'TIS THE SEASON

Ah, it's spring again! In our world that signals time to get some much needed yard work done. This years projects include putting gravel on the driveway to even it out and planting grass in our fenced portion of the yard. Oh, if it was only as easy as throwing some grass seed down. But no, while we were waiting for the ground to dry out enough to get to the top soil, Brian made endless trips to the gravel pit and now we are about 1/3 done the driveway. On Friday and Saturday the place we get top soil was dried out enough that we could finally get in and shovel 5 large truckloads of dirt. After spreading it all, we finally planted the grass on Saturday afternoon. As it turned out the final load of dirt ended up being the last for the day. The truck broke down then and we had to wait until evening for the mechanic to show up and fix it. At least it broke down at home. Lucky for us it was just a wire that had come off. Hopefully the grass will grow as expected and we will soon have a beautiful lawn.

RENOVATIONS ON THE GO

One of the quick-fix renovations we have been trying to get done hasn't been as quick as one would imagine. Over a year ago we had a window break during a cold snap. I think it was just too tight and the pressure from shifting in the cold caused it to break. Anyways, last fall we order a new window. The delivery company that comes to Ross brought it in the middle of October, but it was broken. So they ordered another one - it arrived at the end of November. It was too cold to install it, but that's o.k. because it also arrived broken. So, we ordered it again, but this time we decided to get it ourselves and bring it home. We packed it carefully into the truck and positioned other things around it to minimize shifting and bouncing. The roads are so rutted, I was worried all the way that we would have another broken window by the time we got home. But, alas, it arrived in one piece. We decided to install it right away before anything could happen.
The new window patiently waiting to be installed.Tadah!

Brian and Josh get a much deserved rest on our new zero-gravity chairs.

BE CAREFUL ON THOSE ROADS!

I'm just sending out a warning to be careful on the roads these day. Josh is the proud new owner of a learner's license. He drove from the turnoff, into town. He did very well. We are proud of you Josh.

RELAXING

On Saturday Hannah got her hair done. Beautiful as always.
Oscar just wanted to be left alone to sleep in Brian's suitcase.
On the trip home.

NAOMI'S DANCE RECITAL

On Friday we went to Naomi's dance recital. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of her dancing because we couldn't use a flash and there wasn't enough light for good pictures. We took these pictures after the recital though. She danced so well. We were very impressed with the progress she has made this year. She loves being on stage. We were so proud.

Naomi and her roommate, Jamie. They are going to Ireland together in July.
Naomi and Cory.

Hannah and Ben came to the dance too.Oh course Josh was there too, but somehow I failed to get pictures of him. Oops!

OH, WHERE TO START...

So much has happened lately that I don't quite know where to begin. So, I guess the logical place is to start at the beginning.
Wednesday the river ice broke up. This is always an exciting time - we know for sure that spring really is on the way. This year was neat because the ice broke up and then jammed. When it unjammed it threw chunks of ice about 50 feet up the road. It moved the ferry over too. It had been pulled all the way onto dry land in the fall, but the river rose quickly and the ice lifted over about 15 feet. Hopefully there was no damage.

LIVING THE GOOD LIFE

Today was such a beautiful day - the sun was shining brightly and we were not working. Brian and I decided to make the most of it. We went on a great bike ride this morning, returning home to bask in the sunshine. Brian was able to just relax with a book he wanted to read. I, however, am tied to my geology textbook until my exam next week.
A few of my friends have been boasting about how the Pampered Chef pizza stones were amazing. So, I decided this was definitely worth a try. I bought myself a couple and tonight made pizza. I must say, the crust cooked up fantastically. It wasn't soggy at all like it is on my regular pans. The bottom cooked nicely without scorching the top. I'm sold. The pizza was fantastic!