More Snow

Here are a couple more poor quality pictures taken from my front window.

I don't think they will be using the swings any time soon!

Snow

We have gotten a little more snow and a lot more wind! I wanted to go outside and get some good pictures but the wind is blowing too hard and my camera just gets wet.

I did take a couple from the garage door. This is our garden with snow now billowing over the fence. The neighbor on the other side is almost completely buried. (He parks out on the street. Luckily the snow is pretty hard and for the most part we can walk right on top of it.)

Here are some pictures from my kitchen window.
This is the low end of the drift. The fence is about 4 feet high and the dog is thrilled that he can just walk over it.

The drift peaks in the middle at probably close to 7 feet high now.

Scott and the neighbor that lives in this house spent an hour last night and 2 hours this morning shoveling out. Just after they both left for work today, the snow plow came by and pushed the snow back in front of the neighbor’s driveway. So much for all the digging! And yes, our driveway is solid ice!

Wish I could get some better pictures, maybe if there is ever a break in the wind. Hope you are staying warm and dry!

Marshmallow

Morgan was looking at a book one day before Christmas and came running to me. “That right there is what I want!” she said pointing to a picture of a guinea pig. We convinced her that maybe she should start with a stuffed animal to practice with until she is a little older. So now she is sure that when she turns 5 she will be old enough to have a real guinea pig. She does take good care of this one. Zane spilled raisins on the floor and she was positive her guinea pig had pooped so she cleaned it up. She named it Marshmallow and proudly tells everyone that Santa gave it to her. Every night we go through the same routine – searching for the guinea pig. Morgan insists that he likes to hide when he is out of his “cage” and so we must search for him. But she doesn’t always remember where he is hiding. The thing is not even alive and we can’t keep track of it! I don’t know if we are ready for a real animal.

Girl’s Night Out

I had a fantastic weekend! My friend, Kyndra, organized a girl’s night out. Seven of us went to a local day spa where we received pedicures, manicures, facials, and a massage. It was so nice! When we finished getting beautiful, we went to a bed & breakfast not too far away. It sits on the side of the mountain with an incredible view. It is actually a barn with living space in one corner and it is way nicer than my house. We laughed at each other’s makeup, talked, ate, played games, and talked some more. It was about 4:30am when we finally went to bed.

It was so nice to have a break. And I have to say a huge THANK YOU to Scott and Brittany for taking care of the little ones and keeping the house in order while I was gone. I needed that!

(Sorry for the ugly toes – I had to show off my pedicure.)

New Discovery

Zane made an interesting discovery today – ketchup. I am not a condiment person. I could do with out salad dressing, ketchup, etc. But at lunch Morgan wanted ketchup for her tater tots. Brittany believes ketchup goes well with anything and has gotten Morgan hooked. So of course, when Morgan asked for some Zane had to have some too. He dipped his finger in it first and then looked at me and grinned. After he ate about two tablespoons I had to stop giving it to him. I don’t think he actually ate any tater tots, just ketchup.

The wind continues to blow and I wish I had no place to go!

Yes, I made Morgan stand next to the drift in our backyard while the winds howled around us. She thought I was crazy and I kept telling her to stand still. The pile of snow at the end of our road is as tall as our house. It’s weird because we have only got a few inches of snow but it all blows in from the back field and piles up at our house.
I am so ready for SPRING!

Adventures in Driving

Driving with a teen is often scary enough. Fortunately, our adventures have not been too eventful. Usually Brittany is busy singing and changing the radio. I calmly say things like “slow down,” “two hands on the wheel,” and “stay in your lane please.” Morgan asks why Brittany has to practice and lets it be known she would prefer to have Mom drive. One Saturday we had gone to Pocatello (27miles away) to buy groceries. It was an exhausting day and the little ones were asleep in the back seat as we drove home. Brittany had left the radio turned down as her and I chatted about her life. We came up behind a slower vehicle and I told Brittany she would need to slow down or pass. She chose to pass. Just as she came up beside this vehicle the other driver began to pass a second vehicle. Brittany cautiously began inching over onto the shoulder of the freeway. I think we were both praying and prayers are answered. The other driver decided to look over his shoulder and saw us there. He quickly moved back into his lane and Brittany carefully moved back into hers. We got past the vehicle and Brittany quietly said, “I think I am going to pee my pants.” I assured her that she had done well. Now the ground is covered with ice and snow so Brittany’s driving practice is on hold. She is quite upset that friends younger than her are driving. Maybe she can get her license this spring.

Happy New Year!

Our Backyard

The sun is shining and the wind has stopped blowing so we are off to a good start this year (even if it is only 8 degrees).

The kids and I slept in until 8:00 this morning, very nice! Reflecting back on the past year it seems that so much has happened and yet so little has been done. My friend was talking about setting resolutions for the new year and I wondered, should I pull out my list once again and change the date to the new year? Why are my goals always the same? Do I need to be more realistic? Instead of saying I want to lose weight maybe I should say I want to gain 10 pounds. Then I would feel good when I accomplish that goal. Okay. . . so maybe not. Goals are supposed to stretch us to new heights and make us better people. But it seems that I never have time to incorporate the new goal into my life. I think instead of making a list this year I am going to make one goal and focus on changing just one thing. That feels more realistic for me.

All In A Day

Zane joyfully pushed his dump truck across the floor. Thrilled that he had discovered another way to make noise, he giggled and charged full-steam ahead. Suddenly there was a bookshelf in his path. Unfortunately the bookshelf didn’t give and the giggles quickly turned to screams of pain.

As blood poured out of Zane’s mouth, Scott ran to get the car keys. I calmed them both down as I tried to hold ice on Zane’s mouth. The lip instantly swelled but once the bleeding stopped it didn’t seem as bad as it looked. When he finished his popsicle, Zane was ready to play again.

An hour later we were sitting on Morgan’s bed reading stories. Zane decided it was more fun to walk on the bed. He stepped on the edge and fell, hitting his head on the edge of the desk. Once again I held him down and tried to put ice on his wound. He now has a nice bruise on the side of his head to go with his fat lip.

I hope he lives to be 2 years old!