As much as I love winter, I'm really getting tired of the not being able to do the running outside thing. I've tried a few times but I can only go on the plowed stretch of road that is in front of the house. It's about a 1/4th of a mile long. So I run back and forth and that gets old fast. We're having a bit of a thaw and it's getting really mushy in some spots which makes my footing not so sure. I don't want to hurt myself. So back on the treadmill I go. I should be very grateful that I have that option, which I am, but it's still hard to go for more than a couple of miles. I just get bored.

Tonight we had Family Home Evening. Amber did the lesson and Ben got to pick the activity. He wanted to play Yahtzee. So that was fun, and took forever, but that's okay because we were bonding right? We had cookies for dessert. That was Sam's idea. One of our family goals this year was to have regular FHE every week. So far so good. I feel it's very important for our family and I hope we can continue with it, and not let life get in the way.

The kids had piano lessons today and I took Sam to the house that we always go to, and the door was locked. He rang the bell, and no one answered. I had remembered the kids telling me that she was moving but she never told me when. I thought it would be in the spring or something. I guess not. Luckily I had her number in my cell phone. She laughed a little and said "didn't the kids tell you?" We'll no my kids never tell me anything. So I got her address for her new house which is a few blocks down and farther north. Which means I'll have to leave a little earlier to get my kids there on time. I had to take a lot of side roads that the plow has yet to see and the snow and slush made for very interesting driving. But man what a cool house! It's one of those old Victorian homes, with an amazing ceiling and wood work around the doors and windows. It's like three times the size of her last house. I don't blame her for moving. She had some very nice antique furniture in there and still had a lot of boxes sitting around, but it was a cool house. I could kill the previous owner though, because they replaced the original dark wood flooring with a very light, almost blond colored LAMINATE FLOOR!!!!!! AAAHHHHH I was sick! You DON'T put that stuff in an old home like that! What were they thinking! And if you HAVE to use that stuff at least pick a dark color that goes with the rest of the house! So just food for thought.
Looking forward to a fun but busy weekend. Bret has to go to Des Moines in the Morning for a CME conference and then it's off to Omaha for a stay in a hotel with a pool! It'll be nice to get away for a bit. We're meeting Sheri and Derek there and then after we swim, they will take the kids to their house and Bret and I get a night to ourselves. Saturday Amber and I have to be at the Council Bluffs Stake Center at 11 for a camp meeting till 1:00 then I have to take her to the Temple for a youth temple trip. Then it's back to the hotel for a Safari Club International Banquet that evening. Maybe we'll buy a trip to Africa! But I'm excited to just be out with Bret and enjoy some good food and adult conversation.

It's been an interesting couple of days, and I'm glad they're over. With three snow shovels, myself and two reluctant children we went outside today to tackle the snow drifts so I could get my car out, and also so if anyone dared to visit us they would be able to get to our front door. The snow was so hard packed and so much of it, that it took forever to do the front walk. Amber and Ben were not happy, but it was good for them, they've been sitting around for the last couple of days. After the front steps were done, we went to the driveway, much bigger project. We wouldn't be able to get to church tomorrow if we didn't. AFTER we did my side our dear friend Bruce came to our rescue, and finished the job with a big cool snowblower. So we're all dug out. At least until the next one comes. It's only the beginning of January.

Wow, what a winter we are having. I'm sitting at my dining room table, looking out the windows, and can't see anything but blowing snow! We had a nice 10 inch snow fall yesterday, and now with the very high winds it's blowing all over the place. The kids were let out of school early yesterday and no school today.
Bret's brother Kevin was on his way home from Omaha, driving to Des Moines, yesterday and he stopped by to do a little hunting with Bret. It was snowing and about 15 degrees, go figure! They came home with a few birds and Kevin had a chance to shoot a buck, but he said it wasn't big enough. It's frustrating Bret just a bit. They were perfectly good bucks. For our evening meal together we had some hot chili and crackers. Yum! Soon after dinner the wind started picking up and all that snow that we got was now blowing around in a 30 mph wind, and it's very cold. Wind chills down in the 40 below zero range. Yeah I won't be going anywhere today. The kids have another day off of school due to the weather, so they are loving life. I don't think they'll be to happy though come spring when school is supposed to be out in the middle of May. They'll have some snow days to make up.
Our animals are all doing okay. We've lost a few pigeons, and we're having a hard time keeping the dog's water from freezing in a heated kennel! The heater just can't keep up! Even the heated water bowls in the turkey and pigeon pens are freezing. I'm hoping for a winter warm up soon. Can't wait to see those upper 20's again. That was so warm compared to this! I'm so thankful to be in a nice warm home.
It was nice sleeping in this morning, and the kids are having fun playing together. Bret's on ER starting today and lasting until Sunday. He's only supposed to do three days but the guy who does the schedule messed up, so out he went in the storm at 7:00 this morning. He'll probably just stay at work for the day instead of driving back and forth in this weather. So I probably won't see him for a while.
Okay, now I'm rambling. I'll let you know if we all FREEZE to death!

Our New Year's Eve

Bret got a turkey during our first game of bowling!

Ahh New Years day! Sleep in till.... let's see 5:30 am?????? Bret's alarm went off at that time because he was going to go hunting this morning. Yes, deer hunting. Sitting in a tree stand for hours in below zero temps. Not what I'd call fun. I mean I like hunting and all that but I'm more of a fair weather hunter. So After being woke up that early, he just rolled over and went back to sleep! I new he wouldn't go, and I told him that last night. I really didn't want to get woke up that early for nothing, because I have a hard time falling asleep once I'm woke up. So I was a little irritated with him. But I did fall back to sleep and woke up a few hours later with a little hand in face. Keaton hasn't quite learned to sleep in yet. I thought he would because he had a big night last night. We started out taking Amber to some members home in Shelby, about 20 min. away, because they were taking Amber to the Stake Dance in Omaha. We then went to Portsmouth, another little town near Harlan for dinner. They have a little place called Club 191. Not the best food in the world and not the best looking either, but we had a gift certificate from a good friend of ours that works there. Plus this friend is struggling with life and works two jobs to care for her family and we wanted to help her out. So a lot of grease on my fries and my fillet wasn't very good, but we made her night! That's what counts right? After dinner we drove back to Harlan for a fun filled night of bowling! That's what Keaton wanted to do. It was kind of weird because neither Sam or Amber was with us. I mean were getting used to Amber being off on her own activities, but we always have Sam. He got invited to a friends house for a sleep over. I didn't realise before how much more fun things are with Sam around. He's just a little bundle of sunshine for our family. Not that Ben and Keaton are dull and boring, but they just are a little more subdued then Sam. So I missed him. We played two games, Bret won both as usual, came home and played Wii, watched the ball drop and all said Happy New Year, then went to bed. Keaton was scared to go to bed by himself, he and Sam share a room, So I convinced Ben to sleep on the top bunk in Sam's bed. He wasn't too happy with it but he did it for me. I was going to have to sleep in there with him and that wasn't something I wanted to do. Amber came home around 1:20, at least I think so, I faintly remember hearing her walk up the stairs. It was a good night with not a lot of frills and noise but it was nice. I didn't even have any junk. We have none left from all the Christmas gifts of goodies and leftover cookies and candy and I wasn't about to buy more!!!

So looking forward to a nice relaxing day of watching football, Go Ducks!, and snuggling with my wonderful husband.

Happy New Year! Everyone!