Winter Furrrrrrr!

You just HAVE to check out my big puff balls that used to be goats!!! I can't believe the winter fur they got! They don't even look cold in this 20 degree weather we're having. I just had to share how freakin' cute they look!

This is Rosie...she looks so big and fat but it's really all fur! Well, maybe some fat..

This is Quartz. He's sooo funny. He can totally jump the fence of his enclosure. He jumps over and can't get back in. He won't go anywhere because Rosie cries and he won't leave her. If I go out side to let him back in, he runs to greet me because he's so excited to see someone come out. Back in he goes (willingly) and before I even get back to the house...it starts all over again...he jumps out again!

Give me power!

Ok, I've been stuck now for days in no electricity HELL! Thursday night Dec. 11 was the beginning of a bad ice storm in this area. I've had no power since so I have no idea what's going on in the rest of the world. Dennis just got his hands on a generator which is why I'm able to use my computer. It's now Sunday and there's no end in sight for us. We haven't seen any power crews and even if the town fixed the problems, we are still disconnected from the pole since our lines are sitting on the ground with a tree over them!

Luckily we have an awesome wood burning stove that's keeping us warm. I'm able to heat up food and water as needed as well. Our biggest worry is the hot tub pipes freezing so Dennis has a small propane heater outside keeping that as warm as possible.

What to do with myself? I can't craft in my craftroom since it's in the basement and pitch black! Luckily I just got my laptop back so I'll probably be doing some digi scrapping later. Here are some pics of our icy winter wonderland...

Here are Travis & Kyla's cars cover with one of our lovely birch trees.

View of our dirt road.

Update...Dennis just saw a parade of power trucks from all over New England (CT, RI) nearby...I think they're coming to save us!!!

Getting to know me...Christmas Edition

This was a list of questions from a thread on SS...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I love both! Depends on the gift and how much time I have.
2. Real tree or artificial? I love a real tree but I'm really an artificial tree girl at heart. I like to put the tree up on Thanksgiving and I hate vacuuming tree needles.
3. How many trees do you put up in your home? One...although Kyla has a tiny one on her vanity.
4. When do you put up the tree? Thanksgiving.
5. When do you take the tree down? After New Years when I get my energy back to put all the decorations away.
6. Do you like eggnog? Not really. Depends if there's booze in it.
7. Favorite gift received as a child? I always loved my XMas presents. I can't single out just one
8. Favorite person to buy for? This year...Travis...I have a really great idea for a gift and I'm having fun purchasing it.
9. Easiest person to buy for? My girls...they always give me a list.
10. Do you have a nativity scene? I have 2. One is really old from when I was a kid and the other is a new Jim Shore Scene that my Mom bought me last year.
11. Angel on the tree top or a star? Always a star...
12. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? That's not a nice question.
13. Favorite Christmas movie? Christmas Carol for nostalgia's sake...National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation to laugh my ass off!
14. When do you start shopping? I pick up a couple little things during the summer with full intention of getting it done early and then don't do anything else until after Thanksgiving. Someday I'll learn. I used to be close to finished at Thanksgiving but since I work full time now, those days are over. I LOVE internet shopping!
15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I have only regifted small Yankee Swap type gifts
16. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Cookies!
17. Lights on the tree? Of course! White ones...no multi color or flashing!
18. Favorite Christmas song? Ring Christmas Bells.
19. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Christmas Eve at home...Christmas day day at Mother-in-laws.
20. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Sometimes.
21. Are you a day after Thanksgiving shopper? Never used to me but Dennis has dragged me out of bed the past couple years.
22. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Eve with my family...Morning with kids and hubby.
23. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crowds at the stores and traffic.
24. Favorite ornament/tree theme or color? RED is my favorite color any time of the year.
25. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? We do simple. Italian Meatballs, calzones, etc.
26. Do you go to church Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Yeah...I used to...
27. Family tradition? It's not Christmas until my sisters and I play "The Partridge Family Christmas album". I know...sad.
28. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail
29. How many cards do you send out? Less and less every year. Probably about 30 or 40.
30. What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing...saving for a new kitchen. Home Depot cards would be great!
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Middlesex Cty Youth Safety Camp

My sister had a great find this summer...FREE CAMP! Turns out the Middlesex County Sheriff's Department offers a free safety camp every summer. Different towns go different weeks. Of course where I live doesn't participate (damn boonies) but my sister's does! Jessy slept at her cousin Devyn's house for the week of camp and the two of them were bussed to the camp every day. They supplied lunch, a hat, t-shirt and had a really cute graduation ceremony on the last day. Unfortunately we discovered this camp a little late since it's only for ages 9, 10 & 11 and they're both 11. The two of them learned lots of do's and don'ts with safety, visited a police station and fire station and did lots of other stuff while having alot of fun. Jessy also learned how to bug your parents until they put on their seatbelts...alright, that's a good thing. This pic is of the two of them at graduation.

Class of 2008!

Kyla's graduation was last Friday! It was held at Fitchburg State College. Surprisingly it didn't feel as long as Travis' last year. The superintendent wasn't as long winded and the passing out of diplomas ran very smoothly. As usual, the kids were throwing around beach balls during the ceremony and the teachers were totally unamused. I think it's funny and figure, it's their graduation, let them do what they want! It was great and her party is next weekend.

Here's the family...

I love this picture with Dennis and Kyla. Daddy's little girl is growing up!

After graduation was the NMRHS lock-in. AKA Project Graduation. All the graduates have the opportunity to go to the high school for an all nite party. They have to be at the school by 11pm and once they're there, they are locked-in until 5am. It's a great way to keep the kids safe. There's so much for them to do, tons of food, prizes, games, hypnotist (Kyla got hypnotized apparently), etc. She had a ball. Here's Ky and one of her best friends Jared enjoying themselves...

More San Deigo trip.

These are the 4 incoming Regional Venturing Presidents. This was taken at the Venturing booth in the exibit hall. They had to man the booth during the convention when they didn't have other required meetings/luncheons/dinners to attend. From left to right...Caitlyn (Central), Matthew (Western), John (Southern), Kyla (Northeast)They had to be very adult and professional and were expected to behave in a certain manner. Once in a while they just had to be teens!

Here's Kyla at the Northeast Region Luncheon where she presented the outgoing president with her leadership award. It is part of the passing of the torch. Next year Kyla will receive it when the meeting will be in Orlando, FL.

Me and Kyla at the luncheon. I was so proud of her!

San Diego

Well, I guess it's about time I posted in my blog again. I've been so crazy busy and Kyla and I had our trip to San Diego, CA. It was quite a trip and very eye opening regarding her new Venturing position. Here's a picture of Kyla's swearing in. She's the 2nd from the right.

With her is the rest of the Venturing Youth National Cabinet. What a great group of young adults! She had a great time and I think all the kids bonded really well. They'll see each other again in Texas in July for training.

Northeast Region Venturing President!

I am so very proud of Kyla. She has just been awarded the position of Northeast Region Venturing President and will be a member of the Youth Venturing Cabinet. This is one of the highest youth Venturing positions in the country and is a huge honor and responsibility. For those of you who may not know, Venturing is a program within Boy Scouts of America. We are off to San Diego for meetings and her swearing ceremony in May. She's very excited! She will also have to travel to Texas this summer and attend many regional events that she will be invited to. This is the picture that will be on the Venturing website. I'll post a link to the site when it's published.

The Cover-Up...

I went yesterday to have my old tatoo I got 25 years ago covered-up. What a difference from 25 years ago to today. Back then, you had to be 18 but they never checked ID's. You always wanted to be the first tattoo of the day so you'd be sure to get a clean needle. Girls getting tattoo'd was not very common. This time, I had to show them my license for identification, sign a waiver & get a new needle out of the package just for me! I'm no longer in the minority. Lots of girls get tattoos now. Jeremy was great, I told him what I wanted and gave him a few pic for ideas but he is so artistic that he drew up his own interpretation and it was perfect. It was better than anything else I could think of. His challenge was that he had to completely cover-up my old one. I think he succeeded. I have 2 others that are even older but they're in a place no one will ever need to see...

Looky what Jessy Did!

Hard to believe. My youngest who's been telling me for years that she'll NEVER get her ears pierced did the unthinkable! I know she always wanted to but it was pure fear that was keeping her from actually doing it. She would periodically tell me she wanted to do it and she was ready but of course if was always during softball season or cheering when she couldn't wear earrings so she'd have to wait until the season was over. Well, by the time it was over, she had changed her mind...convenient, huh?

Jessy slept over my sisters in Medford on Easter and the day after she went shopping at the mall with my other sister, my mother and other daughter Kyla. Christine had given Jessy a gift certificate for her birthday to Claire's so from what I hear, she was convince it was the perfect time to get her ears pierced. The first Claire's they went to wouldn't do it since her mother wasn't with her. They then went to another Claire's and proceeded to pretent that my sister Diane was her mother. (Diane, I have forged documents in my hot little hands!) The girl at the store started the ear piercing process with the first ear when Jessy decided to move her head and pull the earring! Luckily she didn't mess it up. The tears were flowing and she started to panic. Jessy had to be pulled back from the edge and was finally convinced to do the other ear. Not sure who held it but her head wall held still so she couldn't jump or pull on the second one.

Of course I wasn't there so there are no pics of this momentous occassion or all the tears so I took one when she got home. It was a drama filled day.

More pics...

Our New Additions

Yesterday Jessy and I drove an hour and a half to Amherst, MA to pick-up her birthday present and the new additions to our family. They are two pygmy goats, twins, a male and a female. The white one is the little girl and Jessy named her Rosie. The black one is the male and she named him Quartz. She chose the names because Mary Ann (the woman we adopted them from) so nicely gave Jessy a couple of large pieces of rose quartz from her garden.

Rosie and Quartz are settling in slowly but are fine. They're both a little shy since they were just separated from their mom, the other kids(baby goats) on the farm and all the llamas roaming around. They were quite lucky to have so many friends. I'm sure they'll adjust soon. Once our fence is finished (waiting for the ground to thaw), they'll have plenty of room to play and frolic in their new home here in Pepperell. Here's pic of them still not ready to leave the safety of the carrier.