Sam's favorite pastime!
Can I just say that Andrea made me do it. I didn't think you needed to see me but she thought different!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR......

Hudson, happy birthday to you! Poor guy, he has to be out tonight so no real party for him. However, Karen and her gang are coming for an early supper tomorrow night to help celebrate Hud making it to the other side of 35. Chinese food and Skor bar trifle here we come!

HELLLLO!?!

I got breakfast in bed this morning! What's up with that?
Much appreciated but not sure why I deserved it.

Someone has it in for me!

The kids are home today and they are wired! They cancelled school cos not everything is plowed out. They also have an insevice on Friday. This is not my week. They are all fighting and won't stay out longer than 15 mins. I'm going out of my blooming tree! And of course, Sam decided that it had been long enough since his last expression of creativity and went wild with a marker.... HELP!

Thought the pants could use some colour

It's up my nose

Sam at work again today

For Andrea....

I can't comment on your blog, but I wanted you to know that I am thinking of you and praying hard for your brother. Love, Alison

It's Over And Cleanup Has Begun!

The snow has stopped so now everyone has started the digging out process.The wind is still against us and makes it sometimes difficult while shovelling but that too will end soon. I'll assume that life will be back to normal tomorrow and the kids will return to school. These three days weekends are becoming the norm. It was funny getting to our driveway this morning as the drifts up our staps were as high as Huds hips. He waded through and then i worked my way out with the small shovel. He tackled the offering from the snowplow and then we managed to meet somewhere in the middle. Even under the van was totally full.
Hope everyone is staying warm and Andrea that your family is staying dry.

Sam taking care of himself

The BBQ

Nice Drift

We're out

and again

The neighbor

You Know It's Bad When....

They cancel school on Sunday night. The wind is crazy. Hud cleaned out the driveway twice and both times by the time he made it into the house it was essentially filled back in. Amazingly though, we still have power....

And so it begins again....

SNOW! Up to 45 cm hitting us today.It's started already. They called last night to say that they were cancelling church because of what was coming. We are under another blizzard warning, winds expected to reach 100 km/hr. Do you suppose we will manage to hang onto our power? Nasty thing is, Hud couldn't buy any propane for the stove. So maybe we'll dig the BBQ out from the snow we already have and count on that for supper if need be.
Daniel , Craig and I did make it to Martok yesturday. It was -18 but Daniel loved every minute of it. Karen and I got to spend the afternoon together in the lodge. She suggested when we were out to see how the guys were doing, that if we walked like we'd peed ourselves then our skin wouldn't have to touch our jeans and we would be a little warmer. I think a couple of times we were the entertainment! Just like old times except we leave in different vehicles ( again for Andrea ) now as we live in opposite directions. Karen and I, I'm sure will always be friends though the relationship may change some, but I often wonder about Daniel and Adam as they are still young. They have always been like brothers but distance and time can be hard on a relationship. They still love to get together, it's just that life keeps marching on.
Have a good one and I'll keep ya posted on the blizzard!

So Far Today...

I didn't sleep well all night as I was afraid the alarm wouldn't go off and we would miss going to Martok so Daniel could snowboard. I already feel nauseus. I got up at 5:45 to shower and pack our lunches. My brother was due to pick us up at 6:45 to head to the hill. At 6:50something his girlfriend called to say that his truck is having issues and he's going to try to get it home. Depending on when he gets home, he may or may not take Jessy's car and head out again. So here we sit, tired , waiting to hear our fate. Poor Daniel, he hasn't been to the hill yet due to various obstacles...Claire's ballett class being one of them. That being the reason I can't take our vehicle. ( that word is for Andrea )I would really like to go back to bed but everyone is up now thanks to the phone ringing and just the general rumblings of us puttering around downstairs.
Hope everyone else has a good morning.....

Nipple talk.....

So I'm getting dressed this morning and Claire looks at me and says "Mommy your nipples are sticking out of your skin. That must hurt." Her next phrase was " Those underwear are pretty, and that's a really pretty nipple cover. I can't wait to be a mommy. I'm going to have big nipples like you and Karen!"
As it turns out, I am not well endowed......
The other day she wanted to know why I have fur on my bum! And to think I always thought I was normal!

isn't it lovely

our back yard

Can we all fit in here? Not sure that the movie will play on blogger

Think I'll work on a brick wall

Doin' a few renos on the fort

It's soooo windy

Here We Go Again...

So the kids have been in school today for all of 2 hours and 15 mins and they are on the way home due to the weather....
What fun we will have since it is PERFECT snowman snow!

Thought we could all use a sunny picture of a warmer drier season.....pardon my frump...

The week in review....

Great chinese food on Saturday night with Dennis and Emily. Dear friends from the old life...
Good times on Sunday night with new friends in Timberlea...
Snow storm cancelling school on Monday...
Tuesday life is back to "normal"... except Al starts puking Tues night...
Window replacement estimates on Wednesday... better than we thought but still alot of money...
More snow starting on Thursday morning... accumulating quickly, we're in for another 15 cm...
What will Friday bring?

"me SUPER SAMELELEL"

Check out our cool dance.....

Power outage entertainment

And more chord instruction

Claire and her fabulous fashion statement...

Jacob and Sam getting in on the action

Daniel trying to get G

Emily tuning the new guitar

Almost but not quite...

Believe it or not we survived the blizzard without any power outages until it had all calmed down. You got it... at 4:40 it kicked out. It made NO sense whatsoever. Anyway, it's now 6:22 and it's been back on for about 10 mins. Thankfully supper was essentially ready so we sat down to a hot meal. So now we are three for three. How many more before winter is over?!?

Oh funny cranky neighbor story...we got a huge dump and nobody could go to work so we were all out shovelling and socializing together. Hud took some of our snow and pushed out in the road a bit... shameful I know. Then after Hud got the van out, Daryll from across the street comes with his four wheeler to push the rest of the snow back up by our side porch. In doing so, he plowed a bit of the neighbors as well. That wasn't such a good idea. The guy wasn't pleased and said it wasn't working for him. This is what he tells Hud, so Hud told Daryll that next time we need to do it differently. Apparently Daryll told him he had done it and the guy had told him it was no problem. WHACKO! He then told Hud that he also didn't like how someone had pushed snow out on the road as it would get in his neighbors driveway when the plow cme through again. Hud admitted his mistake and moved the snow back toward our yard. Anyway, said neighbor came out to clear his drive and wouldn't you know it... the plow started down our side of the street. This guy is standing at the edge of the first load dumped in his driveway , I'm down a few houses with Sally and her husband and neighbor and they all start yelling Sir, look out, sir the plow! SIR!!!!! Well, he wouldn't move and the plow slowed right down but went right up tight beside him and pushed all sorts of snow in on him. Well needless to say, we couldn't help laughing as the guy turns and throws a shovel full of snow at the back end of the plow. I wish I had a picture. It was just tooooo funny. Anyway, Hud went and helped him dig out, and so I think he is forgiven for his poor snow shovelling etiquette. Poor country boy, he's used to throwing it wherever he pleases....

Hit Again....

Well we are once again in blizzard mode.NO school,no buses, no malls, but so far we still have power. Of course the day has only just begun. Good day for coziness inside and if the wind dies down some a good day to play outside....

I've Hit The Wall !!!!!!

For me today was the day we hope will bypass us. It was the day of lonliness hitting me like a fricken brick. It was the day of none of the kids listening. It was the day of wanting to get out in my new yard to put in new gardens but knowing bloody well that I can't because it's only the beginning of January. It was the second evening this week that Hud is out for work, tomorrow being his only night with nothing on but me not being able to find anyone able to escape with me. It was the night of getting Samuel into bed and then thinking I might actually be able to have a poop in peace when he climbs back out of bed and refused to go back. What is one to do mid poo with a two year old say no mom , me stay you mom.....
It was a night of Sam running from me once I finished and tried to put him back in bed. It was the night of me bursting into tears as he's freaking out at the fact I caught him and put him back in bed. It was the night of laying on his bed with him , listening to a cd of celtic lullabies and gentle worship and totally melting down at hearing Jesus loves me. He does love me and I guess I just needed to be reminded that even though my day sucked and the week may not get any better there is someone who loves me even with all my faults. ie...yelling and losing it with my kids, resenting my husbands "freedom" , wanting things I can't have etc, etc, etc......

WHAT I GET FOR TURNING MY BACK.....

SOOOOO...... Sam wanted chocolate chip cookies....
Do you suppose it was planned to distract me so he could go exploring uninterrupted?
NEITHER of the other two EVER did as much " exploring " as he does...

I GUESS I'LL JUST PUT IT AWAY NOW....

I FOUND THE TOOTHPASTE.....

YOU CAUGHT ME!!!!!!

WHAT HAVE WE HERE?????

Breakfast with the Birds.....

The site of all the birds in the morning was nothing unusual in the Valley and since being here, it's not unheard of, but we have not yet had the purple finches. We also had some woodpeckers this morning but by the time I got the camera out, they were gone.
I could stand at my window or sit at the dining room table for hours watching them, but alas, real life is calling.......

CAN"T GET ENOUGH OF HIS COLOUR

FEEDING FRENZY

ISN"T HE LOVELY

AND AGAIN

PURPLE FINCH

Hop on Pop, Party of Five, and whatever other name you can come up with.......

So I thought being Saturday that I would get to sleep in, especially 'cos Hud had been away all week. Of course he had other ideas himself and then the kids piled in. First Claire , then Samuel and last but not least Daniel! What could have been a nice family time of just laying still and catching up on all the news turned into the wrestle session of the century. Feet in my face, bare bum in Dad's, shoulder wrenched behind my back in most abnormal position...etc... So started my Sat. I have pulled my tired battered body out of the warmth and now face the rest of my day. What are the odds that it will be calmer?

HAPPY......

I had a visit from someone today who made me feel so important,valuable,and just plain happy.