We are already up to day number five. And today is a very special day because my hubby is flying into Syracuse. The boys and I can't wait to pick him up at the airport.  As for the weather in Pulaski, it was about the same as it had been. Seasonably cold, but not instant brain freeze temps, scattered flurries. The boys continued to have fun outside. I didn't take a lot of pictures this day, but here are some.

I really like how my mom's Frosty the Snowman collection is lite on the front porch. The above and below pictures were taken later in the afternoon before heading to the airport. Even then the sky was cloudy.

My mom's dog, Goldie, had a litter of puppies early in December. They were definitely cute. But I knew Dixie Grits would be happy mad if I were to even think about bringing home another dog.

Now here's day number 4 of our vacation for Christmas in New York. We are definitely enjoying the snow and it's certainly COLD, COLD and more COLD.

The boys were talking before we ever started on this trip of how they were going to "eat snow". I attempted to give the pointers of eating snow. Um, only the white snow, not any brown, black, yellow, or other colored snow. Only white. But I also did try, really I did try, to tell them that it's not something that you really do ~ all the time. Um, I'm thinking that at least one of my children didn't pay attention. Tell me what you think?

Joshua had just taken handsful of snow and thrown them into his face or mouth. Talk about enjoying the experience of snow.

So he's had enough of eating snow - guess he had gotten filled up, so now it's time for the snow crusted hat to be put back on his head.

He realized I was taking pictures of him, so time for his close-up.

Um-um good snow!!!!!

I'm not sure why the boys thought they needed to bring huge chunks of snow into the house for us to see. Um, maybe they thought we couldn't see all the snow outside? Maybe they were trying to bring a present to their grandma? Or maybe they thought the artifical tree needed to have some snow? Either way I was happy to snap a picture and send them back outside with their snow chunks.

Caleb showing his mama how proud he is of the snow chunk he found.

Here is a picture looking out of our hotel room. It had snowed overnight and the guy who plows the hotel parking lot hadn't come through yet. I kept watching other people shoveling their cars out. One guy had to be pushed as he was stuck in the middle of the parking lot. When I called my mom, I told her that if I were to get stuck, I'd be calling my daddy to help me.

Here's my dad coming back from plowing my sisters driveway. Isn't the snow just beautiful? So I might be the only one that thinks this way. I am sure my dad would not agree with me!!!

So the boys played .....

And then made "snow angels"

Then went sliding down the little bank of snow.

And then a few hours later we started to have some flurries.  I made this picture a tad larger so you could see that my parents home is literally in the middle of a field. When we had the farm, it was used for either field corn for the cows or hay, I can't remember which one. So when a storm comes they are hit with the lake effect of Lake Ontario. This picture is looking to the West.

Here's looking down the driveway. Trust me this looks good. Because within five hours or so it was going to look so much worse. Keeping reading to find out why this amount of snow in the driveway looked good.

Caleb has either found a chunk of snow or has attempted to make a snowball. Either way he's happy.

This one of Joshua face down enjoying the snow was taken while I was inside warming up. This was the norm for Joshua. He really enjoyed immersing himself in the snow.

I think Caleb was using the snow saucer as a wall to break the wind.

I really am not sure what Joshua was thinking as he took a saucer full of snow to Caleb. Silly boy.

I tried to leave my parents house probably around 9pm. My sister had come over and mentioned that there was a snow drift in the driveway. When the wind blows across the field from the west, there is always a snow drift in the driveway. But she thought as long as I didn't let off the gas, I should be okay with the van to get through the drift and out the driveway. That's what she thought. She thought wrong!

Sorry there aren't pictures, but try to imagine the wintery scene with me. Following her instructions to keep the pedal to the metal, I did that. I knew I was in trouble when the windshield was covered in snow and the van wasn't moving. It's late, the boys are tired, I have "southern tires" on the van, the wind is freezing (talk about "instant brain freeze") and it's snowing sideways, from the West of course. And I'm stuck in the snow drift my sister though I could drive through.  I open the door and yell to my sister "bring in the reinforcements" -- aka MY DADDY. He gets the tractor and snow blower out to start clearing the driveway. While he does that my sister begins to shovel out my tires. There was so much snow but thankfully it wasn't a heavy wet snow. Even after blowing the driveway and shoveling out the tires, I still had to have my daddy pull me out of the snow drift using a chain attached to the tractor. What an experience -- and one I don't want to go through for a very long time. By the time my sister finished shoveling and I was on my way, she had actual accumulation of snow on her coat. Talk about Ms. Frosty!!!  Now you can understand why I had my hubby write up the post of I LOVE SOUTH CAROLINA.

I must say even after getting out of the snow drift, it still wasn't easy to drive to the hotel. I was in the middle of the road, unable to see for the first part because of the wind in the open fields. I kept telling the boys to just keep on praying. Before I reached the village limits I had to go down a hill and immediately around a curve -- oh that was fun - NOT. Then the main stop light in town is on a hill -- anyone having fun yet? After that light I had to go around another curve to the left, down a short bridge (it crosses the Salmon River), then around another curve to the right. Oh ya, me an my "southern tires". Did I mention that I missed the entrance and the exit driveways into the hotel? So I had to turn around, literally praying that I wouldn't get stuck in the middle of the road and have to call my daddy. I am sure I would NEVER hear the end of that one EVER.

After arriving in Harrisburg, PA and spending the night, we were back on the road again by 8am. I was again thankful for the DVD players for the kids. By the time we were around Ravine, PA we started seeing some SNOW. We stopped in Hazelton, PA for breakfast at Perkins. It was about this time that I was getting excited about the SNOW.

Even though the boys had seen these rocks when we drove to NY in July, they were still awed when seeing the rock with ice on it.

This is what we saw when we arrived in Hazelton, PA. The parking lot of the Perkins where we ate, hadn't been plowed good. And the driveway entrance was down a small hill. I will admit, I was a little concerned about how well my "southern tires" would handle these conditions of snow and slush still on the road. Yes, we did do some sliding and spinning of tires. It took every ounce of my will power to NOT do a 360 spin in the parking lot. But as a friend said to me recently, just imagine a grown woman doing a 360 in a mini-van. Um, interesting picture.

Now that we have fully tummys, another DVD is in the player and the tank is full of petro, let's get to New York.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK STATE

I thought it would be best to stop at the Vestal, NY Walmart. Oh, I was so not right in that choice. I had forgotten that if there is only one Walmart in the Greater Binghamtom area, and it being the last Saturday before Christmas, that it would be a NIGHTMARE to get there and to shop. Well I was unfortunately right about that one. It was a nightmare. And I had absolutely forgotten how awful it is to push a shopping cart in the snow. And trying to make sure the boys are safe in the parking lot weas nerve-wrecking. And the joy was only beginning.  Here's a picture of what Binghamton looked like with their snow. The side streets were interesting and I was glad I didn't have to try to park on them.

Beautiful New York scenery. To me I really enjoy seeing the pine trees covered with snow.

And if I hadn't tortured myself and the boys enough with the Vestal, NY Walmart, we also stopped at the Target in Cicero, NY. For some reason I was unable to find snowpants at the Vestal Walmart. Thankfully I found them at Target, and also spied another Walmart. I really should have known better, really I should have .... but we went to that Walmart too. I thought wouldn't it be wonderful to pick up the necessary food for the Christmas buffet my mom always does. That way we wouldn't have to go back out. It was now after 6pm on the last Saturday before Christmas (do you see a theme yet), my boys are beyond, just beyond being able to deal with life and Walmart....when I almost began to cry at the deli. This was the second time I had been to the deli and when I about cried, I knew I needed to just check out. Of course checking out at the Walmart on the last Saturday before Christmas, be prepared to WAIT and WAIT and WAIT. I was the fourth person in this one line when another line opened up. So we went to that one and checked out quickly. When I was leaving, I noticed that the person who was checking when I switched lines, was STILL CHECKING OUT. Now let's get to my parents home. On the road again.

Finally we arrive at the hotel in Pulaski. Again, my wonderful husband had called ahead and changed my reservation so that it would begin on Saturday instead of Sunday like I had scheduled. After getting our hotel key, we drove to my parents. Okay, it's about this time that I am thinking it's COLD, baby and I mean COLD, bring on the long undies.

I don't think the boys barely got "hellos" said to my parents before they were begging to go outside and play in the snow. I can't find the actual temperature for Pulaski the night we arrived, but I am guessing it wasn't more than 5* and let me just tell ya it was cold. A cold that gets in your bones and doesn't leave. A cold that gives instant "brain freeze" and trust me eating ice cream is the last thing you want to be doing. It was cold, cold cold. But there was SNOW SNOW SNOW.  I think the boys were a little surprised at what all had to be put on for clothing in order to go outside. Sorry, no pictures of them enjoying their 15 minutes outside in the snow. Stayed turn for the next entry, day three where there will be tons more pictures.

Finally I have a few minutes to devote to some posts about our trip to New York for Christmas. This is only day one and overall not that exciting.  We left our house a little before 7am and it was still dark. Martin had purchased dual screen DVD players for the trip. Oh yes, one of the better purchases we've made. I am sure with my boys my life would have been um, STRESSFUL while driving without another adult. LOL  The only light glowing is of a "Jakers" dvd.

Here we are ready to head out. Let the FUN, FUN, FUN begin.

Our first stop was in Florence to use the facilities at Cracker Barrel and to fill up with petro. When we came out of Cracker Barrel we saw a little group of birds attempting to have their breakfast too.

After driving and driving and stopping at numerous Cracker Barrels for the clean facilities, we FINALLY SAW SNOW. You can tell that this snow had been around a day or more and most of it had melted, but it was SNOW, glorious SNOW. We saw this snow in Dillsburg, PA.  

After eating a little diner (delicious food and service), we drove to Harrisburg, PA. I had not hotel reservations as I didn't know how far I would be able to drive that first day. So my wonderful husband called a hotel and gave me step-by-step directions all the way to the front door via our cell phones. The boys were defintely ready to stop for the day.  After we settled into our room, we watched a bit of figure skating and went to bed. Lights were out at 8:45pm.

First, I went to New York for Christmas and all I got was a cold.  Seriously, I have a cold, but then I thought it would be fun to share it with the hubby. Of course the boys have been sniffling and stuffy since before we left.

After 11.5 hours of driving, sitting in traffic jams on I-95 and I-85, along with a trip to the Charlotte Airport, we FINALLY and yes I truly mean FINALLY arrived home. Glorious, wonderful and somewhat tidied-up thanks to the husband, HOME.

During the trip to New York and then Maryland to see my father-in-law, we drove a total of 1996 miles. I've been to three different Wal-Marts in New York State. And I can definitely say UGH to that one!!!!  Been stuck in my parents driveway, during a storm where snow blows sideways. And just when I thought we were driving out of the snow on the way to Maryland, we encountered another storm between Syracuse and Binghamton, New York. It was a little strange to actually see accumulation on the road.

My boys have watched WAY TOO MUCH TV, and that is what they are doing again today. But tomorrow -- well that is another day. The boys are SO TIRED and I hope to be back to our normal routine, with happier boys  by the end of the week.  We've been to the National Zoo in Washington, DC and saw the Pandas. They were cute. Then we went to a wonderful Christmas Tree and Light display at the Church of Latter Day Saints. At some point I'll share some of the over 450+ pictures of this vacation.

Had a wonderful and filling breakfast at a new to me diner in Pulaski, NY the morning we left. A girl that I went to high school worked there. I totally didn't recognize her and can't even remember if she was in my graduating class or not.

So today is filled with doing laundry, working (I should have taken today off too, but.....), referring the continual fights between the boys, and simply trying to not fall asleep, and trying to catch up on my emails.

But as Dorothy says at the end of the Wizard of Oz,

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.