The week in review with Izaac....

Izaac attempted to shovel many piles of snow, but it was a struggle.

It was REALLY cold still outside, but we ventured out into the sun today anyway and played with a squirt bottle filled with warm water and food coloring.

Earlier in the week he played piano, trains, tunnels (with the couch cushions), and mowing the carpet (with the play mower but real ear phones for his ears). He chased the cats on a few occasions.

This is Noel cornering Gracie after Gracie chased Noel up the stairs (again) and Noel finally turned around and gave chase. Noel lives upstairs by herself because she lets the other cats (usually) intimidate her into cowering under some piece of furniture.

We've been trying to get Noel to stand up to the orphans since they moved in (July '08) but gave up last summer and let Noel live on her own. All were happier with the arrangement, but Noel still likes to go outside and visit the rest of the house sometimes (while the others are contained in another room or outside playing).

Two Red-tailed Hawks and Izaac at Camp Stanhope

By the time I got to the door to take a picture of the pair of hawks without a window, one had already flown off.

Izaac dancing with his donkey this morning (It flaps its ears and sings "Sugar Pie Honey bunch... you know that I love you...I can't help myself...I love you and nobody else!!"..).

I got the picture of the two hawks sitting together in the tree through three layers window (finally). We thought there were two, because they look to be different sizes (one bigger than the other) but when you don't see them together it's hard to tell for sure.

Monday review of Sunday

Last week the Program Ministry Team at our church planned on serving a Valentine's Dinner for some folks. It was postponed (due to that 4-letter word, SNOW) and rescheduled for the 21st. The room was decorated so lovely that I had to take a picture.

Sunday morning the singing choir and handbell choir hosted the fellowship hour at our church. There was LOTS of food (and socializing, of course).

When I came home from church there were quite a few pheasants huddling under a pine tree in our yard. It made me a little nervous that they were huddling due to a storm approaching (it didn't happen, fortunately). It did snow on Izaac and me as we drove home from Des Moines this afternoon.

Sunday, Sunday, what will it bring--more snow??

A view of the driveway before I used the snow-blower last Tuesday (2/16/2010). I don't have any new pictures of anything because it's pretty dull around here. Snow and more snow!

This is also 2/16/2010, in the morning, when the cats think it MIGHT be 70 and sunny, so they test the terrain. Lucy is scattering snow in this 65 second video, while Bogart just sits and watches at the door. Georgy and Gracie debate on whether they can stand as much snow and cold as Lucy.

At least it's not snowing

This is another picture I found when I was digging through old photo albums. It's Punkin cuddling with Arthur (who have both gone to the bridge). Punkin is actually Queenie's aunt (got them at the same farm a year apart).

Arthur was 15 years old in this picture, and Punk was new.

Sunny Tuesday and more snow for Friday!

I found a more recent picture of my dad (at my mom's b.d. party at our house last October), with Izaac helping opening Mema's (his great-grandma) presents. (Grandma Shirley on the couch, too, at the right.)

This is the updated view of the patio, also, from yesterday. It was still flurrying at this point, however, and is still blowing snow yet today. I'm going to try to put some pictures on flickr and Facebook later today, too.

Happy Birthday Dad! (OR, it's Monday, so it's snowing)

I wasn't being that nostalgic originally this morning. I just couldn't find a picture of my dad (without an all-day search) that was cute. (He is less pictures than ME!) So this is my dad, with Alex and Samantha in the summer of 1989. (Alex looks 3 and Samantha looks about 2--because there wasn't a date on it, of course.)

So, among the pictures I flipped through this morning, this one stood out. It's my grandma (making her the kids' Great-grandma), in spring, 1989 (I think).

Here's another picture that struck me as fun. It's Aunt Mary at her lake house, with Alex on her lap, Samantha beside her, and cousin Claire in the walker in front of them. It looks to be early summer, 1988.

Happy Birthday Will!

Here's some blasts from the past (last summer!). Saylorville Lake, looking south to the Des Moines version of a skyline!

The prairie in all its fall glory.

The sign says it all!

The sign at our church in Stanhope speaks what we all are feeling. (It snowed again overnight, and we're expecting 3-6 more inches before Sunday!)

These houses in Stanhope (not mine) show the strain of just getting to your own front door!

Views from our road (Wed. 4:30pm) & Noel's video in snow on Sunday

This view is looking west from our house.

This view is looking east toward our house.

This is the north side of one of the drifts, looking east on our road.

If you can see this 24-second video, you will see we have a LOT more snow on the ground since this was taken.

Happy Birthday Rachel! (and more snow pictures)

These top two pictures were taken in the night Monday night, when I got up to see if it was still snowing (it was). Georgy, Gracie and Lucy are helping to check out the flakes outside.



This is the Tuesday morning picture of the patio at 8:40am. It was still snowing very lightly at this point, too, but did quit later in the day, and then the wind came up!

(So the trainman got his car stuck '3 lightpoles' from home last night, but the neighbor pulled him out already this morning.)

How the kitties passed the time during our latest storm...

Queen, trying to suck heat out of the computer...

Lucy, lounging...

Bogart...

Gracie...

Georgie, hiding from the snow...

Georgie, asking why dad is taking his picture...

Snowblowing and shoveling-didn't make a dent?

The top picture is where I pushed the snow-blower to the edge of the driveway which just added to the 'pile'....

The picture below is the pavement where I tried to shovel the snow off the crunchy snow/ice pile that's already packed down....

This last picture is the level of snow by the mailbox-where I tried to make a path for the mailman.... oh well. Tomorrow's another day--and it's STILL SNOWING!!!

Snowy comparisons

The top picture is from Sunday at 3:30pm. The bottom is Monday morning at 11:45am. The bad part: IT'S STILL SNOWING!!!!

Sunday snow (again?) day....

It started snowing in the night, and was more like sleet this morning when I started to venture out to church (early, even, at 9:35!). The driveway was its usual mess, and then there was white-out conditions on the road. I got to the highway, slid onto it, and promptly turned around and went home.

The above picture I took after I got safely back into my driveway (this morning).

The picture above I took this afternoon from the garage.

Below is one of the dresses I ordered online, and was taking to Des Moines to see what everybody thought of them (for bridesmaids dresses).

Miscellaneous...and 114 days to the first wedding!

A nice view to the west the other night about 5:15pm. (Neighbor's barn, etc.)

A fat male pheasant against the snow. They're very skitty, so up-close photos are almost impossible (full-out lens on this camera). (For Marty)

The bunnies who eat on the patio at night (with all the kitties watching). (For our cat fans!)

A stack train last Friday near Jordan (Iowa). (For Mike!)

I bought get-rid-of-the-wrinkles cream, but haven't used it much. Do you think if I apply it a couple times a day it would reverse my age in general==or would I just LOOK 20 years younger?