POLAR VORTEX 2014

LAST WEEK WE HAD WHAT THEY'RE CALLING THE POLAR VORTEX COME THROUGH INDIANA. ON SUNDAY, IT SNOWED A WET, HEAVY, DRIFTING SNOW ALL DAY. I THINK WE GOT AROUND 12 INCHES. THIS PICTURE IS A VIEW OF THE STREET IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE.

IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME SNOW PICTURES.

AND IT WAS PRETTY. I SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOOKING OUT THE WINDOWS AND TAKING PICTURES.
THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS I LOST POWER ON SUNDAY FROM ABOUT 1:30 PM TILL 8:30 PM. NO POWER MEANS NO LIGHTS, NO TV, NO RADIO, NO APPLIANCES WORK. NOT TO MENTION THE FURNACE. IT IS AN ANXIOUS FEELING TO SIT AND LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF SILENCE ALL AROUND YOU. I ALSO LOST MY INTERNET AND CABLE CONNECTION FOR THREE DAYS. IT WAS QUITE ANNOYING.

BUT THESE SQUIRRELS DIDN'T CARE. THEY WERE NOT HAPPY UNTIL THE BIRDFEEDERS WERE EMPTY, ALTHOUGH I MADE IT AS HARD FOR THEM AS I COULD. THEY COULD TWIST THEIR RODENT BODIES INTO THE MOST AMAZING SHAPES!

HERE IS A CLOSE-UP OF ONE OF THE DETERMINED FELLOWS. REALLY COULDN'T BLAME THEM MUCH. DID I MENTION IT WAS 15 BELOW ZERO ON MONDAY??!! BRUTAL!

The Gingerbread House

One day Avery and I built a gingerbread house. She thought that was the greatest thing. A few years ago I really got into making gingerbread houses from scratch, but this one came in a box. 

Avery just loved to sit and look at it.

I must admit I was surprised when she asked, "Grandma, is it okay if I eat the gingerbread house?" I said yes, of course (since I'm her grandma) and she had the best time picking the candy off. I love that she looks a little guilty in this picture!

Some Late Leaf Gathering

The day after Christmas was cool, but sunny. I decided it would be a perfect day to get the leaves raked in the backyard. We had a pretty good snow right after Thanksgiving and the leaves were late in falling this year, so I didn't have a chance to get it done before then. 

It felt good to get out there and rake, to scrape the surface of the earth and get a whiff of wet dirt. 

I also got the ladder out to clean the gutters, and suddenly had some helpers. Ethan had never climbed a ladder before so he was very cautious. Then Sam came out (the fireman) and climbed right up on the roof. Ethan soon followed. They were up there surveying the neighborhood for quite a while. Having some "man time", I suppose.

Here are a few of the giant bags of leaves I raked. Is it just me, or do they seem to have personalities?

Christmas 2013

Christmas 2013 has come and gone by now. I like to take a lot of pictures of the festivities, but I'm also very busy during the festivities. Here are a few of the kids that I thought were cute.

Every year I make Avery a simple little Christmas dress to wear. This one has Christmas candy sprinkled over it, with some rows of rick-rack across the yoke. She wore leggings underneath, and boots. It looked cute and she seemed comfortable in it.

Nolan was our youngest child this year. He still doesn't quite understand what's going on. He loves to open presents, but he does it very slowly, strip by strip, and once he gets it open he wants to play with that toy immediately.

Every year Uncle John and Aunt Cecilia buy cute Christmas pajamas for all of the kids, including the cousins in Indiana and the cousins in Arizona. At the end of the day on Christmas the kids put on their striped pj's and kind of awkwardly posed for some pictures.

Avery received a Kindle Fire for Christmas and is totally absorbed in it. She looks so cute in her striped pjs!

This picture was taken through my sunroof as we drove around Monument Circle downtown one night. Pretty!