OK NOW IT"S COLD!!!
Not that it wasn't before i supose but it is REALLY cold!!! it hasn't gotten above freezing in almost 10 days and thankfully yesturday and today the wind died down so it's only been in the teens now below zero... the boy's winter activity's got cancelled on friday due to it being too cold and it was 15 below zero it just wasn't safe for kids to be outside... yesturday afternoon i took the boys to the big hill to sled and they usually get at least 4-6 times down the hill and after 2 they were ready to go in it was just too darn cold...
Bradley took a bit of a spill on his first run down the hill so thats why he's a little scratched up but i took this picture to show the ice crystals on his eye lashes (guess his eyes watered a bit when he took the spill).. the red cheecks is just from the cold not getting hurt the resort next door has been making snow non stop for about 2 weeks now so even though it hasn't really snowed much they have a ton of the white stuff... it'a hard to tell in this pic but this machine makes the snow at an incrediable rate... it's on constantly it kind of sounds like a loud vaccum cleaner... luckely we don't hear it in the house but as soon as you go outside you can hear it...


Our water we leave on our screened in front porch has frozen solid... it has goten slushy before but overnight it just froz solid.. my laundry soap that i was too lazy to take down to the basement also froz.. (does this mean i don't have to do laundry!?) anyway i already got it about half way thawed so i could do a load this morning (darn!) Anyway that's all that's going on here... the sun is out today it's an amazing sensation warm sun coming in through the window then you go outside and it's FREEZING...
anyway ta ta for now

Sending them off into the Artic Tundra

So today it was the scene from "a Christmas story getting hats, gloves, boots etc.. getting the boys ready for the 10 yard walk out to the bus, waiting until the last possiable moment so they wouldn't have to wait too long. it worked as soon as they got out there the bus came!!! (i would have taken a pic of them getting on the bus but they have a new bus driver and i didn't want her to think i was taking a pic of her doing something wrong (we have a very sketchy bus system)

Well don't these pictures look so nice w/ the nice white snow... well the nice white snow is actually solid ICE!!! the temps havn't gotten above 2 degrees and w/ the wind chill factor it feels like about 20 below zero... which they say is TOO COLD to snow (didn't realize that was possiable)... it's suppose to warm up a bit tomorrow (to a whopping 20 degrees) and it's expected to snow then this lovely ice will have a layer of snow over it.. the boys (including Ben) are eagerly awaiting this event and can't wait to sled down the hill.. We havn't let the boys sled for a couple of days for 2 reasons its just too cold to be outside for more than a few minutes and also the sledding hill would slide them right into the forest on the other end of the field, it would be so slick and fast (something they don't seem to think is a problem!!)

the boys wern't allowed to play outside at school yesturday because it was below 12 degrees (thats their limit.. no playing if the temp is below 12) seems kind of low to me but thats why i'm not an administrator!!!...

Oh Yea, we've gotten a couple of phone calls and e-mails wondering if we have power.. we DO!!! the massave power outage was mostly in Manchester (where Ben works) and Nashua big city just south of Manchester... there were like 30,000 people w/ out power but we never lost it (thank goodness!) the boys school (one town over) did loose power monday night and it took them a bit to get them back up so they had a 2 hour delay Tuesday morning but the electricity was actually up and running by the time school was suppose to start.. Awww the joys of living in the ARTIC TUNDRA!!!

anyway so much for feeling lucky the temps were so warm... i guess these cold temps are pretty unusual... they get more snow than this cold temps for more than a day at a time...

The boys walking (rather SLIDING) out to the Bus stop (just at the bottom of our Driveway, parking lot...

KayLea, KayLea!!!
My little girl who loves to mug for the camera.. i was playing w/ some things today on my camera and she came in to the office saying "I want my picture taken now!!!" so how could i resist haha.. so i played w/ the color options and lighting/flash a bit and here's how they turned out!!! I can't believe how big she is.. where's my baby???! Well the kids are off for the next 4 days (fri. and MOn. off of school) and the tiny bit of snow we got night before last is cmpletely gone.. just very cold (just when i was thankful for low heating bills) but at least it's not raining yet we are suppose to get snow again tomorrow night and Sunday morning hopefully it will stick but at least it's cold enough for the Mountain to make snow for Winter Activities which start a week from today... Oh the trials of our life when we are complaining that it's not cold enough to MAKE SNOW!!! seems kind of backwards hua! Jan 1st was the "start" of ice fishing season BUT nothing is frozen enough; Ben has a friend who owns a camp in Main and is going to go at the endo of the month to try to get some in so i guess we DO need to be wishing for cold temps so he doesn't fall through the ice (i'm not worried or anything Ü)

What Man will do for Smoked Briscuit
Ben decided he was going to Smoke a Briscuit for kind of an impromptu pot luck lunch at work so because he was going through the effort anyway we decided to smoke one for us too... only problem, it was raining and sleeting all day!!! (YES thats ice on the ground and on the unbrella) that didn't stop Ben he got up early got the charcoal started etc... but because it was so cold outside after smoking it ALL DAY we ended up having to put it in the oven for a few more hours the Briscuit was great the next day at work and for us for dinner!!!

This is the Briscuit before it went into the Smoker it sat all night in the Yummy rub wrapped up in the fridge

Ben trying to get the Charcoal started (like those Sponge Bob pj's??)

where there's a will there's a way.. Ben put the picnic unbrella up to try to keep the rain and ice off the smoker!!!

What a difference a day makes...

Well actually 2 days or so... it rained cats and dogs today and you'd be very hard pressed to find any snow left just LOTS OF MUD!!! so much for the ice skating mini rink to open this weekend... the resort across the street did a huge fireworks display tonight much bigger than then the usual weekend fireworks at the restaurant/resort next door... the kids winter activities were cancelled on Friday because it was forcasted to rain and it was in the low 50's so everything was melting... anyway the kids don't have winter activity's again until a week from this friday due to MLK 4 day weekend so the weather has 2 weeks to COOPERATE!!! everyone is very gloomy about the weather.. I can't say i'm too, too upset it's much warmer which means less heat which means less money for heating oil!!! but all the mudd and yuck is very depressing!!! and here goes my bi-polar attitude w/ New Hampshire winters.. i'm happy when it's all pretty and white and i'm down in the dumps when it looks all muddy and yucky!!!
how many more months of winter???
ÜÜÜÜÜ

First Sledding of the Season...
It actually has stopped snowing now and the temp's are suppose to be in the 50's by the end of the week but we had a good 6 inches over the weekend so it was time to dust off the sleds.. Ben had even brought home an old Engine cover to use as a sled (it sounded allot better than it actually worked)... i think the pic's on my new camera are too big to post or e-mail (i'm working on fixing this) but in the mean time i'm posting a slide show of our snow fun... hopefully the first of many.. the kids start their winter activities on Friday.. Hunter is Skiing and Brad is snow boarding again... cross your fingers for good snow!! Also just to give a better picture of the pictures.. this is in our back yard!!! we know we are so lucky to have this great groomed sledding hill right in our back yard.. they are suppose to have the ice skating rink up and running by next week but w/ the temp's not cooperating i'm not sure thats going to happen!!! Bundle up everyone, maybe Winter is finally on it's way!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
We had a big show that we could see from our house!!! every year the Ski Resort does a huge fireworks show against the mountain... they also do a big dinner etc.. but sence New Years was on a sunday we just enjoyed the fireworks from the comfort of our front yard (KayLea watched from her bedroom window)...
i got to play w/ the fireworks setting on my camera... I think i still need some practice but i think i got a few good ones...
Today (new years day) brings Chilli in the Crock pot and watching a little football and maybe a parade!!!
Happy 2007!!!