Just Hangin Day...

We slept in late this morning for some reason. I don't think Beth has made it to bed before midnight since the Olympic started. We had breakfast and she went to 10:30am mass. I had a couple of rugs and some other things in the washer, so I started that. We had a late lunch and I headed downstairs to do some more scrap booking. Beth hung the pictures in the guest room and put the big tree picture in the entry way. It looks really nice. I put a roast on for dinner around 3pm and went back to scrap booking. We had dinner around 6pm after we saw the USA men's hockey team lose. I am sorry to see the Olympics over, but will be glad to watch something new on TV. We have a busy week coming up. We are really looking forward to Tuesday as we are watching Rylee while Dawn has a Real Estate class. Too bad I have PT at 9am. Beth will get so much more Rylee time than me. Today's picture is of Beth and Jojo making snow angles.

Play date with Jojo...

We woke up this morning and it was snowing again, but did not last long. We went to breakfast at the diner, then headed to Kohl's. We had a coupon and have been looking at George Foreman grills. They had the one we wanted and it was on sale. It was regularly $179 and was on sale for $79. Our coupon was for 15% off, but 20% if you spent over a hundred dollars. I found a blue pair of shorts, so we got them which put us over the hundred dollar mark. We also got 10% off the grill as it was a small appliance sale also. So we saved $142 dollars, which in any book is a good deal. we then headed over to AC Moore to pick up one of the pictures. The mat for the other was was out of stock and should be back in March 4th. The tree one looks great. We then had to go to Target and Staples. We finished up around noon and went to go pick up Jojo. She was coming over for a play date. She misses her Aunt Beth. We played out side in the snow as you can see from today's pictures. We built a snow fort, went sledding, and painted the snow. Beth put food coloring in spray bottles and they painted the snow different colors. It was so cute. We came inside, had left over pizza, and watched a movie. She was not ready to go home, but then again they never are. We had soup and salad for dinner and are now headed for the hot tub for a well deserved soak.

No more snow...

When we got up this morning we had an additional 5 inches of snow. It was still snowing, but the weather man said it would stop mid afternoon. As Beth puts it, I got a bur up my butt and started to clean house. I started with the kitchen and then moved my way around the rest of the house. Beth said this is not what she had planned for today, but the the house needed it. Both the snow and I ended around 2pm. Beth went outside to clear away the driveway. It was a wet and heavy snow. The sun was out and you would not believe the difference. Just glad it was not more than that. We had pizza for dinner. The roads were all clear, but were a little slick areas as ice was starting to form on the roads a little. I was finally able to finish watching the movie I missed the other day when the cable went out. It was a good ending and glad I saw it. We are off to run some errands tomorrow and then to pick up Jojo. She has been wanting to come over all week and because of the snow she was not able, so we are bringing her over for a little while tomorrow. Aunt Beth and her are going to build a snow fort. I of course will be taking photos, as I am sure it will be cold. Two weeks from today we will be in Disney. I sure hope the weather is warmer than it is right now down there. Today's picture was taken inside the Toy Story ride at Disney. I love this ride and can't wait to ride it again.

Snow all day...

I had to get up early this morning as I had a physical therapy appointment at 9am. It was snowing but was not sticking to the roads, so the streets were only wet. I stopped by the cleaner first, then on to my appointment. My knee was really sore due to the weather, so we took it a little easy today. After therapy, I ran over to the store then home. I then worked on scrap booking all day. It snowed hard most of the day, the temperature was still above freezing so it was not causing a problem on the street. I did get a phone call saying that Kyles' school was letting out 3 hours early today and Jojo did not even have school. They say it is going to get colder tonight and that we should have 4 to 8 inches in the morning, so we will see. Beth was able to get the closet doors back on and is not hanging pictures in the guest room. Beth fixed dinner tonight. That is the second time this month. Yea me... No picture today.

Snow on the way...

We were up around 8am this morning. Lynne called and needed to borrow the jeep as the brakes on her jeep went out. After she left, we started on the errands we had. We had to go to Target,then on to Petco. Buster was out of treats for his treat ball. We then went to the grocery store to pick up a few things. We wanted to make sure we are stocked before the next snow hits. We then had to go to CVS and to the bank. We stopped for lunch and then it was on to pick up the chair. It really did not weight much and we were able to load it into the truck from the dock. With the snow gone off the front sidewalk, we were able to sit the chair on the furniture dolly and wheel it to the front door. We then turned it sideways and though the front door it went. I spent the rest of the day scrap booking and Beth worked on the small snow blower. The rubber blades were worn done and needed to be replaced. Well that project was easier said then done. She spent about 4 hours on it and was never able to get the blade in the holes. correctly. They just don't make stuff easy for you to do it yourself anymore. So we will take it to Passmore and have them do it. It will save on Beth banging and hurting her hands. It was just not meant to be. We are to get 1 to 2 inches of snow tonight and 4 to 6 more tomorrow. I have therapy tomorrow morning , so I am hoping the roads are not too bad. We are supposed to pick up Jojo from school, but we'll see if they even have school tomorrow. We know we are getting snow it is just an matter of how much. The snow was down to about 4 inches and was gone from the roof, so another 6 inches will not be too bad. I am going to enjoy the hot tub as I will probably not make it there tomorrow night. We are trying to finalize plans for going to Kansas City some time end of April. We will be driving as to save money on flying and renting a car. We also want to do a few things in St. Louis, so this will give us the chance to do that also. Today's picture is of Kyle at age five. He still has the same smile today, but is now a teenager. Where has the time gone.

Scrapbooking Underway...

We both had to get up early this morning. I had physical therapy at 9am and Buster had a vet appointment at 9:30am. My knee is feeling better except for the weather ache which I know will never go away. It rained most of the night and all day today. Not a hard rain, but a nice gentle falling rain. I will gladly take that over snow right now. We finished cleaning out the ceder closet and it is all done. I worked on scrap booking all afternoon. I am hoping the 4 inch stack of pictures is done by next week. Beth cut some plexi glass for the top of my scrap book table yesterday and cut the crap out of 2 of her fingers. They are still very sore and we need to keep the band-aid off so they can heal. So she spent the day playing Pogo, her favorite thing to do. We did a tag team on the laundry, so it is all done for this week. Beth went to go pick up the chair today and found one it was not ready and two they do not have men to help load it. Good thing we are not pansies and have a truck. So looks like it will be ready tomorrow, so hope the rain stops by then. Today's picture is a reminder that spring training has started and baseball season is just around the corner. We took this in Seattle on our way to Alaska last year, 6 hr layover.

Not much...

Beth had to get up early as she had to go give blood at 7:15am. I was asleep when she left and still asleep when she came home. I finally got up around 8am. We had breakfast and both us went to the office. I started printing the Alaska pictures. How do you consolidate 10day worth of pictures down to only a few. Impossible I say. I think I have printed off over 150 pictures and only have Fairbanks left to print. I then printed off the pictures of the twins to work on also. Beth began working on a few items she wanted to post to eBay and finished it about 4pm. We decided to go out to dinner to the Brick house. Just as we left it started to snow. It was still way above freezing so it melted as it hit the road. I think it will turn to rain so we can live with that. Just hope it stops by the time we have to go pick up the chair tomorrow. Today's picture is of Buster doing what he does best, sleep.

Another day of scrapbooking...

Beth was up and off to church by 8am this morning. I got up, striped the bed, and did laundry. We had bagels for breakfast and read the paper. After reading the ads, I headed downstairs to work on scrap booking again. I always like to have the TV on a movie so I can listen to it. There was a movie on I had been wanting to see, so things were going good so far. Things were flowing and pages were getting completed. About 30 minutes before the ending of the movie, cable went out and did not come back until after it was over. That really sucks, cause now I have to hope it is on again just to see the ending. So while cable was out, I finished making the bed and put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. Cable was finally back after about a hour, so back downstairs I went. Beth watched the Olympic, she's really into this curling stuff and can't miss a round. Of course we always have Dawn to ask if we have any questions. She is from Michigan and knows a lot about it. Go figure. I finally finished up the pictures I had printed around 5pm. I came upstairs and fixed dinner. After dinner I began working on the Alaska pictures. It will take awhile to print them. I am hoping to keep it to 30 scrap booking pages, but it will be tough. Beth did call the furniture store and put a deposit down on the chair. We will be picking it up on Tuesday and hoping it is not snowing or raining. Maggie is going to look at my computer when we go to Disney and boy will I be glad. This thing is driving me crazy. I am just hoping she can improve it and that I can hold off on buying a new one for awhile. We put today's picture out there just so we could see what our yard looks like without snow. It has been weeks since we have seen green.

Scrapbook Day...

After breakfast this morning we headed up to the pool place. They had chemical on sale, so we stocked up on the ones for the spa. We then went to the grocery store and headed back home. It was another Sunny day, but was a little cold and windy. The snow is really started to melt in places and you can see the ground in some. I made sandwiches for lunch and then headed down stairs to work on my scrap booking. I wanted to get ahead before this next Disney trip, but don't think I will make it. I still have about 2o sets of pictures to do, but things were really flowing today. Had to take a quick break to put dinner in the over, pork roast, and then to eat dinner. I am hoping the flow is still there tomorrow as I don't plan on going anywhere. Beth worked on going through all her games and toys in the closet. Tomorrow she can only keep what will fit in her tub, so we will see how that goes. Then we need to tackle the clothes in there. And then finally on to the blankets and quilts. I am hoping to complete it by the end of next week. Today's pictures are of a Blue Bird that was visiting us today.

We can see shingles...

It was another bright and sunny day today. We had to go pickup Kyle from school and take him to the doctors. It was only his monthly checkup and only takes 10 minutes once we see the doctor, the hard part is getting to the back and waiting for that doctor. After the doctor's, we went to McDonald's for lunch and then returned Kyle to school. He only missed about an hour and hour of school, so it was not bad. We then headed to The Dump to look at rocker/recliner. They had a couple that were OK, but we wanted to look at some lazy boys also. So we headed to another place that carried them. Boy did they have a lot to choose from. We found one that seemed to work, but wanted to think about it some more first. So we headed home. As we were coming down the street, we could actual see the shingles on the roof. Most of the ice from the gutters is gone, so the water is running in the gutters and not over them. We are looking to go back to KC sometime in mid April. My aunt is not doing well and I went to spend some time with her. We are thinking of driving instead of flying, so we can bring some of our favorite food back with us. Today's picture was of taken at a Phillies game and since they started spring training this week, it seamed like a good idea to post.

Bright and Sunny Day...

Boy was it a nice day today. I had physical therapy at 9am. The knee is doing much better and there is hardly a limp any more. I am hoping for only a few more days and I can be done. I passed Beth on my way home. She had to go get Buster some dog food and give them some old sheets we no longer needed for the puppies. The sun was bright and the ice on the roof was melting. A few more days like today and it should be gone. You can sure hear the water running in the gutters. Beth was able to remove the snow from the front sidewalk. The snow gauge is still reading 14 inches. We can even see part of the roof of the very top, so things are good. I worked on getting almost everything out of the guest bathroom and put away. Then started on the cedar closet. Was able to come up with another 2 bags of clothes for the good will pile. Beth has to go through the games and is only allow to keep what will fit in the tub (and whatever I can hide from Jeanette, but don't tell her). That will be a very hard process for her. Next we have to go through all the blanket, quilts, and spreads. We have so many of them and never use most of them. Not much else going on. We have watched a lot of the Olympic and have really gotten into the curling for some reason. Tomorrow is a busy day, as I have to take Kyle to the doctor and then we want to go look at rocker/recliners again. Three weeks from tomorrow we will be in Disney and hoping we will not need winter coats this time. Today's picture is of the gang at our happy place.

A day of running...

We had a lot of things to do today, so after breakfast we began our errands. We first stopped to get gas for the car, then to the Beth's bank. After the bank, we headed to King of Prussia. We had 2 great photos, one taken in Alaska and one of the red maple tree in the snow storm, that we wanted to get blow up and framed. So we went to camera place in the mall. We then had to decide how big to get them. We wanted to get the Alaska one in a 20 x 30 and the tree in a 16 x 20. But after seeing the tree in the 16 x 20 size some of the tree would be cut off. Not really sure why they could not make it fit, but they could not. So we had to get it in the 20 x 30 size also. They said it would take an hour to print. So we went and had lunch and walked around in the mall. My knee seemed to be doing a little better today. I think the stretching is helping. We picked up the pictures about an hour later. They were not bad. Not as clear as I had hoped for, but still great looking. We then stopped by Wegman's. I love their cheese department. I picked up some apple wood cheddar. We were having grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. We then headed to A.C. Moore to see about getting the pictures framed. We started with the tree one first. The frame we picked out was around $600 and that was just not going to work. So we finally found one that was a whole lot better price. Then on to the Alaska one. We choose a metal frame for it and it looked really cool. They said it would take a couple of weeks to complete. We then stopped and looked at rocker/recliner chairs. I tried out a few and found one that was not bad, but we want to look around more. By now it was after 3pm and we were tired. So we came home for a little rest. I made dinner and Beth headed to church. She just came in and said it was snowing outside. No one said it was going to snow tonight. I am hoping to hit the hot tub, snow or not. Today's picture is of our Holly tree the day after the storm. We are going to lose a few branches from the weight of the snow.

Escaped the snow...

We woke up this morning to only a small dusting of snow. What a relief it was. It did begin to snow around 9am, but did not last long and melted as soon as it hit the street. Beth left around 11:30am to go mail a box to my mom and to her mom and said the streets were dry and clear. I called to set up my physical therapy appointment and they were able to get me in today at 1pm. I started laundry, fixed lunch, then headed for my appointment. They told me the same thing the doctor said and we began working on some small strength building exercises. I will go twice a week for the next 2 weeks and then 3 more time after we come back from Disney if needed. I have to do the exercises every day. Beth wanted steak for dinner tonight since it was fat Tuesday and the start of Lent is just around the corner. We took Buster to the groomers around 4pm. He was beginning to smell like a dog. He does not mind going. They give him a treat and scratch his butt, so he will do anything for them. They called right before dinner to say he was ready, but no way was Beth going to let her steak get cold. So she went to pick him up after dinner. We are off to the hot tub and early to bed. I want to got look at recliners tomorrow, since I can not longer sit on the couch. The foot is a whole lot better and the knee is getting there, so things are finally looking up. The weather man is saying no snow for at least 5 days, sunny skies, but cold windy weather. We are hoping the ice will have time to melt before the next storm. We have heard from several people that a native man had predicted every snow fall this year correctly and said we are getting another 40 inches on March 7th. Just great if he is right, cause we leave for Disney on the 12th. That gives them 5 days to get the roads clear and the flights up and running if true. So we will see. Today's picture is of the street sign at the end of our drive way. You can tell how high the snow was piled by the snow plow.

Happy Birthday Beth...

We had to get up early as we had appointments with Dr. Bill. With all the snow removal, we both were so happy to go. Although I must admit that my back held up very nicely with all the snow shoveling and snow blower pushing. Afterwards we headed to the bank and then WAWA for a quick breakfast. We had a lot of errands to do before we met Dawn, Jo, and Rylee for lunch. We then went to Micheal's. I had a coupon for 20% off everything, even sale items. It is a good deal when things are already 30% off and I had a gift card. We had to order a mat for one of the pictures we got a Disney. The one we had had a mat, but it's companion piece did not. So Beth took care of that as I checked out the scrapbook stuff. We then had to drop off the old newspapers and magazine at the recycle place. We could not get to the clothes recycle bin because of the snow , so we will look around for another not buried in snow. We then met the girls at Brick house for lunch. Rylee slept until the food came, but was not fussy at all while we ate. We spent 2 hours there and had a great time. Thanks guys. We then headed to Target. They had the plastic tubs on sale that we need for the guest room for storage. They were out of the middle size so we will try back later in the week. We stopped by DJ and Maggie's house for a quick visit. We had not really see them since the Superbowl party. We did not want to stay long as DJ wanted to get some sleep in before the snow hit again this evening. We are to get anywhere from a inch to 6 inches. So we will wait and see what happens overnight. We got home and decided to shovel the snow out of the back of the truck. It melted a lot today since it was 40 degrees, but not enough to take some weight out if we get 6 inches of new snow. It only took about 15 minutes to clear out and I put it back in the spot in the yard. Just then it really started to snow. Beth wanted beef and noodles for dinner so I made it for her birthday dinner. As of now the snow seems to have ended, but it could be a trick. I am just hoping to make it to the hot tub before it cuts loose again. Happy Birthday to my girl and many more. Today's picture is of our little polar bear welcome sign holder. He is the only one pleased with the large about of snow we had and finally made his way out of hibernation.

Happy Valentine's Day...

I was up early this morning for some reason. Beth slept in until 9am. We had breakfast, and since the sun was trying to shine, we decided to see if we could move some snow off the roof about 2 feet back. The gutters and the edge of the roof have about 3 inches of ice underneath the snow. So off we went to get ladder and begin. We started using a shove, but Beth came up with this little invention that was even better. She had a large squeegee and bent the pole in a great angle. It worked great. After about an hour and a half we cleared most of the back roof line. We then feed the birds and headed back inside. We were both covered in snow from it falling from the roof, but think it will help clear the ice. We heard today that another snow storm is going to hit tomorrow night and dump 3 to 6 inches of snow or snow-sleet mix. We head up to Beth's parents to check on things and water the plants. Beth was able to clean the sidewalk off, but said her parents need a snow shovel not a regular shovel for this kind of job. We then came home and rested for a bit. I was making a broth fondue of us for dinner tonight. We were having fillet and chicken and boy was it really good. I had boiled the broth some onions, mushrooms, carrots, and potatoes for about and hour. This made the broth really rich and great tasting. We then had a dessert of white chocolate fondue with strawberries, angle food cake, coconut marshmallow, and Oreo's. The Oreo's were a little too much sweetness, but the rest of it was to die for. It was just as good as the Melting Pot and cost a whole lot less. I have to call tomorrow to schedule my physical therapy, but with all the snow who knows when I can go and how many times before Disney. Today's pictures are of the ice on the roof. Come on sun, we need you to do your thing.

Hanging with Rylee...

We were up early this morning. We wanted to be at the AAA store when they opened. They were giving away little stuffed eagles as a promo gift. They are so cute and soft. We then headed to the grocery store. We are have fondue at home tomorrow for Valentine's Day. We finished up around 10am and headed home. Dawn and Jo were going to bring Rylee over around 11am. They had the boys this weekend and were going to take them to Monkey's Joe and let them play for awhile. We said we would be more than happy to watch Rylee for them. Jo called around 11am and said they were running behind and would call when they were leaving. I worked on the guest room getting all the bears back on the stand and on the top of the bed. The guest bathroom is getting cleared out little by little. Dawn and Jo arrived around 11:45am. The baby was sleeping, but that did not last long. She was a little fussy, so Beth determined she was wet and changed her. They played on the bed for a little while. She loved looking at all the bears on the top of the bed. Around 1:30pm, Beth feed her and she fell asleep. Dawn and Jo came by around 2:30pm to pick her up. It was a cloudy and cold day today. We noticed that on the back side of the house we now have about 3 inches of ice on the roof under all the snow. The sun does not really hit that part except in the late afternoon, so who knows when it will all melt. We noticed most of the houses around us have the same problem. We went to Target to do some shopping and get some tubs for the guest bedroom to store stuff on the closet shelves. We came home and Beth went to mass this evening. We had hamburgers and salad for dinner and are now watching the Olympics. Today's picture is of our little princess in training, Rylee.

Another Sunny Day...

It was another sunny day today. I made pancakes for breakfast. We left a little before noon to go pick up the jeep. As we thought, it was just a hose that was bad on the jeep, so good news there. We came home and had leftover pizza for lunch. I had a doctor's appointment at 1:40pm. They already had most of my information on file. Technology is great. We only had to wait about 20 minutes before seeing the doctor. He came in and pushed, pulled, and bent on my knee. It really hurt a couple of times he did it. They took x-rays and then we waited for the results. The x-ray tech came in to go over what she saw. Depending on how you look at it, it was good news. I have about 8 big arthritis spurs, but other wise the knees is good. So the big problem is arthritis. And how do you treat arthritis, not much you can do. We are going to try some physical therapy first. Maybe all the problems with my feet have weakened the knee a little. We are also going to try glucosamine to help lube the joint. We will revisit it in 6 weeks and see how things are. We have a couple more options if those don't work. It is feeling better today, so a big part of is the weather. So we will see what happens. We came home, picked up Kyle , and took him home. Then had to go to CVS, and then to the bank. We picked up chicken for dinner. I worked on the guest room a little bit tonight and Beth was on the computer. We will be heading to the hot tub a little later. We are go glad to be able to get back in it. Beth will be watching the Olympics for the next several weeks. I am not for them much, but like a few of the events. Today's picture is of a Blue Jay that came during the snow storm to get peanuts we put out for them.

What difference 24 hours makes..

The snow finally stopped around 10pm last night. We were up early this morning as the sun was shining bright. What a difference 24 hours makes. We were just starting our first snow removal yesterday at the same time. There was only about 4 or 5 inches of new stuff, so we only needed to use the little snow blower. Beth did the front and Kyle began removing the snow off the back sidewalk and spa deck. I was trying to help as much as I could. Kyle finished and went inside to get his board to try and snow ski on the snow remaining on the driveway. I told him if he fell and broke sometime his mom would kill him. He did that for about 10 minutes and then heading in to the house. Beth and I began shoveling to try and find the cars. We started with the jeep first. It took about 20 minutes to uncover as you can see from the pictures, both were buried. We finally did get the jeep out, but noticed something leaking underneath the engine. It was power steering fluid. Beth was able to get it turned around and parked it in its normal spot. She has a better appreciation for power steering now. As she called AAA to get a tow truck and take it to the jeep dealer, I began digging out the truck. The side was not to bad as there was a big empty space where the jeep used to be, but getting around the back and doing the other side was hard. You had to wad through the 30 inches of snow, trying not to fall in it, which I did twice. Then you had to dig it out. It took me about 45 minutes to get it where I thought I might be able to pull out. So I started it up and put it in low. The tires began to spin so I did the old rocking motion. I could feel it moving and finally it took off and out of the hole we went. I pulled it up to the top of the drive way to finish cleaning off the snow. Beth was able to get everything set up and they would be here in an hour. We finished up outside and came in inside for showers and some lunch. they came and took the jeep away, so sad. We were hoping it was a hose, but it needed service and inspection also. So now we wait for the results. We spent the rest of the afternoon with some much needed rest. The last couple of days have taken a toll on our whole body. We had to determine if we were taking Kyle home as we had not heard anything on whether he was having school or not on Friday. Beth and Kyle played rock paper scissors. Kyle won so he is staying the night. They finally called around 6pm to say school was cancelled. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to see about my knee. It is really bothering me today and I am sure falling of the back deck not once but twice was not good for it either. But it was still fun playing in the snow, just maybe not so much next time. Today's pictures were taken this morning and I hope they give you a feel for how much snow we have.

No more room for snow...

The snow came down hard last night. There were about 8 inches of new snow by 10am this morning. I made us a hot breakfast and we headed outside for the first round of removal. Beth used the big blower and Kyle and I removed the snow from the sidewalk and spa landing with shovels. We were able to make a path to the spa and then used the little snow blower. As fast as you could remove the snow it was piling back up. Kyle then followed Beth using the little blower. It took us about 3 hours but we did get the first run completed. We were all soaked from the snow and tired. Kyle realized that using the snow blower was not all that fun and was hard work. We came in and had some lunch and just relaxed. The snow was coming down so hard that you could not see across the street. I can say I have never seen it ever snow that hard before. We wanted to try and get another removal in around 4pm. It was a wet and heavy snow. We had watched the snow mount on the top of the bird feeders all day. By 4pm they we all tilted sideways from the snow accumulating on top of them. Beth was a brave little trooper and managed to make her way over to them and even filled them for the birds. Of course the snow came up to her waist. Kyle and I changed back into our snow gear and headed outside for round 2. The snow was lighter this time but there was about 10inches of it. This time Beth and Kyle did the front driveway and I shoveled the sidewalk. I was trying to clear a path with the snow blower when I got to close to the edge and stepped into the snow. What a site it was. My left leg went down in the snow and my right leg bent all the way up to my chin. There I was stuck and of course the other two could not hear me over the snow blower noise. Great move Elliott. So here I am suck and can't get leverage to pull my leg out of the snow. I finally just fell down on the landing and was able to pull my leg out. I would of hated to be a living statue in the snow. But it did not stop me, I finished the snow removal and headed to the garage. We do not have any place to put any more snow. the path between the fence and the back steps is waist high all the way down. And the snow on the side of the drive way is to tall for the little blower to thrown the snow over anymore. The snow seems to be letting up now. The snow gage out front reads 33 inches. They expect high winds tonight, so I hope we do not lose our electricity on top of everything else. We hope tomorrow morning is the final day of snow removal for a few days. I am not sure our back, arms, knees, and mind can take much more. Today's pictures are from the snow today. In the last photo the little black fence you see is 30 inches high and almost covered. Boy do we have a lot of snow.

Round 2 has begun...

We got up early this morning as we wanted to get things done before Dawn came over. We went to Lowe's and then to the grocery store. After breakfast, I started laundry. It seems like we had a lot pile up this week, due to the snow and cold weather. Takes a lot more loads with jeans and hoodies. Dawn came over around 11:30am. We were going to the movies to see Book of Eli. We wanted to see it last week, but the snow would not allows us. So we left around noon and went to BJ's first. I needed fruit snacks and bird seed and Dawn needed D batteries. We then headed over to the theater. We got our popcorn and drinks and settled in. We noticed the lights were on, but we thought just forgot to turn them off after cleaning. Next we noticed the movie had not started the previews and it was 10 minutes past start time. We were the only ones in at the time, but 2 other guys came in. We waited another 5 minutes and nothing happened. So one of the guys left to go find someone. Three more people came in. The guy finally came back with an attendant to tell us the projector was broke and they could not show the movie. I think we are not destined to see this movie. They did say we could go see any other movie playing and we could get a pass for another time or we could get 2 passes if there was nothing we wanted to see. We did not want to stay, so we took the 2 passes for another time. So back home we went. Beth was also disappointed, cause she did not get her Rylee time. I let DJ know that I could pick Kyle up from school instead of him going to Maggie's mom. He is staying the night, or 2, with us since school has already been cancelled for tomorrow because of the snow. So I left around 2:30pm to go get him and Dawn and Rylee headed home. I had to stop at Wal-mart to get cheesecloth, then take Kyle home to get his stuff, and on to CVS. We got home around 4pm. It was really starting to cloud up and you knew it was going to be a bad one. We had steak for dinner as it might be the last time we see the grill for awhile. I also made sticky rice. My grandma used to make it for me when I was younger and I loved it. I could never find the rice for it since I moved to PA, but finally ran across it the other day. Eating it brought back so many memories of the times I had it with my grandma. Kyle loved it also and Beth I think could take it or leave it. We had just finished dinner and I went to cover the grill and noticed it was starting to snow and snow hard. In about 2 hours we have about an inch of snow already. They weatherman could be right and we could see 18 to 24 inches. We will know in the morning as it is to snow all night & day. Kyle is excited to be able to use the snow blower and help Beth clean the driveway. I am just thankful I don't have to shovel the back sidewalk. We can't even use the hot tub as it is snowing so hard. Again our prayers go out to DJ for a safe night of plowing. As you can see from today's picture the snow was pretty deep last time. We only lost about 6 of the 16 inches of snow and the say we will get 20 more. Tunnel digging we will be doing if that happens.

Digging the Jeep out...

We had to go over to Dawn's house this morning. So before we left, I went out and brushed all the snow off the jeep and the truck. The sun was shining bright and I was hoping the ice underneath would melt. When they left last night Dawn's car locked into 3rd gear and she could not get it out. So I watched Rylee while Beth followed Dawn to the garage to have it looked at. They were only gone about 20 minutes and Rylee never even knew they were gone. She was sleeping in her swing, which she loves, so I never even got to hold her. We came home and had lunch. Beth was able to get the jeep out of the snow and into the driveway. I had a doctor''s appointment at 2pm and she was going to see Jojo in gymnastic class. So off we went. Of course the parking lot at the doctor's office was full. I did find one spot but it was a tight fit. There were several people ahead of me and they were running about 30 minutes behind. Just Great. I was finally called back. After explaining to the nurse what was wrong, she left and then the wait for the doctor began. To my surprise I only waited 5 minutes. We talked awhile and she pushed and pulled on my knee. After all that, she said it was probably arthritis, but the stability of it had her concerned. So I now see a specialist on Friday, which is quicker than I thought. So we will see what he says. We are bracing for another snow storm. We will get snow it is just a matter of how much. Some say a foot maybe 2. Kyle is coming over tomorrow after school and will stay the night. Depending on how much snow we have, he will either be on a 2 hour delay or be helping Beth use the snow blower and clean off driveways and sidewalks. He wants to earn money so he can buy a new phone and it will help us out. If we have a lot of snow he could be here a couple of days. Good thing we have the guest room done. I just have to find the sheets and blankets for it or just have him sleep in the sleeping bag on the mattress, He doesn't care either way. Today's picture is of a redtail hawk that landed in a tree behind our house. I am sure he was looking for lunch.

Super Bowl Sunday...

Boy was it hard to get up this morning. I think every muscle in both of our bodies hurt. Beth went outside to see how the driveway was doing and to see if she could get the rest of the snow off. The sun was shining bright and the anywhere the sun hit snow was melting, but it is going to take a lot of days to clear this snow away. The roads are in great shape, but another big snow is due to hit Tuesday afternoon. They say we might get another foot of snow. Just great. I began cleaning house and preparing food for the super bowl party. Beth finished up outside about 2pm and headed for a good soak in the hot tub. We had hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, and mac and cheese for the party. Dawn, Jo, and Rylee came over around 5:30pm. They stopped and picked up us a paper and some milk. What great friends we have. We fired up the grill around 5:45pm for the burgers and dogs. Guess we should have checked the gas for the grill as it was on it's way to being empty. I did manage to fix the hot dog and at least get the burgers 1/2 way done. Good thing we have 2 grills. We finished the burgers on the small grill which took less than 10 minutes when you have heat. Everything was ready to eat just after kick off. It was a great game and congrats to the Saints. Everyone left just after the game was over. All the stuff is put away, dishes are done, and trash is out. We are now ready to hit the hot tub and then to bed. Today's photos are of Rylee, JoJo & Rylee (JoJo is totally Mother's Little Helper with Rylee) and of our house this morning.

More Than We Thought..

It was a white blanket of snow this morning when we woke. The snow marker already read 12 inches and more was expected. Buster had to go outside and the snow was up to his chest. He made one path and did his business and then rushed back inside. Several times during the morning it was hard to see across the street. The snow was really coming down and the wind was blowing. We had a nice relaxing morning and knew there was going to be a lot of work ahead of us. The snow seemed to finally finish around noon. So we put on our snow cloths and headed out side. I don't think it really registered how deep it was until you are standing in it. I took the shovel in hand and tried to find the front walk. Beth started up the big snow blower and made her first path. It was wet and heavy on the bottom, and was lighter on the top. As Beth worked on the driveway, I found the gate and opened it. The snow was up to my knees. So little by little, I worked on the sidewalk. I was finally able to make it to the spa landing. I then fired up the little snow blower and started removing the snow around the spa. I knew we would both need it tonight. The tarp seemed to be a good idea at the time, but with that much snow it was hard to move. I then found the broom in the garage and began removing the snow off the hot tub. And to my surprise the first brush of snow sent the broom flying into the yard. Great just great Elliott. Now I had to climb off the landing, work my way around the hot tub in 16 inches of snow, pick up the broom, and then climb back out of the snow. I made sure I had a better grip on it from then on. I had to make a big patch in the snow for Buster to pee or he would just go on the sidewalk. I then went to help Beth with the driveway. After 3 and half hours we finally finished. The final snow count was 16 inches and we felt every inch removing it. We are sore and stiff and still have to clean the house for the super bowl party tomorrow. We heard that the streets should be fine tomorrow, so the party is still on. Today's pictures are from the snow today.

Snow is here...

We spent most of the day getting ready for the snow. We had to go to Beth's mom to water the plants. We then stopped by the mall to go to the party store and got plates, napkins, and balloons for the super bowl party on Sunday. We then came home and an prepared for the storm. Beth put the wind cape on the snow blower and started it up. It runs great. Then she waxed the shoot and the blades. She put the trash cans in the garage and found all the shovels and salt. We moved the jeep and the truck to the other side of the holly tree to make cleaning the driveway easier. I made sure all the bird feeders were full and found the tarp. We wanted to put the tarp down on the outside step to help remove the snow from the step easier. We will see if it works or if it was a waste of time. Now that everything is ready outside we figure we will only get a little snow. They are still calling for 2 feet in Philly, but I think around here and with the power plant near us, we figure only around 6 to 16 inches. But we will see Sunday morning when it is all over with. We worked on getting the rest of the furniture back in the guest room. It was so nice to have it out of the living room and dining room and hall bathroom. Now it is back to getting rid of stuff. The snow start around 7pm and is coming sown pretty hard. Beth and I are hoping to get in the hot tub tonight but we will see how it is around 9am. I finally broke down and call the doctor today to get an appointment to have my knee looked at. It had really been sore the last few days and seems to be getting worse. So we will see her on Monday, but I know she will send me for x-rays and and MRI and to a specialist before anything is determined. So I figure in about 2 weeks I might know something. today's picture is the group that went to Disney to celebrate Dawn's birthday.

Snow on the way...

Beth was feeling better today, but I think made a mistake of having cereal for breakfast. We started to put the base pieces of the bed back in the guest room and her stomach was not feeling so well. We decided to hold off doing any more for today. We picked Jojo up from school and headed to BJ's wholesale club. We wanted to get all the shopping done before the big snow was to hit tomorrow evening. We are expected to get anywhere from 6 to 24 inches of snow. We are still hoping to have the super bowl party on Sunday , but have to wait and see what the snow is like. Kim was waiting for us when the arrived back home. Jojo was not happy as she never wants to leave. I then headed to the grocery store and to CVS. We have stocked up on everything just in case we get 2 foot of snow. We moved the big grill to the back door to use Sunday and just hope we can get the door open to use it. I don't think I have seen that much snow in quite a while. It said on the news that it could come down as 1 to 2 inches per hour. We know that DJ will have to be out in it and wish her a safe drive. I am off to the hot tub as tonight might be the last night for a while that I can get to it. Today's picture is of the completed guest room. We both think it turned out great and are very pleased with it.

Happy Birthday Kyle...

Can you believe Kyle is 13 today. Boy time sure does fly. Beth is feeling much better today. She was able to keep some solid food down and for the most part stay out of the bathroom. We did in fact wake up to 3 inches of snow on the ground. We knew it was coming, so it was not a big surprise. I headed outside around 10am to start cleaning off the sidewalks and the driveway. I am not able to use the snow blower as my hand will not allow me to hold the lever down. But it was no big deal. It was easy to clean off and I am sure if I would have left it, it would have melted. Most of the snow was gone by 5pm this afternoon. Beth was able to get all the trim work nailed down in the guest room and we can start putting the stuff back in tomorrow. We had dinner with DJ, Maggie, and the boys to celebrate Kyle's birthday. We went to the Brick house. It was an old bank that was converted to a pub type restaurant. The food was good and we were able to take in a cake.

Beth is Sick

It started around midnight, but I never knew anything until 5am. Beth had been sick most of the night. Not sure what caused it as both of had eaten the same thing all day. We suspect she picked up something at the party Saturday night. I always say that she will pick up any bug that walks, crawls, or drags in front of her. So she spent most of the day going from bathroom to bed. Many time she did not know whether to sit or lean of the toilet. I did get the laundry done and some errands ran today. She is feeling a little better tonight and had managed to stay out of the bathroom, so things are looking better. She does not really have a fever, so we are hoping it is some type of stomach virus. Dawn and I cancelled our movie today and will try again maybe on Friday. Can you believe it was that cold in Florida that we had to wear winter coats as shown in today's picture.

Carpet Cleaning...

We had to get up at 6am this morning. We had appointments to see Dr. Bill at 7:30am and had to be back home by 8am. the carpet guy called at 7:50 and said he was on his way. We were having him clean the guest bedroom carpet and then stretch our carpet. We moved everything out of our room that was on the right side. Most of the bulges were on that side and we were hoping he could remove them. He looked at our bedroom first and he could remove the bulges, but he had to stretch it to the left. So we had to remove everything from the room except the bed and tall chest. So I figured if everything is out, I might as well do a de-cluttering of our room first. So he finished our carpet in about 30 minutes and removed about a inch of excess carpet and it looks nice. He then began cleaning the guest room carpet. That was pretty quick and he was gone by 10am. We had to go to Lowe's again for a couple of things and then to Home Depot. We came home and had lunch. I started putting things back on the bookcases in our room. I next moved to the closet and removed a lot of stuff from that area. With everything well vacuumed and dusted, it is one room down and 10 more to go. We can begin moving stuff back in the guest room tomorrow. Dawn is coming over tomorrow around 11am. We are going to the movies to see The Book Of ELI and Beth is watching Rylee. We are hoping Dawn can help us with the light bridge in the guest bedroom. It is heavy and you have to hold it in place until all 4 bolts are set. We got the Disney Photopass today and the pictures are great. Today's picture is off of the photopass. They have you sit with a space between you and then during processing they add the Stitch character. It is really cool.