It is COLD!

So I spoke too soon. After a few weeks of temperatures ranging from in the 40's to in the -40's (yes, that's -40!) it is officially COLD here. Never felt this cold before, EVER! I thought it was cold in Illinois & Kansas when we lived there. The wind blew there too. I thought it was chilly in Oklahoma & New York because of the wind and humidity (not as much wind as Kansas though). But here, it's cold AND windy and when it's in the negative numbers, you can't even breath! Not cool at all. Your nose hairs freeze (and I never thought I had any). Your children's faces are bright red because of the cold, even though they have face masks on, hoods, and scarfs too. The only parts of us that stay warm are our feet and our torsos because I found boots that keep you warm to -40 & coats that keep you warm to -30. When I found them online in the fall, Daddy & I laughed about how silly it was that we would need them. Little did we know how thankful we would be for them. At recess, all the kids must have snow pants, hats, gloves, scarfs or face masks, coats, and snow boots. On bad days, they even wear them to school just to walk into the school. The kids go outside when it is -15 or warmer. Warmer! -15 is NOT warm!

At least we now have snow. It snowed 5 inches on Sunday. That's not much compared to what it was like here last year at this time, but I'm grateful for it. If I have to live with this horrid cold, then at least I can look out my window and see snow on the trees. The downside is we have shoveled 3 times since Sunday. Daddy used the snowblower that night and then I shoveled Monday morning because it had continued to snow and the snowplows had shoved snow into our driveway. Today, the city came and took away the snow piles in our culdesac but they shoved about 6 inches of snow all the way across the end of our driveway so I had to shovel again, just to get our cars in and out. Not cool at all.

Raptor has been wishing it was Spring all the time. Ramble wants Summer all the time. I just don't want it to be Winter all the time.

North Dakota Winters

So, friends have warned us about how nastily cold North Dakota winters are. Lots of snow, -20 to -40 degree temps, and lots of wind. So far, we've gotten just enough snow to make a tiny snowman, record highs of 55 degrees, and lots of wind. It's an unusual winter to say the least but I think it's to help all of us transplants learn to love North Dakota so that we'll stay. I also think that our friends needed a slightly less brutal winter to help them get through the winter and stay here (we don't want ANY of our friends here to move!!). My only worry is that when winter finally comes, it will stick around clear into May. That would NOT be cool! (pun intended)

North Dakota does have the most spectacular sunrises and sunsets! Here's one of the sunrises:

Finally getting to play in the snow:
Don't you just love the deflated inflatable Santa? When they inflated that night, it looked like Santa and the snowman had made snow angels. Too funny.

Snowmen in our house always have to have blueberry eyes, mouth, and buttons with a carrot nose.

Trees, Thanksgiving, & Mall of America

This year, we got our tree from a church just down the street. The kids each saw one they loved but we compromised on a different one. Then, Daddy, Pop Pop, Ramble, & Raptor carried the tree home! So cool!

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went to Minneapolis/St. Paul to the Mall of America. Raptor, Nanny, and Mommy went to American Girl and had a birthday lunch. Happy Birthday to both birthday girls!

The guys went and looked at the Lego store, rode some rollercoasters, and ate at the Rainforest Cafe.

Raptor turns 4 and we go to Hawaii!

Raptor turned 4. I can't believe it. She is not a silent little girl anymore. She loves to talk, tell stories, play, run, skip, jump, scream, give hugs, play dress up, put on makeup, draw, swim, dance, do gymnastics, go to preschool, and keep up with her brother. She says she wants to be a doctor, artist, and mommy. She also really wanted to go to Hawaii so for her birthday, we did just that. . .well, not really but she loves saying that we did. For her birthday party, we had flower leis, a grass skirt, coconut cups, pink flamingos (are they Hawaiian?), had the girls limbo, freeze dance, and race to pick up flowers. Her friends brought their dolls for a dolly and me party. She had so much fun!

Raptor really wanted pink elephants for her cake so, there you have it. Pink Elephants in Hawaii, watching a dolphin swim.

All ready for her party!