Ice, Ice, Baby

Well, then. A frozen winter became a close encounter with spring for 5 warm days, and then BAM! ice storm! and back to winter we go...

I would have preferred to take some ice photos with sunshine, but it wasn't meant to be. We didn't get any sun for 3 days and by then the ice was gone. So I'm glad I took the time to get these pictures when I did. It was bitter, bitter cold outside and my fingers were sore cold. They hurt so bad and I thought I might have gotten frostbite. But luckily they warmed up nicely and everything works :) I need some photographers gloves. Do they make those? I wonder...

4x12: February

Walkin' on, walkin' on, broken gla-aass...

Welcome to Lake Michigan! A frozen Lake Michigan, that is. It was so very cold that the lake froze all the way across - something I've never seen before. It was also unusual because normally there are mini mountains along the shoreline in the winter, due to the waves. The cold snap hit so fast and so hard the lake just froze in its tracks. Quite the sight to see. And we were lucky to see it this year. We made it just in time. The day before this was taken it was still extremely solid. The day this was taken (Monday, Feb. 15) it had already started to melt. And now because of the super warm weather we've been having (40s!) its no longer safe to clamber across. So I'm glad we did this when we did. It makes for a wonderful backdrop :)

This makes photo #2! 4 people 12 times makes for a great challenge. They still whine when I tell them we'll be taking a family photo, but I know eventually they'll see it coming and just fall in line :)

Round-Up - January 2010

Another great idea, brought to us by Katie the Scrapbook Lady

1. What books/magazines/other did I read this month? According to my 2010 Reading list I've finished 3 books this month: the last 2 Twilight Saga books and The Time Traveler's Wife. But I also have read dozens of knitting and crafting books. I just don't add them to the reading list if I don't read them cover-to-cover! I have 5 magazines I read all the time: Cloth, Paper, Scissors, Scrapbooks Etc., Creating Keepsakes, Taste of Home Healthy Cooking, and Relevant.

2. What movies/TV shows/ plays, etc. did I watch this month? I always watch NCIS! I've also watched Launch My Line, Project Runway, Leverage, White Collar, Bones and the occasional What Not to Wear. I've only watched a few movies - one of them was Happy Gilmore, because J thought it was funny. And I've watched some of my go-to movies: National Treasure, Independence Day and The Mummy.

3. What fun things did I do with my family/friends this month? Most of our family time has been spent at the baseball field, getting the concession stand ready for the season and getting some extra practice time in for J and some of his friends. We did pop into Downtown Disney once, on a cold, windy day. :/

4. What gifts did I give/receive this month? We sent Uncle Todd a package to celebrate his 40th birthday. We found a hunting T-shirt and sent a bunch of funny cards stuffed with balloons, gum, and a ton of birthday party confetti. We also received some of our Christmas gifts from my mom and sister in the mail. That's fun.

5. What special or unusual purchases did I make this month? The only special purchase was for Uncle Todd's birthday. The most unusual purchase in Jan. was 4 tanks of LP to heat the RV! Unheard of!

6. What illnesses or health concerns did I have this month? Everyone has been healthy. No issues with the H1N1 virus. We've been drinking our daily mug of hot OJ to keep the sniffles away :)

7. What were my accomplishments this month? I nailed down my goals for the year and got Chad to work with me for the family goals. I'm learning to drink coffee (just for Chad) and I've got a good start on several goals already. My biggest achievement has been posting to my blog every single day!

8. What were my dissapointments this month? My biggest dissapointment was the weather! I haven't been able to walk everyday to train for my marathon. I only managed a few days and the air was so cold I had to stop because I didn't want to get sick. The marathon I want to participate in is in November so I know I've time to train. It's just frustrating. I'm thinking about a YMCA membership since the weather is still ick.

9. How did I do on my goals this month? Excellent, for the most part! See #7&8 above

10. Anything else noteworthy this month?  Chad has been doing a phenomenal job at work. He's at the top. Battling with another guy for the #1 position. And he made bonus level! Yay! One of our family goals is to pay off debt and those bonuses are going to help a whole lot!

I did my round-up!

Snow in Orlando?!

They said it could happen. And this morning they turned out to be right! Here is the photographic proof of the current weather phenomenon:



This is a pile of ice pellets! Ice pellets! In Orlando, Florida! And it was only 34 degrees this morning! Now, personally, I think that if it's going to be that cold, and we're going to have some kind of frozen precipitation, then it should be the fluffy variety, and there should be enough of it to go sledding! This little tidbit is nothing more than an accident waiting to happen...which I'm sure we had plenty of this morning...

...how ridiculous...