We had another 5 or so inches of snow over the weekend. Combined with the howling winds, it has not been pretty! At least it was sunny today, so I wasn't too grumpy - even with the kids out of school - AGAIN!
We're hoping to get some new pictures of all the snow tomorrow. Britney has been borrowing our neighbor's snow blower to clear the driveway, so I haven't really been out in the snow (except to get to the van in the garage!) for a couple of weeks. I think I'm oblivious to how tall the banks and drifts are now. They're just the same white stuff I see every day. Anyway, today he came in and said the piles at the end of the driveway are at least as tall as he is - if not taller!
On top of everything, our dumb dog has run away twice this week. If anyone wants a 9 year old miniature schnauzer and can convince our kids to let you have her, she is FREE! I'm only half kidding...
I'm coming up with some projects to make the winter go by faster. Hopefully I'll have some good befores-and-afters to show you soon!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Happy Birthday, Pop!
Today is my dad's 65th birthday! Happy birthday, Dad! Wish we could be there to celebrate with you!!! We love you!
Hey dad - just be glad it wasn't THE picture from Christmas! *wink* *wink*
Hey dad - just be glad it wasn't THE picture from Christmas! *wink* *wink*
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Back in the Saddle Again...
So, after some persuading from my dearest sister ;) I'm going to try to start blogging again. I think I hit a wall late last year and just couldn't seem to go around it. Or over it. Or through it. Then the holidays hit, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, let's give it a go again.
Christmas was a whirlwind trip to Georgia - oh yeah with a wedding and baby shower thrown in. Britney's brother got married on the 27th and then we threw a baby shower for his sister the next week. Most of the family from Minnesota was there - which was kind of weird. But not in a bad way. It was just another first - all of us visiting GA at the same time.
Anyway, we came home just after New Year's to over 2 1/2 feet of snow on top of what we already had. There are some crazy pictures here. Oh yeah and we've had more snow and more snow and more snow on top of that. The kids won't be done with school until the middle of June...
We also celebrated Carter's 5th birthday in January! We let him pick his party this year and he opted for a very tame one - two friends to go with him to Chuck E. Cheese's. Being the brilliant mom that I am (with help from my most supportive husband), we picked the 3 boys up from preschool on a Monday and headed over to the mouse's house. It wasn't busy since it was a weekday and the boys were all very well-behaved. Carter had a blast and that's really all that matters. (Pictures here)
Aside from that, it's just the same ol', same ol' around here. Volunteering at the school, taking care of the family, shoveling snow...OH! Except I am in the middle of my first staging job for a friend who is putting their house up for sale - and they need it to sell quickly! So, if you know of anyone who wants to buy a nice house in rural Minnesota for a reasonable price, send the my way!!!
Hopefully next time I'll have something a little more interesting to share. But for now, I'm actually happy to be back in the saddle again. Thanks, Pam!
Christmas was a whirlwind trip to Georgia - oh yeah with a wedding and baby shower thrown in. Britney's brother got married on the 27th and then we threw a baby shower for his sister the next week. Most of the family from Minnesota was there - which was kind of weird. But not in a bad way. It was just another first - all of us visiting GA at the same time.
Anyway, we came home just after New Year's to over 2 1/2 feet of snow on top of what we already had. There are some crazy pictures here. Oh yeah and we've had more snow and more snow and more snow on top of that. The kids won't be done with school until the middle of June...
We also celebrated Carter's 5th birthday in January! We let him pick his party this year and he opted for a very tame one - two friends to go with him to Chuck E. Cheese's. Being the brilliant mom that I am (with help from my most supportive husband), we picked the 3 boys up from preschool on a Monday and headed over to the mouse's house. It wasn't busy since it was a weekday and the boys were all very well-behaved. Carter had a blast and that's really all that matters. (Pictures here)
Aside from that, it's just the same ol', same ol' around here. Volunteering at the school, taking care of the family, shoveling snow...OH! Except I am in the middle of my first staging job for a friend who is putting their house up for sale - and they need it to sell quickly! So, if you know of anyone who wants to buy a nice house in rural Minnesota for a reasonable price, send the my way!!!
Hopefully next time I'll have something a little more interesting to share. But for now, I'm actually happy to be back in the saddle again. Thanks, Pam!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Blizzard 2009
Here is a link to some pictures from the blizzard. It was unreal to me! All of the windows except for the ones on the north side of our house had a sheet of ice on them. You literally could not see out. It was quite unsettling for me!
The temps have been hovering around a balmy 3 degrees all day, with 40 mph wind gusts. We all bundled up and went out in it a little while ago. Knowing we couldn't get out of the driveway if we had to was not a happy thought for me. School's out so the kids were playing while Britney and I were working.
Hopefully this is the last blizzard for awhile and we can get to Georgia next week with no problems!!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Another First
Well, just when I thought I had experienced all of the firsts of life in Minnesota, wouldn't you know there was one more. A blizzard. I would take a picture for y'all Southerners, but you wouldn't even be able to tell what you're looking at because it would just be white. We're supposed to get anywhere between 4 and 8 inches of snow between today and tomorrow with winds gusting like you wouldn't believe.
Just to give you an idea of how bad it is, I wouldn't let Carter go with me to get Ashlyn this afternoon. And there are days in the middle of winter when I MAKE him go outside because he just gets wild cooped up in the house all day. The wind sounds like it's going to blow right through our house, and I even gave in and pulled all the drapes closed tonight because the cold radiating off the glass was just too much. I'm starting to feel a little claustrophobic!
The good news is that the windows that we have re-done definitely seem to be making a difference! I guess that's the silver lining of a blizzard :)
Check back in tomorrow. Maybe it'll settle down enough that I can take a picture of some good snowdrifts to give you an idea of what it's like! Until then, send warm thoughts our way!!!
Just to give you an idea of how bad it is, I wouldn't let Carter go with me to get Ashlyn this afternoon. And there are days in the middle of winter when I MAKE him go outside because he just gets wild cooped up in the house all day. The wind sounds like it's going to blow right through our house, and I even gave in and pulled all the drapes closed tonight because the cold radiating off the glass was just too much. I'm starting to feel a little claustrophobic!
The good news is that the windows that we have re-done definitely seem to be making a difference! I guess that's the silver lining of a blizzard :)
Check back in tomorrow. Maybe it'll settle down enough that I can take a picture of some good snowdrifts to give you an idea of what it's like! Until then, send warm thoughts our way!!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Sense of Accomplishment
She did it! Ashlyn finally learned to ride her bike yesterday. It only took about 20 minutes of me really working with her for her to get it. And I didn't even lose my patience for the whole 20 minutes!! That was my accomplishment for the day :)
Anyway, here she is in all her glory! She is so proud of herself.
By the way - this is her awesome bike that someone was just going to throw away until I rescued it out of their junk pile!
Anyway, here she is in all her glory! She is so proud of herself.
By the way - this is her awesome bike that someone was just going to throw away until I rescued it out of their junk pile!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Satan Hates Sprinkles
This is my favorite blog post that I have read this week. If you've never visited the (In)Courage site, you really really should. Anyway, this is the post that was on their site this morning. I just love it and hope that I can start looking at defeat this way. Enjoy!
Satan Hates Sprinkles
My dad is famous for his optimism; as far as most people are concerned he is completely candy-coated. He lives out James 1:2 unlike anyone I have ever met. “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds.” That’s my dad, joy in the face of trial.
When I was growing up my siblings and I never had problems--we had opportunities. We didn’t have hardships--we learned lessons. We were always “better than we deserved”, “at an all time high” and super “f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c”!
Even when joy didn’t make sense.
As a young girl I remember a time when my dad ran for School Board re-election. I felt nervous about the outcome of the race and I recall asking my dad what he would do if he lost. He smiled his usual smile and laughed his usual laugh then said, “If I lose, you and I will go out for hot-fudge sundaes.”
Before I was old enough to appreciate the spiritual application, I remembered how odd it was to celebrate losing.
After all, nothing screams defeat like confetti and balloons.
Or does it? Celebration in the midst of struggle is odd for our human nature because it can’t be attained without God. It can often be the only weapon we have that keeps us from falling.
Our common enemy has come to “kill, steal and destroy but Christ has come to give us abundant life” John 10:10. Praise and thankfulness throw a big chink in the chain Satan specially designed to keep us down and out.
My dad ended up losing the re-election that year, and he could have gotten angry. He could have demanded a recount. He could have scorned his opponent and vented his frustration. He could have wallowed, but he would have promptly chained himself in bitterness.
Instead he kept his word and we went out for ice cream. In this particular situation I watched my dad rejoice rather than rant, and thanks to my dad, the joy of the Lord tastes a lot like sundaes with sprinkles on top.
by Ginny Martyn
Satan Hates Sprinkles
My dad is famous for his optimism; as far as most people are concerned he is completely candy-coated. He lives out James 1:2 unlike anyone I have ever met. “Consider it pure joy my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds.” That’s my dad, joy in the face of trial.
When I was growing up my siblings and I never had problems--we had opportunities. We didn’t have hardships--we learned lessons. We were always “better than we deserved”, “at an all time high” and super “f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c”!
Even when joy didn’t make sense.
As a young girl I remember a time when my dad ran for School Board re-election. I felt nervous about the outcome of the race and I recall asking my dad what he would do if he lost. He smiled his usual smile and laughed his usual laugh then said, “If I lose, you and I will go out for hot-fudge sundaes.”
Before I was old enough to appreciate the spiritual application, I remembered how odd it was to celebrate losing.
After all, nothing screams defeat like confetti and balloons.
Or does it? Celebration in the midst of struggle is odd for our human nature because it can’t be attained without God. It can often be the only weapon we have that keeps us from falling.
Our common enemy has come to “kill, steal and destroy but Christ has come to give us abundant life” John 10:10. Praise and thankfulness throw a big chink in the chain Satan specially designed to keep us down and out.
My dad ended up losing the re-election that year, and he could have gotten angry. He could have demanded a recount. He could have scorned his opponent and vented his frustration. He could have wallowed, but he would have promptly chained himself in bitterness.
Instead he kept his word and we went out for ice cream. In this particular situation I watched my dad rejoice rather than rant, and thanks to my dad, the joy of the Lord tastes a lot like sundaes with sprinkles on top.
by Ginny Martyn
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