Made it home...

The children and I returned home today after five days with Grammy and Papa in Virginia Beach. We had a wonderful time, ate some great food (thanks Grammy and Papa for feeding us so well) and most importantly (and regretfully) wore both grandparents out.
We also brought some snow with us as it snowed a few inches in Hampton Roads, but not nearly what we got here at the house.
Pat had to work all weekend so he spent three nights in a hotel near his office... I swear we should buy stock in Doubletree Inn as he's spent more than a week there in the last two months.
I don't think he would ever survive (and neither would I) becoming a traveling salesman as he craves being home as much as I do.
On the way home today, I could see the snow piles get higher and higher the farther north I drove. Along Interstate 64 there north of Richmond there were trees toppled over.
I got home just in time to have Pat try to get the van up the driveway (he wasn't able to) and we lugged the kids and most of our belongings up the rather icy driveway (we had a contractor come out yesterday and clear most of the two feet of snow we got here over the weekend).
Low and behold, we're expecting even more snow tomorrow as the local weather man said we can expect another foot or more to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm now beginning to think spring will never arrive all I want to do is see the green grass again.

When will it be spring?

I've tried to be patient, but I can no longer say anything nice about the snow we've gotten this winter.
I just looked at the 10-day forecast and they are predicting snow for half of those days! This weekend they are predicting a foot or more of wet snow... the heavy kind that weighs down the trees and kills the power.
Pat is sending us to Virginia Beach for the weekend to stay with Mom and Dad Fitzgerald because he's got to work and is afraid the power will go out and I'll be stranded with the kids.
I'm so ready for the sunny days of spring...

Chez Fitzgerald...

I took these pictures of Savannah this morning while she was waiting for her Daddy to finish making a breakfast of blueberry pancakes and turkey bacon. Pat does most of the morning cooking and I take care of his meals and dinners when he's at home.

Our own Cat Whisperer...

I caught Julius talked to one of the feral cats this afternoon... he's very interested in animals although he seems slightly scared of them when they come up close (although he seemed not to mind Maggie and Jasmine, Kathy's dogs).
He's such a sweet little boy and it's hard for me to be blue about all of the snow when I get to witness this little exchange.

And later in the day...

Here are some more photos from our shoveling out from today...

I can't believe it....

"I can't believe it!"
This is the phrase Savannah has copied from me and now I'm borrowing it back to describe the sight that came this morning with the first light of day.
My last post was about missing Savannah as she was visiting her aunt and uncle last weekend and ended up staying an extra day because we were snowed in. When I wrote that post I had given up hope of getting her on Monday and was just hoping we could get her on Tuesday... then I watched the 5 p.m. news and realized my window of opportunity to get Savannah before the next snowfall was getting shorter as they were predicting snow to start falling Tuesday morning.
Well, I packed Julius up, braved the icy street we lived on and drove up to Centreville to pick up my girl. We went into Charlottesville and picked up Pat and he drove us home (after leaving my car at his office and almost getting stuck coming up the driveway.)
The snow didn't start falling until the afternoon Tuesday, but it continued well into the night.
These are a few of the photos I took at first daylight this morning... and as you can see all of the work Pat did to shovel our driveway Sunday has been covered with more snow (and I'm afraid ice).
This means he'll have to get up this morning and shovel another pathway so he can get back to work tomorrow. Thank goodness he's off today as I'm not sure he would have been able to shovel the driveway before he would have to leave for work.
We're expecting more snow this weekend... and forecasters aren't sure if it will be a little or a lot. To say I'm sick of the snow would be an understatement as I worry about Pat's safety while shoveling and all our of safety when we get on the roads to escape from it.

Missing my Savannah...

I know Savannah is having a wonderful time at her Aunt Kathy and Uncle Tom's house, but I sure am missing my little girl. I got into her room over the weekend and put things back together, weeded out a few toys she's outgrown and getting things ready for her return.
I took these pictures of her on Thursday as we headed up to Centreville. She was so excited to go see Aunt Kathy, Uncle Tom and Maggie and Jasmine.
I so look forward to hearing how she enjoyed her visit.