Just Another Day

This is the incredible view I got to enjoy before heading to work Friday morning.

Bill has been trying to convince me that I’d enjoy winter camping for about 3 years now. On Friday, I finally figured out that he was right! We headed out into the Boundary Waters with a couple of friends for the night. It was a gorgeous night for hiking, and the trail was so packed we didn’t even need to use our snowshoes.

Jenny and I worked on gathering firewood while Bill and Olin set up the tent and stove. Soon we had a cozy warm shelter and were settled in for the night.

We did a good job of relaxing, as no one was exceptionally motivated to go exploring in the morning’s sleet. We had a tasty breakfast and played a few games of Sequence. Eventually we got things packed up and decided to head back out. The weather calmed down, and we had a beautiful hike back out the hilly trail.

I’m glad I gave winter camping a try… looking forward to taking another trip sometime.

The weather got a little warmer this week, but we’re nowhere near the spring temperatures I like. Let me tell you – I’m ready for it. I’m loving the daylight, and I’m a little nervous about daylight savings next weekend. We’ll start our drive to work in the dark again, which is not my favorite. I suppose the evening light will make it worth it, and our morning light will return soon.

I went skiing with my class this past week. This is only the 3rd time I’ve been on downhill skis in my life. I really enjoyed it.

I got some time with my favorite kiddos this week. Love that! Laura and Kate came and spent the night yesterday, and the Glass family came to visit this afternoon.

Bill did the majority of the cooking this weekend – starting with steaks on the grill last night. He followed up with sourdough pancakes this morning and made pizza with the left over batter / dough tonight. I think I could get used to this!

I got an unexpected visit in with my mom when we realized we were both heading in the same direction Saturday afternoon. It was nice to just grab a quick lunch and catch up.

Amongst some good family time this week, there has also been nice time with friends. We made our first visit for dinner with friends who just announced their engagement, and our new neighbor-for-a-bit, Mary, took us down to the Landing to enjoy beverages served in glasses made of ice. I’m excited to have Mary around, because she stirs life up – in a good way! I believe there is a book club in my future, and perhaps we’ll get some pinochle games in, too!

Life is good – snowy or not! 🙂

What an incredibly gorgeous day we had. It was sunny and in the 40s! I had to take this picture in case the winter continues to feel long… it’s amazing how quickly you can forget the frigid temps and gray skies when a little sunshine and warmth show up.

Bill and I took a snowmobile ride this afternoon. It was fun to get out on the lake a bit. We stopped on a trail before turning around and some other riders pulled in behind us. They were visiting from the southern part of the state and talked about how they love it up here and wished they could stay longer. The conversation made me remember how lucky I am to live in this beautiful area. I often (especially in the winter) take this place for granted. I’m thankful for the reminder.

It’s been a really nice week, and I’m looking forward to the week ahead!

Today Bill and I went skiing. This was my first ski of the year – not Bill’s though. He’s been busy grooming the trails and even became a part of the local ski club.

So, it was a beautiful day. It was a little chilly, but that was no big deal once we got going.

The rest of the weekend was nice as well. My sweet Kate came for a visit yesterday, and Sawyer and his parents came over for dinner this evening. And now it’s time to get ready for another week. I’m looking forward to turning the calendar page and seeing what February’s got in store for us.

I started this week in a bit of a funk. I’ll blame in on January. I absolutely hate when I get cranky, know it, and can’t seem to find anything to snap me out of my mood fast enough. Sometimes I just need time.

There’ve been lots of things I’ve wanted to blog about lately, and I haven’t known exactly what I wanted to say. So, this’ll be kind of a mash-up, I guess.

My grandparents have really been on my mind lately. I’m sure mostly because it was a year ago that my grandmas passed away, and it would’ve been my grandpa’s birthday last week. And, well, this year has gone by quickly – and it’s been sad, and it’s been full and good. I continue to be grateful for the wonderful memories I have…

Some of you may know that my car broke down early last summer on a road trip with my family. We were on our way home from Door County and the engine went on us about 2 1/2 hours from home. To make a very LONG (7 month) story short, we finally got our car back last weekend. It’s been quite the saga. So, we celebrated in the mechanic’s honor Bryson style – with a DQ cake.

So, I generally try to keep this site “G” rated – lets face it, my life is G rated. But, this I have to share. Today a friend showed me the book My Hands that she had on her classroom bookshelf. It’s stamped with our school name, so I’m assuming it’s just one of those books that got passed along over the years and ended up on her shelf. It is a for real, kids book. This is the picture on the first page.

When I got home tonight Bill was sporting a goatee. Now, after a couple of months of my very subtle hints that I just love being able to see all of his handsome face without a beard covering, he decided he could live without it. He wasn’t very impressed by the goatee, so he turned it into this:

Now he’s back to his good-loooking, facial hair-free self, and I’m about to enjoy some homemade pizza and cheap Moscato. I think I’m officially out of my funk.

All of the area schools are back at it today – except for mine. So, Sawyer and I are hanging out today, and Kate and Laura may come out for a visit as well.

We enjoyed our winter break very much. After spending Christmas Day at my mom’s, Bill and I headed to the cities for the night. We stopped there for a good night’s rest before heading the rest of the way to Forest City, IA for a family reunion on the Bryson side. We met up with Bill’s family Sunday morning at the reunion, then it was back up to Alden to visit some more. It was a nice trip, as I got to meet Bill’s aunt and cousin whose paths I somehow haven’t crossed over the past 12 years! There was lots of story sharing, yummy food, and a couple of rounds of pinnachle against Bill & Barb. (We stopped at two games – one win a piece.) On Tuesday we grabbed Katie and headed towards the cities where she met up with a friend from college, and we headed on to run some errands before hopping on I-35 N.

The next few days went quickly and did not involve a whole lot of movement. We did grab lunch at Sr. Patron’s before watching True Grit one day – then it was time for a snowstorm. It has been many years since we’ve had this much snow around here. It’s quite beautiful – especially with the blue sky and sun shining as it is today. (I’m not as crazy as the -30º temps, however.)

New Year’s Eve was spent at Ape & Jesse’s. We’re a pretty mild crew, but it was a nice celebration none-the-less.

And now we head into 2011 with much to look forward to.

We headed to my mom’s to celebrate Christmas Day with the Poderzay side of our family. We didn’t break out the games this year – something I always look forward to. There was, however, plenty of laughing and catching up with our hilarious cousins.

The babies had fun opening all kinds of presents and running around with the freedom that comes from being at Grandma’s house!

Bill and I hosted the Aune Family Christmas Eve at our house. It was a fairly small group this year – only 18 of us. It was about the perfect amount of people for our house, though, and a really lovely evening!

Wouldn’t you know…