I Dreaming of a White........

Valentines Day??? I look back and laugh that I was dreaming of a white Christmas. Who knew it would last until Jan. 31 and proably longer. The schools are closed today, but not entirely because of the snow but because of the wind. The wind has caused snow drifts on the roads and the buses can't get by. One major highway is closed right now, going out of town. The forcast is for 7 more inches today and high winds. So I will just enjoy the quite while the kid are still asleep and thank God for a warm house.

Here are some pictures of the area.

My backyard: about a foot of snow back here.

The front yard off my porch

Looking down the street at the mountain:

The web cam from the college looking at the whole town. Our house is off to the left.

Yukky Saturday

Today was kind of a yukky day. The weather was suppose to get bad today, so we post poned a trip to costco (2 hour drive). Now we wished we would have gone because the weather wasn't has bad on the passes that we thought it was going to be. We might try again, although the weather is supposed to be bad for the next week. So we played alot of guitar here and the kids went sledding. I still have a cough so I stayed home. Here is a video of J playing. Check out Megans fingers.....

Feeling Better

The fever is gone and all I have left is the stuffy noise and nasty cough. Jason and I where sick at the same time, but now it looks like Megan is getting it. Poor baby.

The boys went to the dentist on Thursday, came home with wonderful news. Anthony is ready for braces, that we knew. Jason will need braces, knew that to. What we didn't know was that Jays permanent teeth are coming in at an angle and pushing out others. Off to the orthodontists for him and Anthony in the next couple of weeks.

It is still cold and snow still on the ground. We have storms working there way up here in the next couple of days, so that means more snow. Yeahhhh.

Today

I was playing around with my blog and made some changes. Not sure if I am keeping them or not, we will see.

Today was cold cold cold. -10 when I took the kids to school this morning and only 19 right now. Jason stayed home from school and slept all day. Steve finally made it back into town this morning. They where stuck up on the hill for about 3 hours or he would have been home sooner. Like my blog I am making some changes around here too. I promised the kids awhile ago that I would do some decorating in their bedrooms. I am going to start working on that. I am going to start this week with some serious kids closet cleaning. I actually can't wait.

Here is a pic of my poor baby.

Happy Birthday Anthony

My baby is 14 today.

The day started out with Jason, his asthma attack and 102 temp. We still went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. Jason would not even consider staying home. The movie was cute and all of us enjoyed it. Anthony wanted to see something more adult and later went to see Cloverfield. I had to laugh because it freaked him out.

Anthony requested enchiladas for dinner. They did not turn out right tonight for some reason. Oh well, I didn't screw up the cake. I also made him his favorite breakfast of chocolate chip scones. He is waiting eagerly to pick up his bike. Before he can ride it we need to make some changes. The seat hurts places that no boy wants to hurt. lol Steve didn't make it back, but we put him on speaker phone so he could sing with us. Don't you love the Birthday Hat? We got that while we where in Disneyland. I mentioned to Steve that wouldn't that be cute for everyone to wear on their B. Day. He ran right back and bought it for me. The candles on top light up and blink. Anthony was to funny, because he wore it everywhere today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTHONY!!!!

I love you.......

Snowy Sunday

Well, yes it is snowing again. I have some pictures but I am working on Anthony's peter and the pics are one my peter. Back to the weather report: we can get up to 7 inches tonight, high winds and a wind chill of -9. We are getting pretty used to this weather. Today I had all my drivers ed flash before my eyes. I was traveling very slowly as the roads are very icy. Coming down a small hill I started to slide off to my right toward a parked car. I stepped on my brakes lightly which started my car into a spin. It took a couple of seconds and lots of sliding before I got it back into control. No accident and everything was good, until I saw the car behind me (traveling WAY to close to me) do a 180 spin and ended up in a snow drift. A lesson in slow down and don't follow to close. Snow tires and 4 wheel drive does not mean you will be OK. As was the case, we both had snow tires and they where in a 4 x 4.

On to more fun stuff. Anthony's birthday cake is ready and looks very yummy. He requested his favorite enchiladas (which are mine) for dinner tomorrow night. He opened his presents today, because Steve ended up having to go to work tonight. When he comes back from this trip he will start his vacation. He got some speakers for his mp3, a new game for his ds and a new bike which we will be picking up this week. He also got some spending money from Deder and Regular Grandma and Grandpa. His spending money is for Philly. His party is going to be next weekend. We are taking him and a couple of his friends up sledding and maybe snow mobile riding.

Have a good day off tomorrow, and I will of course post some pics of the birthday boy.

My Week in Review

So, thank goodness the week is over. What a crazy week. I had a quilt guild meeting and got my pass around bag back. Over a year ago I picked out some fabric, put it in a bag and it has been passed around for a year to different quilters who have made squares for me. So for the last year I have been picking up different bags and making squares for them. I got my bag Wed. night and I can hardly wait to get it together. Megan went with me to the meeting because she made a square that she wanted to show off. The whole group clapped for her and she took her bows. It was sooo Megan. Speaking of Megan, she had a dentist appt this past week. It all went well, no cavities, and she was please that no more teeth had to be pulled. She was a little bummed that they where not going to numb her mouth, she likes that part.

I joined a photography group, where our subjects are one of our kids. We are supposed to take a picture everyday for the next year. The only kid I could get to play was Jason. He loves to have his picture taken. He has been bugging me all morning to let him play with my camera. I guess I will let him try it out, but under my close watch of course.

I had an appt., with Anthony's teachers to discuss his progress at school. He is under an IEP for his dyslexia. I am so proud of him, he has brought his reading up a grade level and a half. His teachers really like him and say he works hard. His principle came to the meeting and told him that if he screws around he will send him to summer school. Anthony got a little pale. Later, the principle told me that Anthony is never in trouble, be he loves to freak him out.

Steve goes on vacation next week. Not sure what we are going to do yet. The kids are out of school Monday and Friday. Anthony turns 14 on Monday, so there is a party in the future.

quick update

Just a quick update to my last post. We got 2 inches of snow in an hour.

Hot Coco and Warm Slippers

The perfect night, watching the snow fall and being warm and toasty. I looked outside about 15min ago and told the kids, look it's starting to snow. I just looked out my window and it is completely covered and coming down very hard. We have had snow on the ground since before Christmas. Today I was enjoying getting around town on clear roads, the ice had finally melted back. Well not anymore, it is definaltly making up for the lack of snow last year.

I got a lot of stuff done today that has just been sitting around. A lot of projects that just need a little bit more to be finished. I have one more square to make for the pass around bags at my quilters guild. We have been doing this for a year. I need to make a flower square and I really haven't done any of those. The ladies quilt that I am working on this month is all flowers and very pretty. These ladies are very talented. The meeting is Wed. night and I will post a picture of mine when I get it (I picked the fabric out last year and that is the last time I have seen it). A busy busy week ahead of me. Working at the school tomorrow and Friday. Working at the Church and Wed., and a meeting about a children's liturgy that I might be starting on Sundays. Dentist apt for one kid this week and the other two next week. I also have a meeting at the middle school for with Anthony and his teachers on Friday. He is doing so much better in school. The glasses have truly helped him.

I better go, because I am tired and still need to find a pattern for this quilt.

Christmas Vandalism

A few days after Christmas the baby Jesus was stolen out of our Church's nativity scene. All that has been found is Jesus's head. Some other things have happened to make it apparent that it is our Church being targeted and not just a random act of vandalism. You hear about this happening to Church's all over, but I never realized just how it would make me feel to happen to us. However, some good things have come out of this. Another church in town has publicly asked us to fix Jesus and put it up again next year. The really great thing is that he and his church are going to help us make that happen.

Our church makes a big deal out of the Nativity scene. The night that we light it up, we have a big dinner and sing Christmas carols. The kids get very excited when baby Jesus finally makes his appearance on Christmas Eve. It might sound kind of corny but it is really fun and an annual tradition in our church. While the vandalism is sad, it is heart warming that the community is outraged, and so willing to see that our tradition will carry on next year.

On another note: Anthony had a tournment today and here is a picture from that.

One ends and another begins

So the fundraisers are over for Philly but Girl Scout cookies have begun. Megan is focused on earning money to go to camp with her friend this summer. So watch out, you might just be getting a call. Anthony's trip is paid for and we have the packing list. It is finally sinking in that he is going. I promised Megan that when he was done with his Philly stuff, I would be all hers. So I too will be working on cookie sales. Yeahhhhhh.

NO NO NO, Snow Not Ice

When we moved here, we envisioned big fluffy drifting snow flakes that fell softly to the ground. The kind that you enjoy while looking out the front window with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand. I never wanted the kind of snow that when mixed with wind it comes down sideways and hurts your face. And I NEVER asked for the kind of weather we are having right now. We have 45 to 65 mph winds and all that pretty snow has turned to ice. There is an inch of ice on the street in front of the house and the back alley is about the same. The only good that comes from this is that the schools are all closed and I don't have to work at the church today. Of course I had to slide my way to the school to find out it was closed. I shouldn't be complaining because when you look at other parts of the country and the weather they are having, mine looks pretty mild. And as my daughter pointed out before she went back to bed, "at least we still have power." Here are a couple of pictures of the roads this morning. The white is not snow it is ice.

This is the street in front of the house.

This is the alley behind the house. Steve brought home some spikes that strap to my shoes so that I won't fall getting to the car.

Happy 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

I am a little sleepy this first day of 2008. Steve made it in last night at 10pm to celebrate with us. I let Megan's friend DJ hang out here until midnight. We had pizza, movies and a few fireworks. It was a really fun night with the family. Anthony went to a Lock In at 8pm last night and I am picking him up at 8 this morning. It was put on by a couple of churches in town and sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun. They where going to have swimming, mechanical bull riding, laser tag and a christian rock band that is supposed to be really good. They where expecting about 500 middle and high school kids. He called me this morning at 4:30am to wish me happy new year. He asked me what I was up to and when I said SLEEPING, he just giggled. What a rat. He said he was really tired. He is going to come home and sleep then off to a basketball game tonight. School starts tomorrow for everyone. I really wish they had another couple of days off.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy 2008.

p.s. for those sick minds like me 105 school days until summer vacation!!!!!