Yeah... that was... um... yeah...

So we got tons of snow two weeks ago. We got somewhere around 8 or 9 inches in one week. We were expecting the wind to start blowing Saturday afternoon which would then create blizzard like conditions.

We had planned on getting together with Austin's parents for their Christmas on Sunday so I made the executive decision to just go over on Saturday and stay the night. That way we wouldn't have to worry about traveling even that short distance with Mason.

Saturday everything is going good I have the car loaded with everything we are going to need and extra. I say extra because I already had Mason and I already packed to go down to southwest Iowa for Christmas and instead of pulling out just what we would need I just put our whole bags in the car. Which turned out to be a good thing.

So, anyways, Saturday is going good. It isn't too cold out the wind isn't blowing yet and Mason and I are just about ready to go. Austin has agreed to come over later and bring the Wii with some games.

Just as I am taking Mason out to the car the wind starts up. So off we go. By the time I get to the highway... I can see nothing.

Don't think I let that stop me.

Nope.

I knew that it would only affect me for a couple of miles. About an hour later we get there. They have a really long and curvy driveway we get about halfway down it we can see the house and we get stuck in a snow drift to the side of the drive way.

Jeff's plowing abilities leave something to be desired. It is like he is afraid to lower the bucket anymore. There was probably a good 4 inches of snow still on the drive.

Jeff had to come rescue us. He finally got the car to the house later that afternoon after he got it stuck again and then had to hooked the tractor up to it.

Mason was in heaven playing with Cheyenne (playful 7 year old Black Lab) and Boots (2 year old kitty). Saturday afternoon I helped Robin get ready for Sunday. I made my bread while she made the cherry dessert and pumpkin pies. I was to bring the rolls for lunch on Sunday so I don't think that was considered helping but I didn't make a bigger mess anyways.

Her kitchen is set up very weird. As in she has things in the most illogical places. I don't know how many times I would ask her where something was and she would have to open several doors or drawers to find it.

Austin finally showed up around supper time. We had chili with cornbread. It would have been perfect but Robin didn't have baking powder. Who doesn't keep baking powder in the house? The corn bread was still good it just didn't raise like cakes usually do.

After supper we all played Wii and got beat at bowling by Robin. Austin beat us all in Golf, at least the first game. I took the second which is how it should have been anyways.

Mason went to bed around 8:30 like normal and was good. The rest of us stayed up later playing Wii. I finally gave it up about 10 and went to bed. I thought Austin would follow later. I wake up at 3 to let the dog outside and Austin wasn't in bed.

My first thought was that crazy bastard is staying up all night playing video games.

Imagine my surprise when I go upstairs and everything is dark and his pick up is gone out of the driveway.

Yep!! That crazy SOB went home. In blizzard conditions. I was less than thrilled.

Don't even begin to think that I stayed up all night worrying about him. NOPE! I went back to bed and slept peacefully until Mason woke up at 8. I figure he had a cell phone on him and would have called if he had run into trouble.

The next morning was Sunday and we were celebrating Christmas. Austin showed up around 10:30. I didn't even get a chance to give him a proper tongue lashing because his mother took care of it for me. She was mad. Austin took it all in stride and actually laughed at the end.

Princess Hateful Raquel and Dan showed up around 11:30. I don't know what it is about her but Hyde just loves her. He jumps in her arms and whines when she puts him down. I don't get it. It is a little annoying when my child follows the dogs lead and follows her around and gives her kisses.

As annoying as she is at least she doesn't talk non-stop. I swear Dan doesn't shut up. I know in a normal house this wouldn't be a big deal and would most likely be considered starting a conversation but this isn't a normal family. It just feels like he asks a hundred questions.

This family doesn't have normal conversations they have heated debates. These debates are not rational and are not held before lunch they are held after dessert over a game of cribbage. Everything else can be considered polite chit-chat.

We didn't end up going home this day either because it was too darn cold out and the roads were too bad. Austin drove through drifts that came up to the bumper on his truck. He sure didn't let that stop him from going home though. He got to go home and ended up playing Wii all night.

I ended up having to sit through some uncomfortable silences. I am sure it didn't feel uncomfortable to Robin and Jeff but it was for me. How was I to get comfortable with my M-I-L reading my mind all evening. It did get better when she got out her new camera and started playing with it. At least until she started to ask me a hundred questions. Not that I mind answering questions it is just the way she asks them. Like she has perfect timing that as soon as I start to do something else she calls me over again. I think Austin gets this from her because he does the same thing.

Monday afternoon Robin and I took Mason to town. First we went to lunch at Perkins. Mason charmed all the young college students that were stuck working during break. There was a young couple there sitting in the booth across from us and Mason kept turning around and flirting with them both. Just being generally cute and the husband says 'If you could guarantee that our kids would turn out like that I wouldn't mind having one or two.' The wife was so happy after she heard that. After they left Robin looks at me and says 'Man are they in for it. They don't know that Mason threw 2 tantrums just on the way into the building.'

Next we went to see Santa. Mason was so excited to get to sit in Santa's lap and pull on his beard. Thankfully we got one with a real beard. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas and all I could understand was truck and baby and then he throws his head back and laughs. Santa was surprised and asked me his age twice.

By the time we got back home the roads were good enough for Mason and I to go home. So I loaded up the car and attempted to get the car out of the driveway. It only took two tries and the tractor.

When we got home the house looked like I hadn't been home in a month. There wasn't a clean dish or any silverware and there was just junk everywhere. I was less than thrilled considering I had just cleaned it Friday and it was only Monday.

After some power cleaning and doing some major laundry it sure felt good to sleep in my own bed considering it would be the only time for over a week.

Snow

Last night we got a bunch and bunch of snow. So much snow that it rubs Hyde's belly and touches the bottom of my car. I opened the back door and it comes up about 10 inches on the door.

Mother Nature is playing April Fools

Well, it has snowed yet again. Yes on april 1st it snowed. Snowed!! I thought Austin was pulling an April Fools on me. I am just a little bitter about this. I am ready for warm weather. I want to be able to turn off the heater and open the windows. I am ready to be able to take Mason outside without layers of clothes. I am ready to see green grass and tractors in the fields. Crap, I am even ready for some of the oppresive July and August heat. Really who doesn't love humidity.

I'm not ready for Mason's birthday but I am ready for Memorial Day weekend, vacation to the Black Hills, 4th of July, Farmer's Merchants Picnic, Rodeo, State Fair, Labor Day weekend. Don't worry by the end of summer I will be praying for snow but for the moment I have had enough of it.

Where Did Spring Go!!!

I honestly thought we were done with snow for this year. It was getting warmer out everyday and we hadn't fallen below freezing in a week or so. I was wrong. Very wrong!! Last night on the news they were talking about a trace amount of snow for this morning. When I hear trace I think a dusting should be gone in a couple of hours. The stupid weather people didn't even change the forecast until 9:30 this morning after we already had about 3 inches on the ground and it is still snowing out.

I am really hoping that this is a one day snow event. Hopefully it all melts tomorrow. At least this makes supper seem more fitting. Chili and cornbread. Yum!! It would taste even better if I didn't have to cook it.

Could They Have Been More Wrong!!

They were so wrong on the weather. We didn't even get enough to cover my car. The wind is blowing really hard though so the windchill will be around -20 F tonight. I know it might not be that in the city but out here in the country with nothing but 2 barb wire fences between me and Canada the wind has nothing in its way to slow it down.

I am oh so observant

Well yesterday the propane guy was here and I didn't even know it. He even got stuck in the yard. There are foot prints leading up to the door so I am assuming he used the door bell that doesn't work. I still can't believe that Hyde didn't throw a total fit. He even barks when the mail man comes. How in the world did he miss the propane guy? Worse yet the window in the office looks out right at the propane tanks. From the marks in the yard it looks like he had quite the time getting out. He backed right into a snow drift.

Talking about snow. We are to get another 3-6 inches tonight into tomorrow. I am more than tired of snow. I haven't been down to mom and dad's since christmas. I was to get my windshield fixed tomorrow so that I could down this weekend but I heard the weather and knew better so I had to call and reschedule my appt for Monday. I have since decided that I am going down next weekend no matter what. I have been cooped up in this house too long.

Super Bowl Sunday

Well here we are it is Sunday morning. Super Bowl Sunday. Should be a good game. I haven't decided if I will watch it or not. I am sure I will catch bits and pieces.



Friday I had to go and get the car registrations renewed and Mason and I took a tumble on the ice. Mason didn't even touch the ground until after I was down. Evidently self preservation doesn't work if you are holding your child. My knees took most of the impact. Both are bruised and funky colors. After I had stopped falling I sat Mason on the ground. I figured he would start crying but no he started playing with the snow and giggling.



Saturday I went with my mother and sister-in-law to a pampered chef party. After the party I met Austin at his parents house for supper. Lucky for us Raquel stayed around for supper. Yeah lucky us. The only time she was pleasent was while we were at the party. O'well.

Austin cut some wood over at his parents house. Evidently all the wood we have here is too wet to burn. Whatever, I guess I don't really care. At least he didn't have me out there "helping".

Well...

It's FRIDAY. How?! Where did Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday go? I don't remember them. Okay, well, maybe I do.
Tuesday, Austin came home early from work because of the weather. Blowing wind and snow are sometimes dangerous to drive in. We had the supper from crapville. I had decided that we were going to have fried chicken. Everything was going good until the chicken got done thawing. I took it out of its packaging and it smelled. I decided that I didn't want to risk it and threw it away. I then debated and decided that we would have hamburgers. No go, no hamburger. (I have no clue where it disappeared to) I took a quick stock of the freezer and decided on pork chops. Very disappointing when I had been looking forward to fried chicken.
Wednesday the wind blew and blew. Highlight of the day was sausage gravy for supper. Quick, easy and good.
Thursday I spent the day with Jess. Went grocery shopping and then to town for marbles for a craft project. I know really exciting stuff. Austin made supper. Meatloaf. It was really good mainly because I didn't have to cook. I did have to clean up the mess though. Tell me why do guys have to dirty every bowl to make supper. Especially a supper that should only use one bowl, one fork, and one measuring spoon. I will never understand this.
So now here it is Friday and it is just a blur as to how I got here. My agenda for today is to go to town and get the registrations for our vehicles renewed. Then because my husband is weird about some things I have to run his in to him at work because they expired yesterday. Even though in the state of Iowa you have 30 days after they expire. Gotta love him.

Oh What A Tuedsay It Was!

Well my Tuesday wasn't too good. Shortly after posting I became sick and had to have Austin come from work. Not good. I don't know how many times I had to bow down to the porcelain thrown but it was way too many. I don't know what hurt worse the hunger pains or the stomach cramps. Myself I would rather not dry heave so I ate. I don't think I've ever been that sick. I didn't even throw up while pregnant. Enough of that talk.

We got even more snow last night. Just half an inch or so but still more snow. I had to cancel Mason appointment for today. I can't go if I'm sick and running to the bathroom every 5 minutes. He is over the ear infection. He does have some diarrhea that they told me to feed him through and that if he spikes a fever to take him in. He is his happy self so I don't think that will be necessary as evidenced by this photo taken this morning.

Tuesday- It's only Tuesday!!

We got more snow last night. I am tired of snow. It looks pretty, but I've had to reschedule Mason ear checkup appointment 2 times. We are 40 minutes from town and there is no way I am taking my child out in below zero wind chills on horrible roads to have his ears rechecked. We went through all his ear medicine so the ear infection should be gone. Hopefully we will be able to make it to the one on Wednesday. It would be nice if we could that way I can pick up groceries while we are in town.
Yesterday was fairly unproductive. I got nothing done. I take that back. I did get a couple loads of laundry done. Austin was complaining about not having his favorite pair of khakis clean this morning. I had to then complain about my washer and dryer being in the basement. I have been asking for months for them to be upstairs in the bathroom. It really wouldn't be that hard. I might wash his khakis next week. That is if I feel like it.

Stupid Snow. Stupid Roads.

So we are having more bad weather. I'm getting tired of snow. One day of it is okay. It comes looks pretty and then goes away. Great, love it. What I do not love is this every other day crap. At least we aren't expecting ice like other parts of the country. My husband actually went to work today. He will do anything to get out of the house. I do mean anything. He hates to be cooped up. Never fails, the weather will be bad and he will dream up an excuse to go to town. Everytime. At least him going to work won't cost me money. Last year during the ice storm it cost me a chain saw and a cold. There I was 5/6 months pregnant outside in the cold crappy weather making sure my husband didn't kill himself with his new "toy".
They finally came and plowed our gravel road. I wonder if the plow guy misread his map. They never do our road. The neighbor usually ends up getting us a path to the main gravel road with his tractor and bucket.
I might have pd'off the county road guy. We wouldn't have such issues if he did his job and got us a load of gravel for between our house and the stop sign after we thawed out last spring. The county doesn't want to spend money on our mile of the road because we are the only house on our stretch and it isn't frequented by more than 5 other people. Mostly farmers that have land on this road. Guaranteed, they aren't complaining about the condition. The road is usually fine during the times of year that they use it. Supposedly they only have so many miles of gravel they can do. I don't want the whole mile. Just my 1/8 mile. That is it. I could care less about the rest of the road.
Last spring when we started to thaw out we had about 3 inches of mud. They use river rock up in this area of the state. River rock is not good for use on gravel roads. It belongs in the bottom of the river. That is why it is called 'river rock'. I grew up in the southwestern part of the state where they use limestone. Limestone is hard and angular so it packs really well and doesn't tend to move that much. After awhile it becomes really hard almost like dusty pavement. Well river rock is round and smooth, never packs and shifts all the time.
Then you have the idiot road graders who drive way fast while grading and make the whole road a rumble strip. They move the "gravel" from one side of the road to the other, leaving exposed dirt to drive on.
Me being me might get annoyed once in a while and call the county engineer, who is the one that is to decide where the money gets spent on the road maintence, and bitch. During last spring I called him everyday. I do mean everyday. He started to avoid me. So I started to call more than once a day. I wish it wouldn't have to come to that. Hopefully he doesn't run again. I don't know what the road department spends their money on because all the gravel roads suck here. I had to warn him that my road wasn't a level b "enter at your own risk" road and that if I ever got stuck on it, in mud, that the county would not be able to afford the lawsuit. That it would just be cheaper to keep my road well maintained and that didn't mean to grade it every week. Since then the road has been alot better. I've only had to call maybe 5 times in the last 5 months. Much improved from where we were.

Front Door View

This is the view out my front door. It was snowing at the time. This was taken about a week ago. We have gotten about another 4 inches since then.
Saturday we went to Fort Dodge and were on our home and it was fine out. No snow. Driving 60. Literally 1 mile down the road and there was 2 inches on the highway and our top speed was 30. I had never seen anything like it. By the time we got home we were scrapping snow. Usually it happens that you will drive into it but it is gradual. Not this time. There was a definite line.
We had gone to Menards to pick out floor tile for the kitchen. The floor in there now is rather disgusting blue carpet. We have to do something before Mason starts crawling. As it is when he is in his walker in there the bottom of socks get so dirty. I have tried everything I can do to get that carpet clean. I can't. I don't know if they had dogs in here at one time or another but that carpet is gross. There are stains that go away for a day or so after I shampoo it and then they come back. That and I keep getting my sock caught on something in the carpet so we can't risk Mason getting his hands or knees scrapped up. No telling what kind of disease is in there.
Hopefully after we get the floor done I will get to paint the trim. I have no idea what color. Austin and I have to argue about color. I just know that the green (think granny apple green) that is in there right now is leaving. I would like a warm brown or maybe a warm red color. No green or blue. I grew up in a country blue kitchen and the thought of my kitchen being blue makes me sick to my stomach.
At least for this color choice I am not pregnant. The upstairs hallway is red trim. I have americana theme going up the stairs and in the landing. I was 7 months pregnant and Austin suggested red for the trim in one of my hormonal rages I decided that that would be ok. Now I think he took advantage of me. In fact I know he did. That is not a color I would have chosen without some proding.

Pretty White Stuff Falling From The Sky

The next snowstorm is upon us. It started snowing about 11 or so and has already covered the ground and made the road really slick. We have about 2 inches already. We are expecting about 4 or so. I am so glad that Austin already took tomorrow off as a floating holiday. I love him dearly and it makes me nervous when he drives in bad weather. I know that the snow should be over by Friday morning but we live out in the sticks and our roads aren't the best 4 days after a snow let alone the day after. Now I just have to figure out what to do with him all day. He tends to get in the way. I know what we would be doing if we didn't already have Mason. We might still if Mason cooperates. Somehow he gets off schedule when Austin is home.

Bad Weather

I love snow. I don't love ice. That is what we woke up to Saturday. Now where we live any ice and we the power flickers and is crappy. So for Mason's sake we went to Austin's Mom's house for the day. We had fun. Well at least Mason and I did. Austin just dropped us off and came back home. I have no clue what he did. Don't think I didn't ask either. He just said he worked outside. I know, he did, his carhart coat was soaked. I think he was out in the barn working. I know I said "in" the barn but the barn needs torn down so it isn't in the best of shape. I think he might have been in the chicken coop part. The chicken coop is in a part of the lean-to area and they only part of the roof that is complete in that area is where the chickens are kept.

I knew he hadn't been working on the corncrib because if it didn't kill him I would. He has done a lot work to get it down, so now we are just waiting for it to fall on its own. When the wind is blowing you can hear it creaking.

When I let Hyde out in the mornings I have to go out also and stand with him. Mainly to make sure he goes #1 and #2. Otherwise he will hold it as long as possible and then he whimpers the whole time he goes. So anyways I was outside waiting on the dog and walked around to the barn and corncrib to see what he was doing and then I saw the tracks leading to the grove of trees. My husband had been cutting down a tree. I normally wouldn't care but Saturday it was raining and snowing. All around it was just a horrible day. At least he wasn't working on the corncrib.

Snow!! Snow!! Snow!!

About a week ago I was watching the weather and the mention of snow was made. I don't know about anyone else but this excites me. I love the first and last snow of the year. That doesn't mean that I only want one snowfall a year, it means that all the snow in-between the first and last I could do without. All I want is one in November and one in March. I know this sounds crazy. I do have perfectly good reasons for both. November because it means we are going to stay cold and March because it isn't going to stay around. Who cares about "white Christmas" it just makes travel hard.

When I was in school I liked it because there was always a chance we would get out of school early, or better yet not have to go at all. Now days I like it because mainly I don't have to get out and drive in it. That and there is always the chance that I can convince my husband that it is too bad to go out and he stays home from work. We all know what that means. Maybe not this year with the baby, but we always have naptime. Naptime is my absolute favorite time of day.

So a week ago the weather people started murmuring about snow and now finally the day before they have committed to it. It is about time. They are wrong most of the time I know. Hopefully they are right about the ice/snow line though. Right now we are in the snow. My luck they are wrong and we will end up with 2 inches of ice again. My trees can't handle that again. Last years ice storm really took a toll on my two trees by the driveway. If I had had my way they would have gotten cut down over the summer. They are both way to close to the house and they are too weak for my comfort. Maybe I can talk him into it this next summer. I can dream.