another year older (almost)

This very soon to be eight year old had a birthday party tonight, and was quite horrified to find one candle still burning, aka one girlfriend!  Seriously though, his class is mostly girls and I think they all love him!  He comes home from school shuddering from the hugs and notes and words of endearment he receives!!

And guess what he wanted for a birthday present???  A FURBY Boom.  I can tell already it might not have been the wisest gift a parent could buy.  We opened it up tonight so that it is ready to play with bright and early in the morning ...

a "chilling" update

 I just heard tonight that Alberta has the coldest temps on the continent tonight ... in Manning, Alberta.  I haven't looked where that is in relation to where I am but I'm sure we are almost as cold with a temp of -34, feeling like -44 with the windchill.  Sounds like a good night to stay home with the furnace turned up! 

I should be baking up a storm, which would heat up the house, but I'm just not up for it.  I am participating in a cookie exchange tomorrow afternoon and I haven't even started  on the 9 dozen cookies I need to take!  But, on a good note, I think I have all the ingredients and with a convection oven it should take me almost no time at all in the morning!  And who doesn't like FRESH cookies???  That wasn't my plan in the beginning, but it sure sounds like a good plan at the moment!

These pictures are from a couple weeks ago when it was only minus 20 or so!  I kept driving by this spot taking the kids to and from school and I finally stopped to take a few pictures. I couldn't really  capture it in the photos, but with the sun reflecting off the massive icicles and the fog from the lake it was quite beautiful.  Almost as beautiful as a sunset on the coast of the big Island of Hawaii, just not quite as balmy :)