Shed Doors Progress

We've had mostly gloomy days lately.   We still have some snow left.   Des Moines and eastern Iowa are supposed to get several inches of snow tonight.  We have wind. 

View from the house.

East side door.

South door.

They're still working on getting the doors up on the shed.  Looking good!  Bill is still taking advantage of using their lift while it's here to work up in the attic getting wiring done and lights up.  Notice the small square that he goes up through!

You can see the lights in this picture.

Ceiling of the shed.  The "hole" Bill goes through to work above.

The power company is moving the service entrance for the house and shed, so while they are at it, they're replacing some of the very old power line and poles along the road with new poles!    Between new line, poles and a generator we should be set!

New poles being put up.

I took the Enclave to the dealer in Algona for gas gauge repair again.  They said it would take a few hours so they gave me a loaner car.  I stopped at the grocery and came home and fixed lunch (pork chops, baked sweet potato, fresh fruit salad and slices of pie I had picked up).  Got a call at 1:00 that it was done already so back I went!   

Winter Trip

Tonight I downloaded pictures I took in Florida and hardly know where to start for blog posts so thought I'd just post a variety tonight for starters.  

We were in Orlando for about six days for Stampin' Up!'s 25th Anniversary Leadership Conference.  One of my downline from Carmel went with her husband so he and Bill went to Epcot the first day of our conference and had a good time together.  They went to Bass Pro the next day and had a nice meal out at Tony Roma's.  The street our hotel was on was a convenient walk to the convention center and also on a trolley line so that made it handy to go places.

The first day when we arrived, Bill and I hopped on the trolley to see what was where and saw this huge, two story McDonald's.  We stopped there for some of their sweet tea and found that this one sells pizza and others things we hadn't seen on the menu at McDonald's before.  The top floor had a game room.

 The next day Debbie and I registered for the conference.  I had not been to any Stampin' Up! events for about four years so it was fun to see lots of friends from all over the U.S. that I haven't seen for a while.

It's always nice to see palm trees and other pretty plants and scenery in Florida not to mention the warm, short shirt sleeve weather!  We were lucky that Orlando was actually warm and nice this time.  It can be really cold that far north in Florida in winter.

I'm Back!

Bill and I flew down to Orlando so I could go to a Stampin' Up! Leadership Conference.  Afterwards, he flew home and I flew down to Naples to spend a few days with my mom.  He picked me up at the Des Moines airport yesterday.  At least it's sunny here but about a 70 degree temperature difference!  We're supposed to have ice starting during the night tonight.  I'm hoping to be able to make it to church tomorrow.

I took pictures of different things we did both places and will get back to blogging probably tomorrow.  Today I get to babysit a very cute little two year old great niece while her sister and mom do something special for her sister's 8th birthday!  

I didn't take my laptop with me because we didn't know if there would be a big enough safe in the room to leave it in the room during the day in Orlando (there was) and didn't know if there would be WiFi connection at the condo (there was).

For the stampers out there reading this, Sale-A-Bration is now in full swing!  Get a nice free product with every $50 purchase!  Please go to my web site www.CindyKemna.stampinup.net to see the NEW Spring catalog and Sale-A-Bration flyer along with the main catalog and to order 24/7 at your convenience!   

Hoar Frost!

Bill had to be up around 5:30 yesterday to meet the Pioneer guys who were going to get our seed beans at the bin site.  It was super foggy when he got up!  When he got to the bins, there were already 4 semis there to load the beans into.  They had to wait for the vac.

Then he and Tim headed to a pesticide update class in Humboldt for the morning.  I had a P.E.O. meeting in the afternoon.

Bill was very quiet when he left so when I woke up at 7:15 I thought he had overslept - but he was gone!  Then I looked out and this is what I saw!  One of the really nice things about winter!

Diane took this one at her house - pretty!

 

Colts!

It's a nice, sunny day in NW Iowa today.  Love these Christmas trees that have been at the front of church.  I'm sure today was the last day for them.

Bill got a call that our 4100 bushels of seed beans will be picked up on Tues. so he went and moved snow from around that bin.  He's been doing some wiring in the machine shed.   We still don't have doors on the machine shed.  Those guys are supposed to be here the end of the week.   Bill went to a yearly update insurance class this past week.    

This afternoon I'm watching the Colts in their playoff game with Baltimore - hoping for a win!  Close game so far. 

Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law, Jim today! 

Christmas Sleigh Rides

Since riding the sleigh in Dakota City last year, Lacey and I have been looking forward all year to doing it again.  This year niece, Ryanne, happened to come for a weekend after Christmas so she and I and Peggy went one night.

The ride is about 30-40 min. long.  The driver told me that he has the horses trot a little faster on the nights that are colder!  You go through different streets in town and the highlight is going past this house that has a huge display of lights.  

Front of the house (blurry).

This was the 28th year that Merlin has done this at his house on the hill.  He invites everyone to get out of your car and walk around to see the lights up close too so after the sleigh ride we went back in the car.  We've never gotten out, but Ryanne wanted to so we did.  We even got to meet Merline who invited us to go up on his top deck in the back that overlooks the hill behind his house where he also has lots of lights - what a view!  It was fun to get to meet and talk to him.  He is 83 and says he still puts up 90% of the lights himself.

The decks in the back of the house.

Merlin, the guy that does it all!

The view down the back hill - from the top deck.

 

Ryanne near the merry go round

Lacey ready for the ride.

The next night, Lacey & I got to go on our much anticipated ride.  We started out at 5:00 and got to the house with the lights just as it got dark and as he was plugging in all the lights.  It was neat to see them all come on.  All 15 of us on the sleigh said together "thank you Merlin" when the last big bunch came on!   He waved.  We were all bundled up and had blankets both nights.  The first night our faces, fingers and toes got a little cold is all and the second night was warmer.  They have hot chocolate or coffee for you at the end of the ride.  Ryanne wants to bring her brother and sister next year, and I hope I get invited too!  

Christmas in Blue Earth

On the years we don't go to Indiana for Christmas, we go north to Blue Earth, MN to Bill's sister's.  She and Dave always have brunch for us.  She likes to make a caramel french toast, a custard french toast and this year made a sausage egg bake and a ham one along with a fruit salad.  We get there late morning and there is a cookie spread on the counter.  Bill always asks for shrimp.  She got out beef stick and cheese later.  We just pretty much eat all day!

Then we have the gift exchange.  Kids get gifts from all of us.  Adults take a $25 gift that we can keep or steal from each other.

Karen & Peggy