Enjoying the unseasonable temperatures

The weather really hasn't been horrible here, so far.  Yes, it gets really cold when that arctic air comes in, but nothing hibernation doesn't take care of.  Then the other days that weren't in the negatives, a nice layer of clothing, a heavy coat, a scarf, thermal gloves, ear muffs, and snow boots were sufficient to keep us warm.  Luckily, we haven't had near the amount of snow they had last year, but the little bit that we have had has been challenging for us - only because of the drifting in the open country. 

I have to say we have never owned a sled and the kids had never been sledding before.  So, they have enjoyed the packed snow and the new adventure it has provided.  They have built forts in the yard and then they dug a tunnel through that massive snow drift in front of our house.  They have had some great fun!!

Apparently, we've had some unseasonably balmy days. I can't say I, we, haven't enjoyed them. The last few days, we saw temperatures as high as 50*.  We had a couple of days back to back that were in the mid 40s and it was nice and sunny.  Of course that kind of warmth and sunshine brings a January thaw.  So our yard is showing spots . . .

The side of the house where the kids sled is not as snowy anymore either . . .

Then they were sad when they saw that their tunnel had collapsed.

Of course, Chloe is enjoying the warmer air temps and the snow free deck.  There when it was so frigid cold, she'd go out do her business and then was back at the door before you knew it.  Now she is taking her time enjoying the fresh air.

I have to say, with the warmer temps we took advantage of it and broke out the grill.  You see, in Ohio, it didn't matter what season it was, we always grilled at least once a week.  Well, our grill has been buried in snow under the deck and it has been way too cold to stand out there to make food.

But the other night, we ALL were craving cheeseburgers.  Now keep in mind we are not big cheeseburger fans, matter of fact it has probably been at least six months, if not longer, since we had grilled cheeseburgers for us.  Jay's dad is a huge cheeseburger lover.  When we'd grill burgers for him we usually grilled fish or chicken for the rest of us, but every once in a while we would devour a burger too.  Well, the other night we had cheeseburgers . . .

Now at first we didn't think we'd get to have them on the grill.  Jay had gone out and shoveled the back patio off and moved the grill to just find out it wasn't working.  He figured the propane was out, which didn't make any sense because we filled it in November and hadn't grilled since.  Jay was pretty sure he closed the valve but he didn't know why it wasn't lighting.  The only thing we can think of is the line was frozen because when he went out about 15 minutes later, it was working.  YEAH!!!

Of course, since it had been a while Jay and Mackenzie had to make their master pieces . . .

It was so funny, because once we had all finished our cheeseburgers we all agreed they were they best we had ever had.  And I'm sure it was only because it had been half a year since we had them.  But they were pretty tasty!!!

I'm not sure when we'll get to grill again because they are already predicting a huge winter storm coming in this week by Friday.  But for now we'll just enjoy the above average temps. 

Just have to say . . .

We are warmer than our fine weather friends in Ohio . . .

According to our digital thermometer, it is 41.2* at the time I took the photo; however, as I am now typing this post it reads 43.3*. 

And according to the WeatherBug on Google, it is only 36.7* in Pickerington, OH. 

Now, I know it is not nice to brag, BUT I just have to because this will not happen often during the winter months.  Besides, they are already predicting a winter storm, possible blizzard, for a week from tomorrow here in ND. Yay, me!!?? ;{

Two fun activities on the opposite end of the spectrum

Jay had mentioned to the kids about digging a tunnel through the huge snow drift by our front door.  So the kids kept him to his word . . .

Look how much fun Jay was having.

Crawling through the tunnel.  Look how much fun they had!!

Zack was working on the roof of the tunnel while Mackenzie was passing through it.

So they spent some quality time out in the snow.  Thank goodness it was a warm day.  The temperature was in low 30s on Sunday.  Which was definitley a nice turn around from the -35 degrees a few days earlier. 

After they spent an hour or so outside, they came in for chicken enchiladas with homemade enchilada sauce.  Then we got ready for our next family outing, which was completely the opposite of earlier in the day.

So they spent some time outside all bundled up to stay warm, and then we were off to the YMCA to enjoy some fellowship with families from First Lutheran.  After we took a quick tour of the Y, then the kids stripped down to a single layer, their swimsuits, and jumped into the pool for a swim.  They haven't swam since the end of August when we visited Zoombezi bay for the last time. 

Having fun at the YMCA . .

Zack had a great time jumping off the diving board!!

Mackenzie had fun swimming in the shallow end with Cassie.

Family night fun . . .

Thursday of last week was very cold day.  I can't remember how cold it was, but I know none of us really wanted to go out, and we were in the mood for pizza.  Now, I also have to admit, after seeing some homemade pizzas on a friend's blog, we were inspired to make our own.  Okay, we have made pizzas before by using already made crust in some form or another or even pizza dough in a box.  It never really tastes good.  

Well, the other day I broke out the bread maker and made a loaf of homemade bread, so why not make homemade pizza dough.  Believe it or not it turned out pretty tasty, but it was a little denser than we like.  It had good flavor as I added cheeses and seasoning. 

After it was done in the bread maker, it was time for Jay to roll and shape the crust . . .

Mackenzie and Zack got to oil the edges of the crust and then Jay spread the homemade pizza sauce - a new recipe we tried, not too sure if we really liked it so if anyone has an awesome homemade pizza sauce they'd like to share, please pass it along!!

Then the kids got to add the toppings.  Mackenzie, Jay & I love a Hawaiian flavor pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple.  Zack went for mushrooms and Cassie had her fave pepperoni.

Cassie wasn't too excited that she had to put her own toppings on, but if she wanted pepperoni then she had to make her side of the pie!!

Jay supervised the making of the pizzas and they turned out pretty tasty.  The kids said they were probably their favorite homemade pizzas we've made, but there's still something about chain restaurant pizza. 

Well after our family fun making pizzas, Jay decided to join the girls and play Monopoly.  Zack chilled and played his DS while Chloe took her snooze behind the couch. 

Let me just say, about the Monopoly game, Jay taught the kids how to play - now I'm not a fan of the game - and he created a monster with the little one!!  The first game he played with Cassie he forgot to tell her that buying the properties was an important aspect of the game - so she started buying late and well, lost that game to her dad.  Mackenzie had observed them play a couple of times so she basically knew the strategy of the game. 

She is RUTHLESS!!! 

Funny story . . . Mackenzie and Zack were playing the other day, you know it is actually a good game to use for math skills/class (lol), anyway early in the game Zack asked about buying some real estate from Mackenzie, here is that dialouge . . .

Zack:  How much would you sell Vermont for?

Mackenzie:  I'm sorry that's not for sale at this time.

Zack:  Come on, you'll make some money.

Mackenzie:  I'm sorry that's not for sale at this time.

Zack:  How much?

Mackenzie:  I'm sorry that's not for sale at this time.

Zack:  H . .

Mackenzie:  I'm sorry that's not for sale at this time.

                  . . . I'm sorry that's not for sale at this time.

Anyway, she was not going to sell and I kid you not that was her approach the whole game.  Guess who won . . . Ruthless I tell you, ruthless!!!!

Shoveling in the negatives

Yesterday was a cold day, but the snow still needed to be shoveled from the driveway and from the sidewalk.  So, Jay bundled up and headed outside for his newest chore, which I might add he is NOT a big fan of . . .

See how much fun he is having with our lovely shovel.  Maybe between now and next winter we will save up enough money (at least try) to purchase a snowblower.

As you can see, our drift outside our picture window is still there.

This is the same attire he wears delivering papers in the negatives!!  Now he does have some fleeced lined jeans he wears, too, but he didn't think to put those on before going out in the negative 16 degree weather to shovel.  So when he came in he was complaining about his legs.

Here's a picture of the ice on the floor of the garage to give you an idea why the van was stuck, I mean frozen to the garage floor (a previous post).

I went ahead and took a picture of the snowy white scenery. 

Jay's busy

Finding Jay and his church reaching out to the community.

How Cold Is It going to Get???

Someone asked me the other day how I liked North Dakota weather or the winter now.  Well, all I can do now is just grin and bear it and imagine the warmth of spring, if there is actually a spring. 

What's funny, or ironic if you will, is when Jay and I sat down over a year ago and evaluated the different regions in the ELCA we selected this region.  In December of 2008, Jay had to submit his paperwork for assignment after graduation.  Yes, six months before his graduation, he had to submit paperwork, 20+ pages with detailed questions, that inquired about his gifts, his expectations, what type of ministry he felt called to, and where in the country he preferred to go. 

Now, we were informed the paperwork was a tool to help place him where his gifts, talents, and called ministry could be beneficially used and there was NO guarantee that we would get our first or, for that matter, any of our preferences.  As we evaluated each region, we weighed various things.  I'll be honest there were several variables that we looked at, which included, homeschool laws/regulations, location/distance to my family, cost of living, and compensation - have to be able to survive. 

Believe it or not, region 3 was our 1st preference.  Yes, we preferenced the region which includes North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.  But prior to putting it on paper, we looked at all regions and narrowed it down quickly to three areas/regions we thought our family would like to live.  One region we preferenced included the fine state, way north, Alaska.  Now you have to understand, within the region we could preference none or up to three synods.  We talked about how cool, really, it would be to live in Alaska and we contemplated ranking the Alalskan synod. 

I have to say, after a few weeks in North Dakota's bitter cold, living in the "freezer" if you will, I am so glad that the other variables outweighed on the cons list for Alaska that we didn't actually preference that state because the novelity of living in Alaska would have worn off really quickly after a few days in the negatives. 

Which brings me to my current feelings about North Dakota weather.  I have to say, I am not one that enjoys the hot humid summers that the south offers - I've lived in Orlando in the midst of summer, NO thank you.  You can only strip down so far - can't run around in your birthday suit, plus no one wants to see me in anything revealing - trust me!!  Well, the midwest has two strikes against it - the hot humid sweltering summers and the wet snow and ice conditions of the frigid winters.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know . . . the winter weather in ND, SD, and MN makes the news for snowfall, blizzards, and frigid temps.  BUT ND and SD don't have the humidity that makes the summers uncomfortable and the snow wet and the air uncomfortable.  So what were we thinking???  At least that is what we were thinking.

Since we've been here, ND has had record highs in September, below average temps in October, average temps in November, below average in December, and so far in January below average and possible record breaking lows. 

As I sit and type this post, it is -16, yes, 16 below zero, air temp and with the windchill it is -31.  Now tonight, the actual air temp is suppose to be -31, that is 31 degrees below zero BEFORE the windchill is factored in!  HOLY CRAP, that is cold!! 

We did get another 6.3" of snow yesterday - sorry no pictures, snow is snow and they all look the same.  That's not such a big deal.  Snow is snow; however, with the high wind gusts the snow doesn't stay in one place, it blows and drifts.  So it makes driving difficult, at least in our subdevelopement in the rural area and in the country.  I can't imagine what the country roads are like in the plains or where the country is more open.  At least in our subdivision, there are some hills to help displace some of the wind, but maybe that is what makes it bad, too.  Some of the drifts on our road are 2-3 feet deep.  That doesn't sound like much, but when you don't have a four-wheel drive vehicle it makes it difficult to get in and out. 

As of this morning, I have to officially say, I am NOT a fan of North Dakota winters.  Upon leaving to go out and deliver papers this morning, my van was frozen to the garage floor.  Seriously, it took over 10 minutes, chipping at the ice on the garage floor, to get the van unstuck.  Then there were the huge drifts to pass through to get to the main road.  Once in town delivering was fine, it was just getting there.  All the roads in Lincoln were plowed and cleared.  Then returning home, instead of traveling downhill through the huge drift, the vehicle had to go uphill through the drift.  Let's just say it didn't happen the first attempt or the second.  After getting stuck and digging out TWICE, while a neighbor drove pass and offered no assistance, it only took us twenty minutes to get from the main road to the house (on a clear day it only takes a couple of minutes to climb the hill).

Oh one last thing.  I'm really surprised more people don't homeschool out here because of the winter weather.  This morning on the radio, the announcer was talking about what roads and which areas were on a "No Travel Advisory" he would rattle off some town names and then say Bismarck north, more town names, Bismarck south, more town names, Bismarck west, more town names, Bismarck central, Bismarck metro, more town names, and Bismarck east, blah, blah, blah.  Come on - can't you just say BISMARCK and leave it at that .  Then none of the schools are closed or delayed, they are starting on time, but the rural buses are either running 1-2 hours late or not running at all. 

Okay, so there is basically a "no travel advisory" for all of Bismarck but school is still in session.  Mandan has no buses running, but school is starting on time.  Definitely a different approach than what we are accustomed to.  Maybe after a few years and a couple of North Dakota winters under our belt it will make sense.  I'm also thinking a four-wheeled drive vehicle (if I win the lottery).

New favorite cookie

The other night we were all craving cookies.  We were evening willing to eat store bought cookies.  We just wanted something sweet and chocolatey.  Well, considering it was -21*, yes, 21 degrees below zero, Jay nor I wanted to venture out in the cold!!  It was too late to bake cookies because the butter wasn't softened and I didn't have hours to let the cookie dough chill before cooking.  So, I checked different recipe sites to see if I could find a quick cookie recipe . . . no luck!

Well, I found a new recipe from Martha Stewart called Kitchen Sink Cookies.  It sounded really tasty and looked quite yummy, but it called for walnuts and raisins two ingredients not in my baking stash.  However, I had Craisins and peacans, those should work well together.  So, I got up early and baked them yesterday morning. 

Knowing certain kiddos in the house don't like certain ingredients I didn't offer what was in the cookie.  The obvious Craisins didn't appeal to their tastebuds, but I told them they couldn't complain until after they tasted them and if they didn't like them.  Guess what . . . they all liked them even the kiddo who doesn't like coconut nor pecans!!

I think I have found a new favorite!  This recipe with a few adjustments was a hit. I even took a picture because they looked pretty, too.

Bringing in the New Year

Well, on New Year's Eve we stayed in.
We lounged around and enjoyed some good family time and watched a movie. Mackenzie kept company with her puppy.

In the evening the kids headed over to the neighbors and sledded on their huge hill. While they were out we cooked dinner as a team. Matter of fact, Jay & I whipped up an awesome Chinese dinner. We made white rice, sweet & sour pineapple pork, and coconut shrimp. We even made homemade sweet and sour sauce; I should have taken pictures of the final product because it actually looked like something you would find or get served in a Chinese restaurant.

Well, after dinner we were all pretty full so we didn't even think about munching on any snacks. Actually, Jay & I retired to bed around 10:15 p.m., can't stay up too late when one has to rise and shine at the crack of dawn to deliver papers. So, we let the kids camp out in the living room with the TV timer on to go off shortly after midnight. They wanted to stay up and watch the ball drop, so we let them.

Of course, I kept waking up and finally around 12:15 a.m. I finally went out into the living room and told them it was time to turn the TV off. I told them I thought it was on a timer and it should have gone off by now. Come to find out, they had turned the timer off and were still watching the Disney channel.

 Off to dreamland!!

NEW YEAR'S DAY

 The day before I had prepped some food and planned on New Year's Day to be a munchies day. It was a big game day for the Buckeyes and it just felt right to have fun food. So, we had crock pots going . . . one with chili and one with spinach & artichoke dip (leftover from the night before), then we had seafood salad (homemade not store bought), shrimp w/cocktail sauce, cheese & crackers, deviled eggs, and mini crock pots with cocktail sausages. We had enough food to feed a house full of people, but it was just us. We enjoyed watching the Buckeyes!! The only other thing I made to eat that evening was one of Jay's favorites, creamed cheese and cabbage. Aren't you suppose to eat cabbage on New Year's day?

Well, after the game we sat around together and watched Evan Almighty. Mackenzie had fun playing with some of her craft supplies. With her magic nuudles she originally made a necklace for Chloe, then she decided to make it as an angel halo. But she didn't stop there. She kept adding to it. Here Cassie models it in its early stages . . .

Then with on final touch from Jay, he added the cross, this is what she made. Looks good on Jay . . .

Chloe got her turn too . . .

Feathery Friends

One of the neat things around here is the wild life. We're use to seeing white tailed deer, bunny rabbits, squirrels, and a variety of birds in Ohio. Well, here we've seen white tailed deer, mule deer, HUGE jack rabbits, pheasants, wild turkeys, and a handful of birds. I have to admit that is one thing I do miss – birds. We love watching birds at our feeders, and learning about our visitors. So obviously once we arrived one of the first things we did was put our bird feeders out in the yard. Never saw any visitors and then the first week of high winds dumped our feeders completely empty. We thought maybe try and fill one once more and see what would happen. Same thing, no visitors and the high winds displaced the food. We never even saw any birds feeding off the ground!

The pheasants are so unique and we have seen quite a few. They fly, actually glide, across the tops of the cattails or tall grass. They scurry across the yard and the road. It's amazing how fast they move; reminds us of the roadrunner. Well, I've tried getting pictures of them in the yard, but the slightest noise they hear and then their off. The other day there were two in our back field and I was able to get a couple of photos of them from inside the sliding glass door. So they're not the best, but it gives you an idea of how pretty they are.

Now, on New Year's Eve it was pleasant outside; however, it was not warm enough for the visitors we saw in the trees in the back field.

I thought these birds are a sign of spring. Someone needs to let them know they are way too early in this neck of the woods. Just a little FYI . . . our overnight low last night was -21 degrees and with the wind-chill it was close to -35 degrees. We were under a wind-chill advisory till noon today because the wind-chill was possibly going to be -45 degrees. See what I mean about those robins being in the wrong place!!