Cabin Fever and it's only December

I don't understand it, I already have cabin fever. I think the boys think that their mom has lost her mind. It has been 5 days of our cold weather and I am about to pull my hair out. I think that it is the fact that everyone is locked down. O.K. maybe that is an exageration, but that is what it feels like when it is too cold to play outside, the roads around here are actually a piece of $*%@ ( which doesn't happen that often around here considering we have more snow removal equipment than the City of Spokane), and because Christmas is around the corner and presents that are not wrapped are filling what little counter space I have left in my kitchen. MY HOUSE IS CLOSING IN ON ME!!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!! (Like I said I want to pull my hair out!!!)
I am using this as a way to vent. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ARE READING THIS, THANK YOU!!!!

The boys don't know what to do either. Cameron, after we came home from preschool, said to me in the car "mommy don't pull into the garage I want to play in the snow!!!". I had to explain to my 3 1/2 yr old that it is still too cold to play outside (my cats have even picked up on that, and they aren't too smart). Yeah he's 3 1/2 and he doesn't understand.
Some or all of you are wondering how in the world could we even get a car in the garage, well with this lovely weather Dean and I actually decided to take it head on (the garage that is). With our subzero weather we decided that the cats would probably like the garage better that their little igloo house that we got them. We had to toss some stuff and move some stuff around and put them in their proper spot and took some stuff to Goodwill, but we finally succeeded Saturday afternoon. It feels good to have project done in which we have been working on since we moved into our home in January of 2002. WhooHOoo, it's done.(NOW, to tackle our bedroom/office, but that's going to be screamfest some other day, I don't know maybe tomorrow!)

Thanks to blogspot for giving me a place to vent properly. I fell much better now!!! Now to tackle my messy kitchen without the 2yr old (he is taking his nap right now, Thank GOD).

Whhhhoooooooey, it's chilly!!!!

So, I chose this color because, oh it explains what is going on outside. This morning low was -8 here in Sandpoint, and -15 in Priest Lake. My question, is cold enough to freeze the lake all the way across? Yeah, I don't think it would be possible, but if it were this cold long enough, maybe. At least the wind finally stopped. I don't really mind the cold, it is the bone chilling wind that never seemed to stop. Thank God it finally stopped, I think they finally said that yesterdays windchill was -20. The winds were sustained at 27mph and gusts up to 39mph. Dean said that it really wasn't that windy in Bonners Ferry, I have been referring to Sandpoint as the "Funnel", or the "Tunnel" because how the wind just flows through this area.

Sorry, It has been so long since I have posted anything it has been a very busy couple of months. Now that the holidays are almost over, maybe we could keep you all up-to-date with all that is going on around here.

Last night was our first Christmas program. Cameron did a superb job for being 3 1/2. Mommy and Daddy were very proud of him. They sang Jingle Bells as their first song and I know that I got all choked up. Don't tell anyone, but I think Dean had a tear in his eye too. They sang a song that had to do with Christmas colors and his was Blue. He was standing in the middle of all of the classes combined. He is the youngest in his class, and you could tell by the way he was dwarfed by the two older boys to his left and right. He has been going to preschool since the middle of September and what a difference. He has become even more confident than he was before. He was shy at first when they started singing the songs, but by the end of it he was belting out his lyrics. (Don't know where he got that!)

His confidence has shown in his class work also. He has been practicing his letters and he almost has his name down without having to trace it. He knows how to say his alphabet and he can count with his exception of leaving out the #4. He loves to do that alot. His vocabulary has improved immensly right along with Evan's, I think sometimes the sentences that comes out of Evan's is better than Cameron's. It's more Evan has too keep up with his big brother.

To get to all of the other stuff going on in our world, we planned a surprise 40th Wedding Anniversary Party for Dean's parents. I have to say we did alot to pull it off. It was alot of lying which I think my mother-in-law is going to have words with me for a while about this. It took Brian and Kristi, and Reese sneaking into Sandpoint(yeah, Sneaking) and just not letting too many people know about it. O.K. we let alot of people know about it, but made sure they knew not to say anything.

Jacki said she did not suspect anything until she saw Gene and Gloria's car parked outside the hall. Jimmy, Jeff and Mark pulled off the "flat tire" scene. Good Job Guys.

Thank you to all that brought food and support throughout the month and a half of planning.

Amongst the planning and actual doing, I had to work my normal Monday & Friday stint at Sears, Had 5 Pampered Chef shows, and was a full time Mom. Oh, Yeah had a couple of birthdays and some voting to do, some picture taking and all of the everyday fun stuff that you do too. Taking Cameron to school 3 days a week, dropping him off and picking him up three hours later, and then also trying to communicate with my husband. Planning a party for about 60 people, and it being a secret, and making alot of the food, and coordinating with Kristi and Brian, who live in Hayden, it has been a fun and stressful month and a half glad it's over.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!!!!

O.K., so now my focus is of course Christmas. I may be a little late getting presents and Christmas cards out, so I am giving everyone fair notice now. Too everyone hope you all have a great day!!!!!!

Dear Santa,

O.K., so Grandma Jacki started this one.

Cameron usually goes to pre-school Mon., Wed., & Fri. This week he only had to go to school Monday due to the teachers getting further education. I am all for them getting their extra education, but then I have to come up with some other fun for him to do during his normal school time. Well, today wasn't that difficult because Grandma Jacki pulled out the Christmas catalogs for various toy and department stores in the area at Sunday evening dinner, which caused a big rucuss in the Santa Department.

Cameron started looking thru the catalogs and explained to us that he wanted several of the items. We told him that he would need to write a "Dear Santa," letter. He was willing to do that right off the bat. We told him that he would need to practice writing "Dear Santa" several times in order to make his letter. He did a wonderful job!!!! He wanted to make sure that he was in the picture of his "Dear Santa's".

After he completed his writing, he asked me if he could go and put it in the mailbox. How cute is that?! I told him that this was so he could practice and we will write the real letter probably on Friday.

Someone told me the other day, to take the toy catalogs and have him cut the pictures out of what he likes and glue them to his letter. I think I am going to put that to great use.

SNOW!!!

This is a picture from the docks at Dover Bay, overlooking the Pend Orielle River. Taken in February, 2008.

For all of you who were in the Sandpoint area for our record snowfall last year, well, Iiittt's Baaaack!!!!!:( I think we still had snow technically until Memorial Day Weekend on the valley floor. I don't quite want it yet.


We still have pictures from April, of the boys sitting near the huge snow mound left in the front yard from shoveling the roof (4 times). Don't get me wrong, if I did not like snow I would not live here, but we did not have a long enough summer.

O.K., so yeah I am whining, but it's way too early. Now I know that it is November, and technically it does start snowing in November, and yes, we had an absolutely wonderful October, but yeah, I don't want it yet.

I am including pictures from last years snow, just so those of you out there who don't have enough snow any time of year can remember what it looks like. Enjoy!!!!!

This is a picture of our resident moose (she is in the alley in our neighbor's yard). She spent alot of time walking thru our neighborhood, she even decided to eat our young japanese maple, but they did not have much to eat. I don't remember the exact number, but the Idaho Transportation Dept. said there were aproximately 140 moose killed on hwy 95 between Sagle and Bonners Ferry, way too many!!!

This is looking at our house from across the street, this was the end of February.

This is Dean standing on top of our house after shoveling it for the umpteenth time.(I know it is not a great picture, but you get the gist of it. My camera does not do well in low light, I need another one.)

And, Dean after jumping off of the roof into the snow pile.

I will figure it out, I know I will!!!

I am hoping to have a full page of pictures and great info about this last year. I probably will be adding some everyday comments about what is going on around here.

The boys are growing by the minute and I want them to stop. I am hoping to have updated pictures, so everyone else can see them growing by the minute. I am including pictures of the boys at Greenbluff, Spokane, WA 2 weekends ago.

Welcome to Our Blog

Well this is the start of our blog. I am hoping to keep everyone updated about the kids and family. I know with everyone everywhere (you all know what I mean), that we all will be able to keep contact with each other, or at least have a little bit more of an understanding of what is going on in our everyday world. It is hard to keep everyone up-to-date. I would have to be on the phone 24/7 just to talk to all of you. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Please check back often to see if there are any updates.