my way through the cabinets trying to organize them so that I could put the dishes, medicine, food, and dog food (he has a german shepherd named Aubette) on the counter into separate cabinets/drawers. Well, about half way through this task, Mr. Renny says, “Don’t touch my cabinets! You are your mother’s child, and I haven’t been able to find any of my stuff since she got a hold of my kitchen!” After negotiating with Mr. Renny, we decided that I would organize the cabinets but keep everything in their original places. (I did however throw away the out of date food items and a few other things that I figured he would never know are gone. But, apparently, I was wrong because I got calls for weeks telling me that I owed him food because all of his was gone.) After a successful week of cleaning and dodging the big german shepherd that seems to be under the impression that I am a chew toy, Mr. Renny and I usually go out to eat for lunch and deliver his Christmas presents (or in the summer time, letters to the coaches and players at Darlington High School or deliver birthday presents).


So, I hope that gives you a little taste of the excitement that tomorrow will bring.

P.S. A little countdown until my semester in Australia begins: exactly 2 months until I will be arriving in Australia.