17 days and counting to OBAMA

In 17 days, Thomas, Ben and I will be flying to Washington DC for the HISTORIC Inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama.

The kids (Jen, Ang, Em, Ben & spouses) gave this present to us for Christmas. This was a total shock as it was thought that they were going to pay for half of a windmill that Thomas wants in by the pond (which he'll still install regardless).

We are so excited to be part of this wonderful, historic event. We are finally honored to be part of the United States and to be part of a welcome to a great man who will help lead this country out of the mess that Dubya and his cronies have gotten us into.

Our environment is wasting away.

The economy has tanked and many people are losing their homes.

Wages cannot support the cost of food or rent or house payments.

I am so proud of the American people for finally voting in SOMEONE who will actually do SOMETHING of worthwhile for the people; not for himself.

OMH YES: MORE SNOW PICS (ugh)

I know. I'm tired of snow pics too, but what else am I to do? It just KEEPS COMING DOWN. So I keep on taking pictures.

Here are the kids sitting on their creation, The Sphinx.

This is some snow from the roof our barn that was sliding but then curled under itself in a ribbon-candy-sort-of-way. Or maybe frosting. It was pretty to be sure. I'm glad Jen told me about it so I could get a pic of it before it came crashing down.

Robee, crashing at the bottom of our hill on his new sled.

Felix taking on the hill in her own style. I don't think she made it either.

Here are the two of us after an afternoon of sledding.

Here we are again but peeking out from behind us is Robee. Always trying to get in the picture.

Now just Robee and I.

It's fun sledding. I will say that. But everything else about this major snowfall bites. I've got garbage piling up in the garage, recycling piling up in the garage, no mail being delivered, and roads that feel like you're riding on the Wild Mouse. Not okay.

What you do when you're stuck inside

Last year, around Christmas, I bought at the craft store three gingerbread house kits. I buy everything in three's now. :)

I figured we would get around to decorating them for the holidays. As it turned out, we never did. So I carefully stored them with my Christmas stuff, completely forgetting about them - as I'm inclined to do.

I was getting my lights out two weeks ago (before the blizzard) and lo and behold! there they sat, waiting like good soldiers.

Can gingerbread kits be too old to use the next year? I mean, no one eats them; they're for decoration only.

Fast forward to this week. School has been cancelled for Wed, Thu, Fri. My car (of the two, Prius and Land Cruiser, is the only four-wheel drive) has being taken by hubby because he has to drive to Bellingham and I'm left wheel-less. Jen's car is great in the snow but it's snowing like the North Pole so no one is going anywhere anyway. We had already played several times in the snow (and made a really cool sledding hill) but I wasn't ready to get wet and cold again. What to do???

And so, voila!

Felix's home. The overhang of gingerbread finally had to be hot glued. Frosting wasn't going to do it this time.

Robee's home. Great idea unwrapping a Hershey's kiss for over the door!

Owen's home. At this writing, most of the dot candy has been pulled off. Home improvements you know.

The kits came with candy - thank goodness since I was not going to be able to venture out to buy some - but luckily my kids had leftover Halloween candy (yep: not big candy eaters except chocolate and a couple of other things ... which is why they have no cavities - that and they don't drink soda pop) which they put to really good use on their houses (and I'm so glad I didn't toss it like I was going to at Thanksgiving).

Now I just have to figure out what to do for the next two weeks for their official break. Ugh.

And we just received about four more inches of snow last night. Double Ugh.

And I've barely touched my Christmas shopping because I thought I would have all last week to do it and then the great dumping of snow started. Triple Ugh.

And they say there is no Global Warming. 20 inches in the Puget Sound? Sounds wrong to me.

Enough already. Please.

The last ruler reading. Actually, there was more snowfall after I took this and it was over the top but I was too depressed to photog it. :(



Yes. Robee shoveling the snow ............ for about three seconds. Why, when I was his age ... never mind. Man o man -- do I miss my snowblower.

Robee and Porter trying to make their way down to the pond. Porter was leaping in the air trying to break through the snow. I also miss my cross-country skis BIG TIME.

The homestead, buried in snow.

What the homestead is SUPPOSED to look like; warm and green.

Only 3 more months until spring.

STILL SNOWING

I swear I'm living in Utah.

JUST LOOK AT THIS STUFF! LOOK!

Here is close-up. Almost 7 inches. 7 folks.

And it doesn't stop. It slows down but never stops. Just keeps snowing and snowing and snowing and snowing and ................