Getting smarter

My phone and now my car are smarter than me, but I am working on catching up to them!  Today I discovered that I can blog from my phone. . . so look out.  I am hoping this will make me a more frequent blogger. I won't have to try to remember my thoughts and I can posts things as they happen.

See here's some great stuff right off my phone 

Outside my window this morning

Keeping appointments

I drove on this today, I usually don't.

It was nerve wracking and scary, but. . .

 it was hair color day!

24 hours ago

Just about 24 hours ago I made this photo

Here's the same tree tops today.

 

What a difference a day makes.  Yesterday I had on a light jacket, today the wind froze my face and snow blew inside  when I opened the window to make this photo!

57 degress today back to polar vortex tomorrow

The sunshine and a temperature of 57 degrees and a forecast for some very cold temperatures the rest of the week got me out and about on the Ponderosa this afternoon.

 Even the cows thought it was a fine day!

Just leave it on!

It had been a quiet week on the Ponderosa.  There was a trip to Somerset early in the week and then it was just a cold week with lots of cleaning going on.  I am talking deep cleaning with the steam cleaner!  I prefer to do "winter" cleaning and play outside when spring arrives. We did get to have supper with Parker, Tracie and Joey on Friday night, in the snow at Cracker Barrel.

Then, a cowboy, cowgirl and a baby rode in!

This livened things up a bit. And people started playing hide and seek,

 (when hiding remember no one can see you if you can't see them)

hunting dragons

(you have to wear a helmet when you hunt for dragons)

riding around the neighborhood looking for cows, donkeys, horses and goats, and of course you can't have proper fun without wrestling!

There's always lots of fun conservations too.  After helping Brooks go to the potty, I ask him if he wanted to flush.  He said, "No, just leave it on."

Taking the survey

My health insurance requires that I take an online survey by March 15th.  I think their purpose is to determine how well I am.  It is called a wellness survey.  One of the questions is:


Do you have health insurance?

Seriously!

Still in the vortex

We're still in the Polar Vortex, covered with snow and bitter cold temperatures.  Therefore, on today's agenda was staying warm!  Our hot water in the kitchen is frozen so I have to boil water to wash dishes--just call me pioneer woman.  I can live with that all as long as nothing else freezes.  According to the forecast better weather is in our future! Currently on the Ponderosa it is 7 degrees according to my phone and 13 degrees according to the atomic clock!


From my phone today

 3 cutie pies

 A princess

Making lunch (pigs in a blanket) in pjs

Frozen

The weather people say its an arctic vortex.

It's very beautiful.

 

And brutally cold.

But in my kitchen windowsill. . .

 It looks like summer!

(My Christmas Cactus is  slightly confused)

New Things

The first day of a new year--so I will share a couple of new things.

New car for taking us on adventures and necessary places

New favorite snack for munching and crunching!

Happy 2014

 My New Year's Resolution is to do better.  I think that will just about cover it all!
(I just hope I don't break it before bedtime.)

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Decisions

It's been a day full of making decisions!  First at the car dealership.  You have to decide so many things and it takes so long. After a lunch break we decided on a silver Avalon Hybrid and were off to see our eye doctor where new glasses called for more decisions. 
Then a stop at Walmart made me feel grateful for being able to spend the day making these decisions.  We ran into an old friend who is now living in Thailand.  She is a missionary and lives in conditions much less desirable than we take for granted each day.   This girl did not hesitate to sell her home and possessions and move 10,000 miles away to help establish a church.  So, I'm going to feel guilty for even thinking that being able to buy the luxuries we did today is a chore. It's a blessing to be able to afford them.  My friend is doing great things and giving up things like hot water and she does it with joy! I need to be more like her--and that is the best decision I've made all day!


From my phone today

This is the world's happiest girl.  She really loves to smile.

Dreary Winter Weekend

What a dreary winter weekend it has been.  It makes me more lazy than usual!  The sun did shine for just a few minutes this afternoon, otherwise its been cloudy and dreary.  I'm not very productive in weather like this.  It makes me want to play Bejeweled Blitz and read books. Tomorrow I will try to attack the day with enthusiasm and get more accomplished.  I did try to collect the Christmas decorations to be boxed up for next year. Somehow, they seem to multiply. When I take them down there seems to be more than I put out!

On my phone this weekend:
One girl with a train stuck in her hair

One girl enjoying her bath

One little guy eating  the last Christmas cupcake

Cousins having an after Christmas gift exchange and some serious playing

And a text from a speeder!

Sometimes Christmas looks a lot like this!

Our Christmas card photos are beautiful.  Everyone is looking at the camera and we just look perfect.  Of course having a photographer that can make us look our best helps! She knows how to make a good photograph--one you will want to frame! This photo says Christmas is great and everything is perfect and everyone is happy.

I make a lot of pictures at Christmas. Some are great and may even be worthy of a frame.  Like these:

But as I was reviewing the photos on my camera for the last couple of days, I realized that sometimes Christmas looks a lot like this!

 Merry Christmas!