WeLL it FinaLLy StoPPed SnoWinG...at leAst foR nOw!!!

Well it has finally stopped snowing here..at least for the time being!..it started to melt a bit yesterday..but not that anyone would notice..but enough for it all to freeze last night...We got hit with about 12-14 inches here and that is alot for us!..we usually only get tracings and don't usually get a white christmas...we have been living here for about 22 years and have only seen 2 christmas' that were white..1987 and 1990....so this is special..although I am ready for it to be gone..hate feeling like I am trapped and everyone around here is getting cabin fever...:) they don't take care of the roads like they do everywhere...they only give us a dusting of sand/dirt...and it isn't enough to even help give you traction...and we have lots of hills here...and alot of black ice..the main roads are taken care of..its the little back roads such as ours that are a piece of work to get out of...We lost power at about 4:30am on Monday morning and it came back on at around 1pm...so I got my little treat bags done up..(got all my baking and crafting done on sunday night at 10pm..something just told me I better get it done) as we had our power on for way too long...we always lose power and were surprised that we got it back on so quickly...we almost cancelled a dinner party with 5 brothers and 1 sister in law...but all went well and these kids came over in Pjs/sweats for a nice ham dinner with garlic parmaesan smashe taters and brussel sprouts and onions...and Betsy brought a pumpkin roll for us to share for dessert..We all watched the Christmas story... but the kids had to leave a bit early as they are milk men and it was going to be an early start for them and they still had to get home and load their trucks...They are the best and we love having them over once a month...they are from church and we have known them for about 6 years and we treasure them as a family and just good people..They made my christmas by humoring me coming over in their pjs and sweats..and I wish I had taken a photo of Liz...she is 6 months pregnant and came over in her onsie with the feet in them...I remember wearing those as a kid and loved them...didn't know they made them for adults..hers were light blue with snowflakes...very fitting for our night of food, friends and fun...
Here are just 4 of the goodies I have left to deliver to our mail gal (she just stopped by for hers)...and to the garbage man, our vets (we have an appt tomorrow) and to our newspaper guy..I asked him this summer to give me extra Joanns ads and that man has never missed a day in making sure I get my extra ads...:) I made 6 different cookies...and made mint chocolate covered pretzels and hot chocolate mix and packaged them up to deliver to the neighbors..some got mugs and one got stockings in their bags...It was nice treking out in the snow to deliver our goodies..

the vets package..the wrapped gift is for one of the tecs their that just moved here and he was so nice to talk to..it is a christmas stocking for his 7 month old daughter...it says Babys 1st christmas...and cookies for all of the staff..

here are our roads as we got out in it..we were lucky we had chains and that the DH was driving..I am relearing how to drive in this stuff again...after all its been 22 years since I have had to really drive in it...and I don't like it one bit...;(

Here is our driveway before we got the car out...it only took us 4 trys and we finally got er out of the driveway...Hubby says we should have taken the truck...

here it is after we pulled out onto the road...:)

a view from our upstairs window of our neighbors cars...you can barely see them...they have a steep driveway..so they have been stuck here since Saturday...when it started snowing again at 3pm and never stopped till sunday night sometime...

here is another shot in the upstairs window... this is the front yard and our entrance to the front yard...are you all sick of seeing snow photos yet...My hubby went christmas shopping today (in his truck) which is about 30 minutes away and it was just treacherous on the back roads mostly..he is home and safe and sound and now I will have something to open on christmas day...I was totally okay with him not getting anything till after christmas...then I could hit all the after christmas sales..but I know him..he hates crowds and would never find the time to go...so I guess it worked out..still didn't get my hair done...hopefully next monday...

The neighbors new house being built across the street..it is truly a winter wonderland here..

the back steps to the garage..they are little lumps...we have made a trail for the kittys to go from the house to the garage..no more jumping in our foot prints and getting their bellies cold..

here is gracie and her "dad" looking out the window to the back yard..he was holding her and she is a bit of a monkey and stood on the window till she thought his shoulder would be the perfect perch...

another shot of the two of them..

here is margarita/aka margy fargy...getting her cup of jo.. This cat loves coffee. so Mike dips his finger in his cup and she licks it off and gives us a funny face and then wants more..sunday she was rubbing his cup and it fell on the floor and broke..so she needs to be watched closely...she is truly italian..as they all love their expresso's!...does anyone elses cat love coffee? we find this just too funny and weird..

just a cute photo found on line..our cats have given us lots of "purr"...just wish they could find us some gold to go along with it...

Well I got 2 movies in the mail that I bought on amazon.com..I am so excited..one I have not seen in probably 35 years...it was under $10 bucks so I bought it and one of my most favorite christmas movies...Young Pioneers Christmas...if you haven't seen it you must...it is done by laura ingalls daughter set in 1874 in the dakota territories...it is wonderful...and all the snow they got is how I have felt this past week...with electricity of course and a toilet in my house...lol..I hope you all are happy and warm and have found the christmas spirit..I am still trying to get into the holidays..but wish I had another week just to relax and enjoy instead of running around like a chicken with its head cut off...but I am settling in to watch some more christmas shows and read everyones blog...Have a very merry christmas and I hope you get all you dreamed of...

Take care!

Gina :)

here are the stockings that I made each of our guests that came last night..Alberts, Liz's Pasquales...

Betsy, Sundae Lee's (hence the sundae) and Isaac's. They were filled with shelled peanuts, chocolate, popcorn (they have to pop it). a big thick candy cane, an orange, a halloween sucker( hey they were left overs and they are good) they are rings...and the girls each got a jingle bell bracelet in bright pretty colors... The boys motorcycles were machine embroidered to match their bikes and the cuffs were made using my old leather chaps...made them much form authentic and they all seemed to love them...