January 23, 2009

It's frozy out there!

Yesterday was the first big frosty frozy day (so far ... haha) and I just LOVE it when it's frosty outside. It's times like this that I would really love to have a super awesome Ansel Adams camera. I was tempted to go out and brave the cold, but I had visiting teaching to do so I just took a couple of shots from around our house. Enjoy!

ON A SIDE NOTE: May I just state my "pet peeve" or "niggle" regarding people who live in base housing. Okay, so I noticed the drain in one of the bathtubs wasn't draining right. (MIND YOU, we have only been here 2 months). Jacob pulled a bunch (the picture doesn't do it any justice) and I mean A BUNCH of clogged hair from the drain and that hair just isn't my shade or length, thank you very much. It looks like hair has been piling up for quite a few months upon months. CLEAN OUT YOUR DRAIN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD PEOPLE. Okay, in the defense of the people-who-lived-here-before-us, they may have not known about it but for pete's sake, the drain wasn't working! I'm betting my bottom dollar that it was just one of those "we don't have to worry about it because we're moving" kind of situations. All I'm saying is "ew, gross". Thanks for listening. I feel better. ;)

January 20, 2009

Some Miscellaneous Fun ...

We've been having a pretty busy time over here lately and I just wanted to post some pics of the kids sledding, which seems to be the thing to do now that we have so much snow! ;) We are enjoying some warmer temps these past few days (in the 20s) but I understand that we are going back to the bitter cold soon.

Here is Austin, frozy but enjoying the mound of snow near our house (thank you snow plow peeps!) :)

An action shot of Melissa - it looks like she's falling (which wouldn't surprise me at all).
Also, I was brushing the dogs the other day and Pirate's hair just cracked me up! It was a fuzzy bunch of afro-like hair ... poor Gabby needs a haircut but I just can't seem to convince myself to do it - too cold outside! She already shakes and freezes when she goes outside. I know they (especially Gabby) are missing our walks, but it's just too bitter out there.

Here they are ... thing 1 and thing 2 ...
Poor Gabby can hardly see - hence the little ponytail after the brushing ...
Pirate and his funny faces! He must not like the flash at all ... :) muah ha ha ha!

January 10, 2009

Monster Truck Jam-o-rama!
"When in Rome, do as the Romans" ... when in Grand Forks, do as the Forkers! (huh?) Anyhoo, there was a monster truck rally at the Alerus Center (where we watch the Fighting Sioux play football) and we could not pass on the opportunity! :) The foster kids came with us and good times were had by all!

Here are most of our party - poor Melissa was cut off - awaiting the big event to begin! The fuzziness of the picture is insane ...

Here is an "action" shot of Sheer Insanity (on the left) vs. The General ... The General (looks like the General Lee from Dukes of Hazard) was quite popular with the crowd! Please note the Canadian flag - yes, we're that close! :)

Ah, the poor General having to get towed off the field - there were quite a few tows needed that night! - it was leaning dangerously to one side ... could it have been the shocks? I don't know too much about cars to know ...

Melissa said that she now wants to be a monster truck driver, and has requested that she get her driver's license early. HA! Yes, she is hilarious! She must get all of her humor from me, not her father! Muah ha ha ha ...

This is a picture of the female monster driver and her truck, TNT

This is not the first monster truck rally that Jacob and the kiddos have been to. Jacob and the kids are veteran's at this monster truck stuff When we were in New Mexico, he took them to the races there. I believe I had a previous commitment with a calling or something - Jacob said that the one in NM was better-er. We still enjoyed ourselves! I was amazed at the number of people in the crowd - nearly sold out! I guess there's not much else to do around here in the winter ... :)

They had a "wheelie" contest - it was actually kind of scary watching them!

You will have to forgive me on the quality of the pictures ... the lighting was a little too dark to have the flash off and the flash didn't do much on ... I do believe I need a new one (hint hint Jacob). :)

There was a part of the evening called "tough trucks" - it consisted of local yocals (ha, just kidding) driving their trucks around the track. This truck was the first to "bite the dust" and actually one one of the "tough trucks" ended up not having to be towed away!

Ah, I saved the best for last. The truck, Bear Foot, is a 3-time champion (if I heard correctly). This man sitting ahead of me said that the trucks cost around $200,000 - $300,000 (yeowch) and the special fuel that it costs makes this a very expensive hobby! You'll have to forgive my video skills - it's on my camera, so it's a little choppy. Enjoy!

December 24-25, 2008

Happy Christmas!
Ah, our first white Christmas! :)
We officially started Christmas on Christmas Eve - we do our traditional 'open one gift up' thing ... Austin opened up Aunt Pam and the cousin's gift ... a guitar hero guitar! Woo Hoo! Visions of battling his family was running through Austin's head; but alas, the blue button doesn't work and I have to send it back. :(
Melissa chose a gift she knew already (she's a snooper) and had the audacity to ask for another present to open because she knew what it was. :( Poor Meilssa - she only got to open the one gift. ... muah ha ha ha! ...
The day started early (Austin was up at 4:00 which was when I was going to bed) and Christmas was in danger of starting that early. Well, seeing as I was really tired, I went and rested my head and woke up around 8:00am.
We had a 'homemade Christmas' this year and I think it turned out really well!

Austin received a chess board that Jacob made for him - it really turned out groovy! Austin is thrilled with it!
Melissa received a weaving that Austin did in school - he spent a lot of time (3 classes) on it and was very excited to give it to Melissa. Oh, and Austin (with a whole lot of help from me) made Melissa a scrap book so all she has to do is put pictures in it. (my camera is funny - this pic is w/flash on) :(
Jacob was the lucky recipient of some signs that I made for him. They are with vinyl letters (we received some gifts from Jacob's brother and sister-in-law that are made with vinyl lettering on it - cool!). I will post said signs when I get them hung ... I have visions of some cute ribbon, so we'll see how that looks. (it looks super awesome in my mind's eye!) :)
I received a wonderful frame, decorated by Melissa, that surrounded a picture of her and I when she was 8 years old and in Brownies. :) haha! I also received 3 very nice and smelly candles from Austin. He was so proud of that gift! :) He bought them at the Santa Store they had at school.
Here are the gifts from Joe and Angel and you can see the 3 candles that Austin bought me in the lower right ...
The dogs were pretty good this year and Santa did not forget them. You don't want to know what their "doggie business" looked like for the following two days! yuck-a-poo ... :(
We were super duper lucky to have the missionaries in our home on Christmas day - and I put them to work right away! Ha, it was just frosting cookies ... but there were a lot of cookies! I like to put a little maple flavoring in the icing for some of them, and they always turn out to be my favorite-est!
Ah, my Christmas Spode plates ... I was going to use my Old Country Roses, but they can't go in the dishwasher and I wasn't in the mood to do dishes by hand!
The Christmas supper was stupendous! The ham, if I do say so myself, was extra super duper yummy! We had some garlic roasted asparagus that turned out super-duper as well. I'm not even an asparagus fan (my sis Pam is) but this was GOOD! Of course, there were other delectable to be eaten and eaten they were! Now I know why that man had to take a "long winter's nap" ... muah ha ha ha.

Here is Melissa, going for the black olives ... she's addicted to them.
Poor Austin - he's got such a face on him ... oh, and check out the "Happy Halloween" shirt he has on!
When the missionaries are over, it means one thing: something funny is about to happen. Well, poor Elder Carpenter and Elder Prisbrey were fortunate to try some kimchi (rotted cabbage gunk from Korea) and may I say, there was some gagging going on. I do believe that neither of the Elders will be partaking of any kimchi in the near future. :)
All-in-all, we had an awesome Christmas. I do get a little woebegone, wishing we were with family and such, but there will be opportunities to have that in the years to come. :)