Random Photos

We got snow again about a week ago.  It was a light, wet snow that melted pretty fast.

A few years ago we had a secret sister exchange at church.  My secret sister got me this chalkboard.  I repainted it and painted over the picture that was at the top.  Everyone in the house was suprised that I did that.  So, I wrote "Space for Rent" until I think of what I want to go there.

J drew this one morning.  Very cute. 

Bathroom Decor

You all know that the "blue" bathroom has been a work in progress. I found some great items for great prices!
First, the wall decor. Hobby Lobby (I wish I could buy half of the store!) had these pretty things. All 1/2 off I might add!! I need to find a few more items to round out the group. The hand towel and the face cloth are from Burks. I got those...

...the shower hooks (the kind with the beads are the best!), the shower curtain and the plastic curtain...

...and the mat for under $40!

Update on C, the ortho doc called just now and she will be going to physical therapy for now, until we go to the spine doc in E.P.

Eggs, Drums, Corn Syrup and Squash

In our home we try to eat healthy, but we do enjoy food and like to eat "bad" stuff too.

In our home our two kids having differing views on food and what we eat.
Child a is on a no corn syrup mission. This child likes to eat healthy and really make s an effort to eat right.

Child b's motto is "We're going to die anyway. Can I have a couple of cookies?" This child could really care less about nutrition.

To find out what this egg is for go to my teaching blog... Ahhh...he's back! J has a natural talent for all things music. He played drums for awhile, then gave them up. Dad packed them all back up in a big dell box and left it in the corner of J's room. I wanted, J wanted to put the box away. It was just more clutter. Dad kept saying, "As soon as I put it up, he'll want to play again." Dad won out. The other day I came in to see J unpacking the drums and the banging is once again a sweet sound in our house.

My beloved brings things home. Sometimes it's candy, newspaper stories. More than once he's said he has a surprise for me and it was a dead snake or the likes. So when he came home with a big (dog food type) bag saying he has a surprise, I was not looking forward to finding out what was inside. I was actually nervous. He pulled out this monster squash all excited. He was telling me all the things we could make with it. Um, this lady doesn't think so. It is going out into the trash. I don't mean to sound harsh, but it is over ripe.

Out with the old, in With the New

To fill you in, in case you don't know already.
One of the leaks that we've found caused damaged to our old vanity. If you've been to our house you know what our bathroom looked like.

It has been sitting like the before photo for a few days. Today it got done!!! R took off the toilet yesterday and what we saw made our stomachs get a bit tight. I won't go into detail, but let's just say that it was only being help on by one rusty bolt and the seal wasn't sealing anymore. So we called the plumber. He said that we were okay!!! Thank God because neither of us wanted to voice the concerns that were in our heads (that we'd have to tear up the floor). He also looked at our bathroom and told us to try something else before we tear up the shower area to find the leak.
Before... After...
The bathroom is just barely done! I LOVE it! I painted the mirror (the paint is a whole other story) to match the vanity. I was a bit nervous at first (C was really nervous). J said, "It looks like the expensive ones!" He LOVES it. I also painted the area around the lights. Don't know what to do with the trim over the tile. Let me tell you the toilet (MAJOR flushing system!!!) and the vanity just fit. (R had to trim the toilet handle!) Now the lighthouse picture just doesn't fit. I want to make something for there.

The best part is that we got it all $80 cheaper. The vainty/sink was the display and the toilet was cheaper at the other store, so they beat the price!

no creative title...sorry

This is how my day began...

Last night our toilet started to overflow. It's like half clogged. Will flush with no problems, thus far. It's when we shower that it leaks. Anyway, the shop vac is there to vacuum the water, until a plumber comes. To find out about this photo go to my Teaching in my Jammies blog.

OH! I was reading a blog (one of the ones I read) and the lady met the Pioneer Women! Did I not just write about her! Golly, lucky lady! I checked the PW's book tour and she isn't coming our way. Bummer! I would've liked to meet her! Small world!

Ranch Life and more

As you know R and J went elk hunting...J did get his elk Monday! The pics are on a different camera. So I will write about that later. He worked super hard to get it!

Anyway, R's boss let us stay at a cabin and C and I went up Sunday night. Let me just say that I don't think that place has seen a lady in awhile. A total man place.

Anyway, with the guys off early in the morning my day started off with an early morning phone call. From who...?? But I am glad I did get up. A gorgeous sunrise greeted me. (Anne, there weren't curtains!!! Or just sheer ones! I asked R "Where's the closest rancher?") I look out the kitchen window and this is what I see...along with about 3 others, a cottontail, some sort of blue jay, and robin type of birds. About 20 minutes later I see the male bull (young one) looking at the other cows coming. Let's just say he was probably singing all of the pretty ladies (or something similar) ... The sunrise was pretty and the icicles even prettier. This is off of the front porch.

Out of the back room...and old oil pump. You can see the sheet of ice and snow coming off of the roof.

As I am taking in the view, I spot some movement and this is what came around the tree. A calf and it's mother. The calf wasn't very old.

Dolly got her looks at the cattle. At first she wanted to play. She had some stare downs with a couple of the cows. She really liked the snow too.

The real temp was somewhere in between these two. It got windy in the late morning/afternoon. When we left is was snowing a bit.

These cows stayed almost all day. The rancher put hay right by the house! You can see the long drive we had to take in and out.

Later, after I bleached the kitchen and did my hair C and I went to check out the old barn. We climbed the fence. I was wearing R's work boots...funny thing, they were big on me so by the time I got back to the cabin my socks had pretty much come off in the boots!

The snow wasn't too deep in this photo, but in others it was a couple of fit ontop of packed snow.

Aren't we cute! We really didn't need the beanies. All of the truching through the snow, etc. made us pretty warm.

C and Dolly decide to brave the cows and head straight back to the cabin. Me? Well, I climbed another fence and took the road. Side note, I left the gate open and Dolly got out, got too close to one of the cattle. The bull charged a bit. It was a bit hairy for a few minutes. But I think Dolly knew she was out sized.

We had planned on staying until Tuesday, but the guys got their elk and C and I were really bored. We did all we could do, plus there was no more bleach to clean with. It was very relaxing for one day to be "unplugged", and so close to nature, but I really like having people around. I don't know how people live way out in the middle of nowhere.

We left late to head home. We totally saw the hand of God. We almost hit an elk! It was super close. I screamed crazy like. R said I probably scarred it away! Thank God for His protection!

Again!

We got snow...AGAIN!! Can you believe it? Two good snows in one week! It snowed last night. We got about 2-3 inches. Sun/Mon storm gave us 8 inches. Though this storm had much more ice. The schools closed twice!

This photo is actually from the first snow, the next day. J's snow man...(a couple of days after the first snow.)

Snow lady...I don't know if she's supposed to be packing!

Icicles...

This morning on our trumpet vines.

Trash alley!

My mom was here for a very short visit, but she still got in some puzzle time with J.

Frame this...I don't catch her smiling too often! (on camera)

Goofy, goodbyes!

Family shot, today.

Right now I am a hunting window. R and J are in the mtns. They left right after my mom. I was pretty sad. They are hunting elk. J says he's going to get one tomorrow. R's boss has a cabin where they are staying. C and I are going to go up there Sunday after church for a few days. (Unless they get an elk!!)

White Never Looked so Good

This is what we woke up to this morning!! Honestly, the photos don't do it justice.

I don't know if Dolly has ever seen snow. Poor thing, she's trying to find her scent.

J is outside right now (7:33am) measuring the depth of the snow. First report, 6 inches.
Public school has a snow day. Us, well, we are having school!

Oh, Christmas Tree

Every year for years we have cut our own tree in the nearby mtns. The first year was magical (except for C and me falling in the snow, etc.). You know the stuff of books. You drive down the windy (long I) dirt road looking here and there for just the one, just the perfect tree. Then you spot it across the meadow standing all by itself. Ahhh...that was many trees ago. Most years have been, well not as magical. This year, was different. The kids didn't want to go. I think they are mountained out. They stayed with some friends. Very nice drive! R and I were driving for about 2 hours (maybe a bit longer), we marked certain trees with toilet paper (biodegradable). But when we came upon a small side road there it was. I knew it! After getting out, inspecting and debating over this and a tree nearby, I knew this was the one!

Can you see the smoke from the chain saw! Nice!

Man vs Tree

Man...the winner! It's even got it's official tag!

In the house! We are trying a new spot in the house. The kids really don't seem to care. (I guess their friends who are spending the night are more interesting.) I guess this is how it goes as they get older.

Photo update

The timeline on this is backwards.
R and C went to a Jeremy Camp concert last week. It was an early Christmas present. The two got to spend a fun two days with each other! We all went to the Museum of History in E.P. They kids actually had a REALLY good time.

This photo really struck me. The lady's are taking a typing test...blindfolded!

Not only did we get history in at the museum, we got Spanish in too. This Mexican restaurant had Spanish only menus. We went for the burritos! R had read about this place a few years ago in a newspaper, saved the article and here we are.

We also met Nancy in E.P. a couple of weeks ago. Here's C's drawings on the table.

N & R...

Tomorrow we (R & I) go to E.P. again to celebrate our 18th wedding anniversary!