out like a lion

Just yesterday it was sunny and 48 degrees. 

Last night a blizzard hit = snow day

I love snow days. Especially when you know that spring is right around the corner and the snow won't be staying for long.

I took the picture above standing at the beginning of our sidewalk going out to the street. The sidewalk is somewhere under there...

Very thankful for my husband who shoveled, our neighbor to the north who cleared the street where our cars were (after we moved our cars), and our neighbor across the street and to the south who offered to have us park in their cleared off driveway since we don't really have a driveway.

You know, blizzards aren't so bad - they allow you to recognize and appreciate the helpfulness and friendliness of others.

a con of owning cats

Three days ago our feline family members went to the vet to have surgery. Reason? So that this spring we would still have only two kitties and not 6...or 8...or 10....
They had to spend the night at the vet's, so two days ago when I came home, it was strange opening the basement door and not seeing two bubbly, happy, attention wanting kitties bounding up to greet me.
And as often as they have gotten on our nerves, Aaron and I found that we were missing them.
"I wonder how Georgie is doing," Aaron mentioned a few times as we were laying in bed. And then as I was leaving the school to pick them up, I got a call from Aaron, "Call me right after you pick the little bundles up." He told me.  I think my hubby is more attached to them than I am!
I picked them up on Thursday and when Aaron got home, I discovered he had stopped at the store and had bought 10 cans of cat food. He gave them one....and just because he felt bad they had had surgery, two hours later (against my suggestions) he gave them another.
We decided to allow them to sleep upstairs that night, because again, we felt bad they had surgery and downstairs we don't have a couch or chair for them to sleep on.
Bad Idea!
I opened our bedroom door the next morning and the nauseating smell of cat poo wafted into my nose. I followed the smell to none other than Aaron's spring coat. Needless to say, Aaron was not a happy camper when he discovered there was vomit and/or diarrhea on his good coat. As I was getting dressed, Aaron walked into the kitchen and I heard,
"GEORGE GIT OUT OF HERE! THEY POOPED IN THE KITCHEN!" He bellowed. I then heard him slam the door to downstairs and he came stomping into our bedroom.
"I can't handle this. I want to throw up. If this happens again we are getting rid of them." He threatened.
I think we both knew that was an empty threat. Through the good and the bad, I think the cats have a forever home with us.
Although the forever home may be in the garage come summer.

Evening Drive

Every so often Aaron and I will go on a drive. 

To look at the scenery, to dream about our future farm, and to get out of the city for awhile.

Here are a couple photos I snapped with my phone along the way.

to get to where we are now

The first few months of married life was not the most ideal...nor was it all that enjoyable! But wow, can we laugh about it now.
The day after our wedding reception, I got a terrible case of the stomach flu at my in-laws (which had raged through my family's house the week before). That day was the day Aaron and I were planning on moving all our things in a U-haul to Beulah since Aaron started work the next day.
So, I remember trudging up the stairs at my in-laws' with a bucket in hand and feeling slightly embarrassed that I looked so disgusting. Traveling with the flu wouldn't have been so bad, except the pickup didn't have air conditioning...and it must have been about 90 degrees out. (humid with no breeze none the less) Driving those three hours to Beulah I think was the most miserable I have ever felt in my life. I knew I had married the right guy, though, when we stopped at a gas station along the way and Aaron got me a popsickle and ice water. I am usually not a fan of them but wow, that popsickle tasted so amazing.
Life two months later, and two moves later, found us living in the living quarters of a shop. It was a temporary living situation since we were planning on buying a house (and moving it onto a lot) but we needed someplace to live short term until all that happened.
Now the shop we were in was evidently not sealed very well from outside critters. July wasn't so bad for critters - an occasional smash of a spider or squish of a grasshopper every day or so was probably the extent.
Come August though, we became overrun by crickets. I can still remember sitting on a chair on my computer while Aaron was at work, and hearing a crunch, crunch sound. I was so baffled to what that sound was until I looked behind the chair and saw the HUGEST cricket I have ever seen eating a pretty large (and obviously juicy) grasshopper. About the same time I saw that cricket, he saw me.
And the crunching stopped.
I slowly and quietly backed away from the scene (the last thing I wanted that cricket to do was jump on me...!!) and grabbed Aaron's cowboy boot. I waited until I heard the crunching begin again and I snuck around the chair. As quickly and swiftly as I could brought that boot down hard on the two of them before the cricket could jump. It is safe to say I squished them both to a pulp. (I didn't want any chance of that cricket being alive!)
"When will we be able to move, again?" I promptly asked Aaron when he arrived home from work that day.
A couple weeks later Aaron and I were both so excited when our house we had bought was moved onto the basement Aaron and his dad and brothers had built, and we were finally able to move in.
After we moved in, there was still quite a bit of work that had to be done....
...retexturing the whole house
...moving walls/remodeling/adding a bathroom
...painting
...new flooring/new carpet
...new countertops
...moving windows
Glad we are done and so very thankful for the help we got from family! Spring/summer plans for us include building a garage onto our house, re-siding, and re-roofing. We still have the whole basement to finish...but that can wait!

The shop

March Getaway

Back in February, on a brutally cold evening, Aaron and I decided it was time for a small getaway. We decided to plan it for March since I had two Fridays off of school. So last Friday, around noon, I picked Aaron up from work and our weekend getaway began! Our destination - Medora
I love Medora, even when all the shops and touristy places are shut down for the winter. There is just a rustic beauty that makes me fall in love with the place every time I visit.
The weather cooperated when we were there, 50 degrees! And another perk? Theodore Roosevelt National Park wasn't taking admissions at the time, so we were able to drive through/hike in the park for free!

Winter...still...

Winter sure is getting long. I think how the person feels in this video, is how I feel. 

March 1st

Today I did some more chalk painting. I am still using the cocoa and old white that I have, I haven't gotten to the store to buy a different color. Which is okay, because I love the two colors!
The small table below is a table my mom gave me, which used to belong to my grandparents.

Before

After

It is now sitting happily in our bedroom! I am still deciding how to decorate it and how to arrange things on it. One thing on it that I love is framed quote Aaron and I got as a wedding gift. 

75% done

I would say Aaron and I are over 75% done with the inside of our house (main level) and it feels great! I know I have posted pictures of the kitchen and bathrooms, but here are a few pictures of the other rooms. I want to do some decorative finishing touches on them but here they are, at this stage!

main bedroom

living room - soon to have a new leather look! :)

dining room