Happy Holidays - even with the snow !!!

Not the greatest picture in the world but it goes to show I can do hard things. This snow is here to stay and even showed up on Christmas day. We received another 6 to 8 inches on Christmas morning and had to move it before everyone came. Not a desired thing to do before presents but you have to do what has to be done. Matt was home after getting stranded in Portland for the days before Christmas. Except for Damon and his family ,Cristy (Cristy's first Christmas not spent here) and Nathaniel - we where all together. We finally got everyone here around 11 a.m. and started opening presents. Always a fun time.
Christmas is better with kids.....I think !!

But then again it's great to have the parents there too!! My brothers and I got Mom and Dad a cell phone. We got the phone for seniors - the Jitterbug - Mom was really glad and I really think it is growing on Dad. It is great to be able to communicate!

My reaction to seeing that Damon and Nikki got us a web cam for the computer. Now we can see the grand kids when we talk to them. I'll get into this 21 century yet. Thank-you Grant for grabbing my camera and taking pictures.

Grant and Liz are holding Georgey's interest with this surprise.

Mandy got this game from Grant and Liz. I actually got the same game for her but found out before Christmas that Grant got her that - so I brought my game back. The grown - up kids played a round of the game after dinner. Speaking of dinner - we ate around 1:30 and it was goooooood! Cooked the bird in a bag this year and boy was it faster and juicy!!
Here is Dad going back for seconds. I love to see him eat !!! It was a good day - we got to talk to Cristy and Damon a few times each throughout the day - yes, a very good day!

And then we had to get back to reality! Snow!! We have dealt with two more storms and a two day melt down since Christmas. Darren left in the middle of one storm and I am glad to say he made it home safe and sound.

Grant has gone the extra mile and worked on Dad's roof - getting ice out of the gutters and the first foot of roof. He had to use a pick. As you can see it is snowing again. We got another 6 inches today. Please remember us in your prayers in that our snow blower keeps working. Grant and Liz are taking off tomorrow - it isn't suppose to snow tomorrow but the next day we are forecast to get another 6 inches.
Remember my lilac bushes? I hope they survive this snow. They are just about covered. Over at Dad's house there is a spot where the snow blower can't blow the snow over the top of the berm. And this is still just December. I love winter. I love winter. I love winter.

UNBELIEVABLE !!!!!!!!

We just had a repeat of last years winter - only it happened in one day!!! The above picture is a yard stick just stuck in as far as it would go - I bet it isn't to the grass - so....add a couple more inches. It started snowing yesterday at 6 a.m. and it hasn't stopped yet. It is crazy!! So we had a snow day today and tomorrow is already called off. So two extra days for vacation. It is so bad that even Matt is home. He got up and went to work - after getting stuck 5 times and digging himself out - he made it back home - only to be stuck in the driveway.

So out came the snow blower and he dug himself out again.

This is not the greatest picture of me but look at how high the snow is - to my thigh!!

No plow has been by - there is no snow berm to make this look deeper - this is how much snow we have gotten in 24 hours. We have broken records set in 1950 - for the most snow fall in one day. The last record was 12.5 inches and officially we got 27 inches. That is Coeur d'Alene record not Spokane.

The view of the house from the street - which is undriveable - the snow is to the top of the porch.

The snow is deeper than the snow blower. I'm glad Matt is not on the road - I could never push that machine through this.

This is Dad - I just wanted his picture - but once again the snow behind him has not been piled upon.

This is the pick-up next to the shop. The snow on the roof of our neighbors' shop is impressive.

I walked over to Mom and Dads' and noticed that the snow was higher than their porch. I am really glad we are here to help them.

This is the fence between Phill and us. TV has been nothing but news about what is closed and telling us all to stay home. They even closed the shopping mall. So after plowing us out - it only took 4 hours - Matt and I are going to rest up so that tomorrow we can do it all over again. It is still snowing and it isn't suppose to stop till sometime tonight.

The good news is that it is very light snow. Now much water in the snow- can't make a snow man - it won't pack. So we don't have to get up on the roof and shovel :)

So right now - I'd like to tell my kids how much I love them - stay active in the church and always follow the prophet!!! Just in case - I might get lost in this snow - but I'll try not to!!

My old friend died this week!!

I feel really bad because my old friend died this week. I never knew what a friend he was until now. How much I depended on him - how much he knew me and how well I knew him. He felt perfect in my hand, not too heavy not too light. His buttons where just where I would want them - so I could push them without even thinking. He was the best hair dryer - ever. I had him for years - I mean I can't even remember having another hair dryer.

It was a tragic morning. I sleep until the very last second - I only give myself 45 minutes to get ready and out the door. There I was, doing what I do every morning - first I get my hair wet to calm down the mattress hair - then I reach for HIM! Mr. Hair Dryer. With just a flick of the thumb he is on. Blowing that perfect temperature of warm - not hot to hurt - not cool to chill but warm, warm - to dry and style. But that morning there was a strange smell and then the handle was allot warmer then it has ever been. Then came the smoke!! NO NO NO!!! Not another fire I thought. But no - just smoke! I turned Mr. Dryer off and looked at my hair. NO NO NO !!! I wasn't done and please - I can't go to work like this. I do a few other things and give Mr. Dryer another try - what a trooper he was - still worked - I was able to get presentable but again he got very, very hot and started to smoke again. I knew this was the end. The sorrow started to sink in.

I had to go buy another hair dryer. So off to Target after work that very night. Have you checked out the hair dryer aisle lately? Must be 30 different dryers to choose from. OK - the $60 ones where checked off the list right away - that left 25. The marketing people must give this project to all the new guys on the job because I have never read so many ways to say - blows hot and cool air. But the most important to me was how it felt as I held it. So I was thankful that they had them all laid out for me to pick-up and sort of try on. I chose one on sale - shocker I know - and I think this one is more of a Miss Hair Dryer. And yes, it has a diffuser attachment.

So even though my old friend died this week and received a burial in the garbage can - I will remember him always because if this new one doesn't measure up - it's the garbage can for her.

Yellow, the red nosed school bus!!

Not the greatest picture but....anyway this is to the tune of Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer.

Yellow, the red nosed School bus

Had some very flashy lights

And if you ever saw them

You would even say that's bright

Some of the little children

Didn't want to go to school

They acted loud and naughty

Just to try and brake the rules

Then one foggy snowy day

Darrell Rickard came to say

Yellow, with your lights so bright

Please get these kids home safe tonight.

Then how the children loved him

As they shouted out with cheer.

Yellow, the red nosed school bus

You did your job without fear.

The poor city of Rathdrum had to but up with this music and our bus as we joined in the December d'lights parade. The parade was only 10 lighted vehicles - not very long but we drove all over town for almost 2 hours.

We have a driver in the sleigh - Santa - he throws candy canes to the kids - we sit inside - allot warmer - and wave out the windows. After the parade Matt and I went back to the bus yard for a taco dinner. Was a nice night.

We also decorated the house - not as fun without you kids - but the new tree is up. Looks good!

Now the most important thing - Nathaniel's name is on the stocking!!!! Welcome to the family - again - now it is official!!!

This is one time I really wish Nathaniel had a shorter name - it was hard to get all those letters to fit. Almost called you "N" :)

Now last week I spoke of a tail. It was for the bus - but we had to make a decision - the tail or the generator to run all the lights. The generator won - so no pictures of the tail I help make. That's really OK - the thing just looked like a fat ironing board.