And so the snow begins....

My Saint of a husband decided it would be a good idea to head out Sunday and find some snow to practice driving in.  Sure enough, we didn't have to travel far and we found ourselves in at least 4 inches of fresh snow, with more falling.  Being a first time snow driver, I was terrified, but soon enough came to appreciate my front wheel drive and brand new studded snow tires.  I was stressed though, but Ray kept his cool and was so patient with me.... hence his title of Saint. 

 

When I felt a little comfortable and was able to relax a bit, we pulled off to the side and let the boys play around a bit too.

The look on Connor's face sure makes me think he was planning on doing something unwise with that snowball.... luckily he changed his mind!

Thanks to hubby's good thinking because this is what we woke up to this morning.  I had one practice under my belt and headed out for the long drive to classes.

Even my favorite regular wildlife visitor came to see me off and wish me luck!

I'm happy to say I made it to classes and back with no problem, and no dents or insurance claims.  I am becoming a real Montana woman!

Quilting and Basketball

I thought the warmth of the laptop would feel nice now, so I decided an update was a good idea.
Things in Montana have been good.... cold and busy, but good.  I've discovered two activities that are really big around these parts.... quilting and basketball.
I joined the local quilt guild, and despite not have many members in my age bracket, it seems like a great group.  There are a lot of events and projects to participate in and it's good activity just for me that doesn't involve children, bookwork homework or cleaning.... so sign me up!  I joined up just in time to attend a weekend workshop where we learned one piecing design and made placemats.  Luckily my sewing machine was one of the items I thought of to move with me, rather that pack away in storage.  My heavy coats were packed away, but I kept my sewing machine and fabric.... you can certainly see where my  priorities were.
Anyway, here's a picture of one of the two placemat tops I've finished.  I have 4 placemats to go and then will quilt them to the back and finish them off.

Another activity that is huge around here is basketball.  People take is seriously and start them out young around here.  "Little Hoopsters" is a program for K-5 kids to teach them fundamentals of the game and get them out on the court.  The kids are coached by the high school basketball team, so it's a great opportunity for the teens too.  My boys are loving it and both are showing some real skills at the hoop!  Here's the photo that was shot of all the teams in the program.  Jacob is in the front row in Navy and Connor is in the third row in Orange.

So now Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  My parents will be coming up for a visit very soon.  Just in time to help hang the kitchen cabinets and get the appliances in.  We are so close to moving in I can almost taste it....
As soon as I can get some good shots of Ray installing the flooring, I will post them, along with some of the kitchen tips for handling Thanksgiving.  Until then, Happy Veterans Day to my fellow Veterans and military spouses!