Embracing Winter

There are good times in winter too!

We really enjoyed our time with friends and family in Minnesota this Christmas.  Here are a few snow pictures from there...

Rob and I and the kids took a family ski lesson in the morning, and were able to enjoy skiing the rest of the day!  The kids had a great time too.  Here they are...

And here's the group picture of friends we skiied with on Christmas Eve!





Jeff and Lynnette came to our house later in the vacation.  The kids had a great time with the snomobiles, and they were all very safe drivers and riders.  We also went to town and enjoyed sledding on the dike. 

The other thing we did to embrace winter (during vacation) was go ice skating.  This was all BEFORE the big bizzard I already blogged about!  Now we're trying to convince ourselves that winter is really OKAY!  That's why I'm doing this post....  What do you think?  Do you embrace winter? 

Digging Out!

This is the "View from my window" a few hours later....  As you can see, the weather has begun to clear!  The kids had fun on the new drifts, but didn't stay out long because of the ferocious windchill.

And then Rob started plowing... and plowing... and PLOWING!

 

I was out shoveling, but finally I just let Mattie take over...  She LOVES to dig!

 

Rob's reward at the end of his plowing....

The county plow came by today too.  Thank goodness!  It looks like we're free to travel again.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

View from my Window

Ahhh.... a good old fashioned blizzard!  It started at midnight Wednesday night.  We've had a few breaks, but overall it's been blowing and snowing continuously since then.  We're safe at home, glad we don't HAVE to go anywhere.  I always feel kind of edgy when this happens, but there's something cozy about it too.  And it makes me thankful for all the means we have to cope with storms like this.  Warm houses, plentiful food, water and light.  Just think of years ago - and really not so many years ago - when they didn't have all these luxuries...

"Digging out" will be the next phase... lots of work.  Glad Rob's home!!!

Speaking of Snowmobiles...

We made this snowmobile sculpture on the first Christmas that Rob came to visit me.  We had the real one sitting nearby.  I can't find a picture of it right now.  What fun!!!

Winter's Drama

We have a vintage snowmobile.  This fall Rob decided he was going to get it running again and sell it.  Lately, we had a change of heart and decided to get it running and keep it instead.

One evening last week, Rob was slaving away on wiring up the new laundry room.  At about 9:30, he said he was "going out to do a few things..."  As I was just crawling into bed, my ears perked up.  What WAS that sound?  A trip to the window revealed what I suspicioned....  that old sled was running again!  I wasn't exactly rejoicing at the moment, because I kept seeing him squirt some kind of fluid in there, and every now and then the thing would backfire horribly.  Smoke or exhaust, whatever it was was rising like Old Faithful.  I was just a little nervous, because when he originally decided to see if it would run this fall, it started on fire!!!!  (We now have fire extinguishers EVERYWHERE!!!)  So, I was really afraid something was going to blow!  I took a few pictures anyway, just to mark the moment.  Hope he doesn't mind me posting this picture.  By the way, today it ran MUCH cleaner!  Fun to see Rob and Evan go scooting off across the field....  I'll keep you posted.

Rainbow Jello

My Aunt Susie introduced our family to this yummy/beautiful Rainbow Jello when I was a kid.  I used to make it sometimes at home, and then again after I got married.  But, since I've become a mother, I guess I haven't made it!  It does take time and patience....  both of which my little girl seems to have lots of!  So, Lana made Rainbow Jello yesterday.  We enjoyed it with our company for dinner today.  Thanks, Lana! 

Cozy

Winter is truly upon us.  What better way to embrace it than with a warm and cozy knitting project?  I am attempting to make a beret for myself.  Possibly it could be big and floppy enough not to mess up my hair when I have to go out for recess duty??  And still look cute?????  Well, we'll see.  But, the fun is in the making of it....  Is anyone else doing any knitting this winter?  Crocheting?  Sewing?  I'd love to hear about your latest project.  "They" say that this kind of project is good for our psyche... It appeals to the woman in us who is responsible to keep our loved ones clothed and cared for.  I like this thought!