12.19.2008

More Snow

The skies are clear today and we have all decided that snow is a bit over rated :) Although if I had four wheel drive and a real coat, I might like it just fine.

Sledding was a big hit, and if there weren't horses to feed early in the morning and ice to be broken off of water, the girls would have found the snow a lot more enjoyable.

Eli thought eating the snow was a lot of fun.

Chloe looking pathetic
All of these pictures are from the first day of snow, when it looked melty and manageable.


But then it snowed most of the day, and all night. So yesterday, it looked like this. Less melty. The base was closed so Mike was home. He remembered we had chains from the old suburban and decided to try to get them on the van. I didn't really consider that we would be leaving, so I didn't prepare a list of the things yet to be acquired for Christmas.

But, he thought we could make it to town, and not knowing when we would make it again, thought we should go.

This is what we were taking the van through. Do you see where this is going??


As soon as we started down, we knew we weren't coming back up. I began wondering why I didn't wear tights...and a hat...and gloves... We got a little bit of inefficient shopping done (no list) and rushed through a quick meal to try to get back before dark, since we also didn't have a flashlight and Mike would need to put the chains back on.

With the help of a kind neighbor the chains were reapplied and we were on our way. We made it further than I feared we would, and only had to walk the last hill to the house.

It's a little bit sunny today, so maybe Mike will be able to get the van up tonight. Or tomorrow. There is no more snow predicted until Monday, so hopefully we can get the last of our preparations done and get all settled in for Christmas.

What's Going On At Our House

The kids have broken icicles off the eaves of the house and put them in cups. They are walking around the house sucking icicles.

12.15.2008

Snow!


We awoke to snow this morning. Lot's of snow. Well, lot's of snow for us anyway. Mike couldn't get to work this morning, and took a nasty spill on his rear trying to get back up to the house. You know, after he abandoned the car at the bottom of the hill.

We had heard this was a possibility, so we took care of all the essentials. We.... Well, let's see. We.... Hmmm. Let's just say we like to learn our lessons the hard way around here :) We didn't buy a snow shovel. We are almost out of water. And the horses will likely be out of hay tonight. We do have hot chocolate though, so we probably won't notice.

About the water. I mean, there is water. It's just that it comes from the well instead of that fancy filter contraption in front of the Savemart. Ewww.

But hay, that's gonna be tricky.

Of course, it's only supposed to snow until Wednesday. And then the temp. should rise to 34 degrees and I'm sure it will all melt quickly away on this lovely southern slope :)


11.24.2008

Hailey Turns 12!


It is hard to believe that Hailey has begun her 13th year. She has grown into quite a young lady, and frequently blesses us with her skill in the kitchen, her helpful hands, her beautiful music, and her ready smile.

Hailey really wanted P.F. Chang for her birthday, so we decided to forgo the standard breakfast and splurge on a yummy dinner. Just doing our part to boost the economy. We had pretty great breakfast anyway though, with eggs, hash browns and apple dumplings.


Daddy took her to the Kern County Museum where they had a great day together, but daddy forgot the camera, and the rest of us met them at the restaurant later on.

The chosen birthday dessert was vanilla pudding, so there were no candles. Just a big bowl to hold while we sang :)
We love you Hailey and we hope you had a great birthday!

11.21.2008

That's Gonna Leave A Mark

In a desperate attempt not to be "it" Sierra and Eli raced through the gate together, determined that someone else would be tagged. And as they barreled through said gate, Eli's head was bumped into the latch. Leaving a nice chunk of his cheek behind. Not a cut mind you, a hole. A chunk of his cheek... gone.

And that is how he came to have stitches. For a second time.

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Well, the post is late but the celebrationg was on time :) It seems I am not a very good blogger, but better late than never, right? Right??


Ethan is 7. He's such a big boy, I can hardly believe so much time has passed. It's been nearly 3 1/2 years since his "Gotcha Day". Which means he's been a part of our family just about as long as he was missing.


Ethan loves to be a helper to both his mom and his dad, and whenever I am cooking he is right there asking what he can do. His smile is radiant, he's full of little boy mischief, and we love him lots. We are so glad God brought Ethan into our family.

In honor of Ethan's birthday, the whole family trekked into "the city" for a delicious breakfast at Mimi's. Later on, he and daddy went hiking. They were looking for a trail that daddy had heard much about. They didn't find the trail they were looking for, and ended up on a very narrow one, but had a great time.

They came home to a dinner of the birthday boy's request. Orange chicken, rice, and jello. Then a few presents and the seeking of God's blessing on Ethan's life by daddy.




Hailey made a yummy cake. It seems she's taken over baking duties lately. Yay! Ty thought the cake was excellent, he wanted to be sure to get every last drop. And it took Ethan 6 tries to blow out all the candles. Good thing we aren't superstitious :)



It was a great day, and we are grateful to the Lord for his many blessing. We love you Ethan, Happy Birthday!

11.20.2008

11.10.2008

Look, Her Eyes are Open

I finally got a few pictures with her eyes open. Isn't she beautiful?! It is amazing to think that I am her grandma :)




11.09.2008

Introducing....

Cadence Brooke Reimers
8lbs 15oz
21 1/2" long
Born at 6:35 p.m. on November 8, 2008








11.06.2008

One Day Left

She's feeling very ready. Tomorrow is the due date!


10.21.2008

Lovely Vacation, Pt 6

After learning how Jelly Belly's were made we headed over to Six Flags Marine World. It is billed as sort of a combo Sea World/Magic Mountain. Big roller coasters and animal shows.

It wasn't too crowded. It wasn't too hot. It was a good day.

The grass was Titus' favorite thing

And it wasn't long before Kirstyn was sporting sausages for feet. Having had a child or two myself, I did mention that perhaps flip-flops wouldn't give quite enough support...But we rented a wheelchair and her smile was restored. Zac looks a little tired though.

Ty isn't entirely sure how he feels about the flying balloons.There were donkeys for petting


Elephants getting pedicures




And whales doing tricks


Eli and Ezra were too short to ride most of the roller coasters, which really broke Eli's heart. Getting to go on the "pay cars" when no one else did cheered them up a bit though.




All in all, a pretty great cap to the trip. We only lost one child, and not for too long :) Everyone had a great time, although I have to admit I prefer our time spent hanging out at the beach.




10.14.2008

Lovely Vacation, Pt 5 - Jelly Belly's!


After leaving the beach and heading back down south we spent a couple of nights in Vallejo. First stop was the Jelly Belly Factory. Very cool guided tour. We were there on a weekday so we actually got to watch the jelly's being made.

George is made entirely of Jelly Belly's

They make other candy here too, but the Jelly's are the star. I thought I had met the guy that invented Jelly Belly's when I lived in Glendora. Everyone in town said he invented them, and there was even an article in People magazine talking about how he came to invent them, and featuring a picture of him laying in a tub full of beans. But if he really invented them, no one in Vallejo seems to have gotten the memo.

Lovely Vacation Pt 4: BIRTHDAYS!

August is a big birthday month for us and we decided that since we would all be together at the beach, we would celebrate the remaining August birthdays. Chance was turning 22, Ezra was turning 5 and Titus was finishing up his first revolution around the sun.

But...we forgot all the presents at home. Except for the bible we got for Chance. It's a bible for studying, the cover is like a 3 ring binder and every other page is lined paper for notes so that all of your notes can stay right there in the bible and you can add pages as you need them. I thought it would be good for Chance because his notes are typically...everywhere. I hope he likes it.






My mom brought some presents and we picked up a cake, so we actually had a pretty nice little celebration. It was a great place for a party :)