Wednesday, March 6, 2019

SO.MUCH.SNOW!!!

While we didn't have a sixth snow day, we did get another six inches of snow one night.  The piles were so tall that I forced the kids to stand by them to get some photos.  I told them that this is a winter they will remember for a long time and they will want these photos of them by the snow hills! 

M: The piles are taller than me! 

M: You can spot me behind the pile. T: I look tiny! 

So much snow everywhere! 
While on a walk one day I snapped this quick photo of a play area at the kid's school.  The snow piles are huge and the main attraction during recess.  The kids look so tiny on the big hills!  What a fun winter!  The hill below is the 1-2nd grade hill, but I don't see T in the photo.  M (in third grade) has hills on the other side of the school which are actually taller than these.  He loves playing King of the Hill and I am thankful that they still allow kids to have some of that kind of "80's kid" fun!

The little flecks of color are kids! 


$9.00 Balloon

A couple of days before Valentine's Day Brandon and T were at the grocery store getting some on sale chicken.  T spotted this awesome balloon and needed it.  Brandon usually gets her something special for Valentine's Day so he said yes and she was THRILLED and told everyone she knew about it and it's $9.00 cost!  They also got a lovely arrangement of flowers for me.  I am not a huge flower lover, but T got such great joy from them and loved them so much that it made me love them and the givers even more! 

T: Don't worry.  I close my door so the cats don't attack it! 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

The Bird Cat

Our cat Sunshine has a reputation for being underfoot, pouncing on laundry, and playing fetch.  Buttercup is known for coming to the door to greet us, purring immediately when held, and absolutely LOVING watching birds.  When there are birds at our feeder he is in heaven.  He can watch them all day.  He loves to run back and forth from our family room (where the birds sit on a cable wire and fence) to the kitchen feeders!  He is so fast and hilarious to watch.  

Buttercup:  Yay, they are on the feeder! 

He also does this meerkat type pose to crouch down so that he can remain undetected.  He almost doesn't look alive when he does it.

Buttercup: Look mom, no hands! 

Family Night!

Once a month we have a potluck at our home on a Friday night.  It has become a fun place of gathering, laughter, and good food.  There are 55 people who regularly attend potlucks, but due to commitments and sicknesses our average attendance is around 30.   It was quite impossible to take photos as the children are in constant motion. 

Yummy food. 
A small amount of the kids crew I was able to corral for a photo! 

Monday, March 4, 2019

"Underfoot"


If you watched any "Little House on the Prairie" you might remember the phrase "underfoot."  It seemed that baby Carrie was always underfoot when Ma was busy or the girls were cleaning.  I remember feeling that way when my kiddos were little too.  My pants would have snot and food remnant on the back of my knees from little people who came from behind and used me for a napkin.  

Well, now we have little cats and bigger kids.  These cats, especially Sunshine, love to be underfoot!  It is incredible endearing and somewhat dangerous. 

Getting indoor steps on a cold day and he plops down right on my foot! 

Man's Best friend... sitting at his master's feet during dinner. 

Literally underfoot while M cuts celery! 

Joy on my table!

Last fall I made a festive little centerpiece with leaves and a pumpkin and a turkey!  It brought me joy  from September through November.  I made a Christmas/winter arrangement for December and January and decided to continue the tradition for February with a Valentine's themed centerpiece.  The goal is to use things I have and spend as little money as possible.  I already had the quilted piece so I only needed to add the flair.  I went to Dollar tree and picked up a vase, candle, and wall hanging metal heart and called it a day.  Most days most of life and most of our house if in chaos, but our kitchen table is clean and joyful and that fills my heart with warmth.  I know it seems so silly, but I can't tell you the number of times I have walked in the kitchen and smiled at the sight of this centerpiece.  Little things can make a big difference in our moods and self care, especially on dark winter days. 

Yes, I now have a new one for St. Patricks Day and am thinking ahead to Easter too.  I am glad to have Dollar Tree for added touches! 

A happy table. 

Sunday, March 3, 2019

Laundry


I do laundry once a week.  This has been my practice since as long as I can remember.  The cats LOVE laundry day.  Sunshine likes to attach each item as I fold it.  Buttercup mainly likes to observe.  It is a rare week that they are not sent out of the room as I fold.  It is so much fun to watch them play, but I don't want them to ruin our clothes! 

Sunshine likes to be in the middle of the action. 

Buttercup likes to observe from a short distance. 

Better Together?!

It is a rare moment that M and T realize that things are better together and that fun can be hard with your sibling.  I am glad for a camera in my pocket so we can capture these precious gems.  Praying that as they grow they will see all the fun that can be had with an in house buddy! 

M: T trusted me to clip her nails. 

We built a really tall tower!

T: I like the really twisty positions because I am super flexible! 


Saturday, March 2, 2019

Snow Days! Cold Days!

I decided to combine pictures from snow days 3-5.  Day three and four were cold days and you can read more about them HERE.  The wind chills were close to -45.  The weekend after the temps got up to +46!  What a change for the body.  Then all too soon we received another 12 inches of snow and another snow day.  You can read about that HERE.




Snow day three cat houses!

A wild crew!

Brandon grabbed this photo online.  A very cold morning view downtown. 
When temps are so low that you need to give your sink some air but you have kittens that will get into your cleaners! 

We don't usually wear coats for the 10 second walk to church, but on the cold days, even Brandon bundled up! 

T: I stayed warm under this blanket.  Can you see buttercup?  He blends in with the blanket! 

Snow Day 4 ready for friends arrival!

One team.
Now I can see their faces!


Another team!

Snow Day 5!  The snow is so deep!!!

Silly cats! 

It was warm enough to play in the new snow!

These two decided to stay inside with the kittens instead! 

13.2 Inches!


Our second "snow day" came on January 28th.  You can read about the events of the day HERE.  We were so thankful that Brandon had the day off and it turned out to be quite a lovely day! 

Family Magntiles!

Wonderful Castle! 

Playing with friends!

A snow service plowed our driveway with this ride-on snowblower!  It took them just a few minutes and would have taken us much much longer!

Very Efficient!

Shoveling the back sidewalk was a job in itself! 

15 Inches on the sidewalk, but the report was 13.2 so some blowing occurred. 


Friday, March 1, 2019

Walking at -21

I enjoy my daily walks through the neighborhoods and hills of our community.  Ever since the first snow on January 19th, the walking has gotten a lot more tricky.  After a couple of bursts of snow came extreme cold.  The photo below is me before heading out on the coldest walk of the season.  The actual temp was below zero and the windchill (how it feels on your body) was -21.  Yes, that is twenty-one degrees below zero!  I was fully covered except for one eye.  It was still a bit dark when I started.  I had to move the scarf to rotate which eye was covered as my exposed eye would feel that air burn and also want to stick shut.  It was quite an experience.  Still though, the walks lately have gotten much harder.  We had a spell of warmer weather when things melted a bit.  This has created a layer of ice on sidewalk that is very tricky to navigate. I am looking forward to walking in warmer temperatures in the months to come... which I know could still be MANY months away. 
I learned this technique in Fargo and am getting a lot of miles out of it this winter! 

Feeling Thankful For...

The winter days can seem long and gloomy where we live.  This is a collect of sweet moments of thankfulness in the midst of our every day life. 


I am so thankful to God for: 

a daughter who loves to read!

children who love to take photos of their cats and a husband to loves the cats too!

moments when everyone is getting along and enjoying each other.
a kid who loves LEGO's.

finding an egg free cookie pie recipe that my son said tastes like heaven! 

a daughter who took a sensory break that turned into a nap in the alligator, her first nap in years!

M's best friend L!  They are a great team!

a creative daughter who makes Jenga houses. 

a basement where lots of fun and messes can happen freely!