Happy Birthday Dad

Happy Birthday Dad!

Wish I could be there to spend it with you! A girl couldn't ask for a better dad. I look up to you in so many ways. Thanks for aways being there and supporting me!

Hope you didn't have to work today, but I do, so you should feel sorry for me :)

I hope you have a wonderful day!I love you!

Love,
Your Pokey Pocahontas

Bathroom Redo

So by fate we had to start remodeling the bathroom. We were wanting to do this project next but I think we both thought we would wait until around springtime. Well as luck would have it, life had a different idea. Our shower downstairs needs replaced and we were hoping we could do that after we got the upstairs bathroom redone. That way we had at least one operating bathroom at a time. Well, last week Tony was taking a shower and about 6 tiles decided they had had enough and fell. So our alternative. Get the upstairs bathroom ready to go. This is our biggest and most difficult project so far. Lord help us we are going to tile! Really wish my brother-in-law didn't live 8 hours away!

Hopefully we will be able to accomplish this task and at least Adam is only a phone call away if we get into some difficulties. Maybe he'd be able to talk us through it.

So yesterday Tony started taking down wallpaper and the nasty blue plastic wall tiles, as well as the adhesive behind those. I'm thinking we are going to have to buy some adhesive remover because that stuff is as hard as a rock!

Last night we went to Home Depot, spent a few good hours collecting anything and everything(hopefully we got everything) that we will need. Thanks for the gift cards from those that gave them! They we put to wonderful use last night.

So since Tony has his academy all day today, I'm tasked with taking down the rest of the wallpaper, only one layer this time (Thank God for small blessings), and the tiles. Most of today I have been scraping glue from the wallpaper off. What a messy job. I'm taking a break to write this otherwise I think my arm would fall off. I do have to add, there is some sexy pink paint under the wallpaper. Just thankful the bathtub wasn't pink!

Well that's all I have for now. Wish us luck!

Before

Bye, bye medicine cabinet...

Not looking forward to removing the adhesive...yuck!

Snow, snow and more snow.

Just wanted to show you an update of what the house looks like with all the multiple snows we've had. One thing I've learned since moving to Minnesota, the snow doesn't melt in a few days. I think when it comes its here to stay until Spring! We had around 3 big snow falls this year. Two being rather large storms. The other times we've had just a few inches.

Had a take a picture of the bird my our feeder this morning. (Sorry its kind of hard to see)

Merry Christmas...a few weeks late!

Tony and I had a wonderful Christmas despite the terrible weather. We had originally planned to leave Christmas Eve and if we did I don't think we would of made it. We left Austin at 5 Wednesday night. It had been snowing for a couple of hours in Austin, big flakes. I-90 was terrible. I wanted to turned around even before we got to Albert Lea. Once on 35 we were good until we hit Iowa. There we hit the freezing rain.I think it took like 3 and1/2 hours to get to Ames while it normally takes 2. We were going 35 most of the time. Thank God I wasn't of driving. There were people in the ditch all over. But we made it into Alma at 2 in the morning. The whole trip only took around 9 hours which is only an hour and a half more than normal.

Alma got pounded with the white stuff on Christmas Eve. We had some eventful occurrences on the way back from church both times. :)

Christmas day we headed over to Aunt Elaine and Uncle Danny's house. (Which the new remodel looks fabulous by the way). There we enjoyed a wonderful meal, some bingo, and a joke on Duane. Duane, our family wouldn't be the same if we couldn't make fun of you :)

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Christmas day night, we headed to my mom and dads for gifts because we weren't able to make it in the morning due to the circumstances. Mom and dad spoiled us! Gift cards to Home Depot, Tony has a real gable to hang up his deer so he doesn't have to use the contraption he made, and I got the entire series of Dr. Quinn Medicine woman!!! I was so excited!!! Thanks again mom and dad!!!

The next day we got to see Adam and Bailey and they opened their gifts. Bailey found a lady bug after the presents and that kept her occupied for a good 20 minutes. She is so much fun! After this we headed to Grandma Sally's for another great dinner and some funny conversations.

We didn't get to really hang out with friends while we were back. Darn weather. Oh well, Michael did stop by when he was finally able to get out of his house and it was nice to meet up with him.

While we had to do somethings this Christmas "out of order" we had a wonderful time just being home with our families and we can thank you all enough for all the support, encouragement, and love you have given us. One thing is for sure, many, many memories were made this Christmas.

Tony got some new insulated waders for trapping.

Cold Vinegar

I learned a lesson I thought I already knew this week. I bought a jar of vinegar while I was Christmas shopping. I didn't get back in my truck until the 6th. It got very cold the week before. I couldn't figure out why it smelled so bad when I was driving the truck. I figured my pepper spray had exploded. Once I got home, I started digging around in the back seat. The vinegar was in a shopping bag by itself and the glass broke from the vinegar freezing. There is now frozen vinegar ice streaks on the floor of my truck. It may be a year before the smell goes away. To make me not feel so bad, Lisa left a pop can in her car that broke too.

P.S. There is a lot of snow on the ground but not on the driveway.