the snowy owl.

my titles are so creative, aren't they?

the snowy owl.

we have a snowy owl that is hanging around here.

it is awesome.

i have never seen such a beautiful creature.

really. it has captivated me.

this picture was taken thru my car window...i was afraid he was going to fly away...and he did as i got closer.

this was friday morning around 8 a.m.
he has been spotted around the neighborhood.
infact. he was first seen on sunday, on our neighbors roof, and then on the baseball field,
but by the time we got home sunday afternoon, he was gone...

matt took this picture today...at 10:30 a.m. when he came home from goose hunting...there he was...
but was gone, when we got home from basketball games at lunchtime...


i feel like our compost pile is now feeding:
a) coyotes
b) bald eagles
and now
c) a snowy owl.

whoo.hoo.



okay. so the kids are playing so nicely, so i thought i would make good use of my time and research my new friend,
the snowy owl.

those of you who know me, know this is COMPLETELY UNTYPICAL of me.
i do not like animals.
not fond of them at all in fact.
sure. i grew up on a farm. now i live on a farm.

and NOW i am researching a snowy owl
another full circle event in my life. :)

some things i found out via the internet...mostly national geographic are:

* these large owls breed on the Arctic tundra, and northern most stretches of Alaska, Canada and Eurasia
* this year (2013/2014) is the largest mass southern migration of the snowy owl ever seen (thousands)...i don't really
know how they know all this?? A snowy owl was seen in Florida, 1st sighting there in decades.
* Females will lay a clutch of 3-11 eggs, clutch size depends on food availability...some years females may not lay
any eggs.
* Parents are territorial and will defend nests against all comers- even WOLVES. :)
* Young owls- especially males, get whiter as they get older. Females are darker, with dusky spotting and never
become totally white.
* Patient hunters. Perches and waits for prey. Keen eyesight and great hearing.
* Carnivore: preferring lemmings, but will supplement diet with: rabbits, rodents, birds and fish. (interesting...
we have seen tons of rabbits around here, until just last week...hmmmmm...)
* Lemming availability may determine the extent of Southern migration. Eat 3-5 lemmings a day, or 7-12 field mice
a day. (Wonder why he's here?) He has found a great place to feast on several different meals of choice here. :)
* Snowy owls, are diurnal- they hunt and are active both day and night. They are most active at dawn and dusk...which
is also interesting...we have always seen the snowy owl at morning or mid-day...
* Nests on the ground, and are low flyers. (My very first question was wondering why we are seeing him on the ground,
or perched very low...this is why. was awesome to see him fly away...his wing span is huge, and to see such a
huge wingspan so low to the ground was really neat).

So...there you go.

We got home from church today, and found a note from my aunt and uncle from VA...they were passing thru and decided to try to spot our snowy owl. So sorry you didn't see him. We haven't seen him at all today. But so tickled you stopped by. Sorry we missed you Vic and Christina!!

I have several people requesting calls the next time our snowy owl appears...we'll see how that goes. :))

i am shooting.

who is EVER going to believe this?

i don't really even believe this...

i was a field hockey player.

i was the homecoming queen.

i went away to college and was so homesick i had to transfer...and commute from home.

eeeekkkkkk.

i live on a farm. i was never going to live on a farm. ;)

i also have 5 kids. i was only ever going to have 3.

i was going to work full time as a Physical Therapist Assistant.

work full time? what?

stay at home mom. yep. that's me. 

and now. and NOW.

i am shooting a bow.

whoo.hoo.

full circle baby. i believe that is what you call it.

snow day fun.

we certainly capitalized on the snow from last week this weekend.

we got a new toy.

kids were driving it by saturday.

eeeekkkkkk. :/



i have some great video. :)

happy. happy. day.

the new year.

the new year has arrived.

2014.

the year i will turn 36 years old.

how does THAT happen?

the same year my husband will turn 40.

eeekkkkkk.

send me some good party ideas, will ya? ;)

the year my kids will keep growing by leaps and bounds.

the year i pledge to complete my weight loss journey. since all my babies, i mean.

(my baby will be 3 this year). : /

the year i pledge to spend time with Jesus at the start of -each- day.

the year i pledge to keep my desk organized for longer than 3 days.

the year i pledge to FOCUS.

yep. that is my resolution word for the year.

FOCUS.

isn't it great?

it encompasses everything.

if i could just focus on each thing that i do, it would be grand.

but instead, i multi-task, and get a million things done in a day, but not finished.

does that make sense?

FOCUS.

if blogger worked right for me, i would have that centered, in a different font, and really big.

but since blogger does not work correctly anymore. that is all ya get.

since i didn't get around to posting our Christmas pictures until now...here ya go.

we had a fabulous Christmas.

Christmas Eve was spent with Matt's family and my family was together the Saturday after Christmas.

which means Christmas Day was just us. I LOVE that.

just US.

i spent most of the day in my jammies. and most of the day, the house was a wreck.

and i didn't care.

I had a fun day off. and actually. i think i took about a week off.

i am paying for that now.

 

but. i will probably do the same thing next year. in case you are wondering. ;))

     

  

 

 

the goose pit.

so. i felt like my husband was a hunter before we got married.

but now that we *are* married is he EVER a hunter. :)

why is it that he never left for a weekend to hunt when we were dating.

but he never misses a  hunting trip now?

i w.o.n.d.e.r.

i have come to realize matt really enjoys hunting.

he tells me it's good *alone time with the Lord*

who is going to argue with that, right? ;)

whatever. alone time with God or not?

i have realized life goes much better for me, for us, if he is able to hunt.

whenever.he.wants.too.

so. yes. that means he is goose hunting with the guys on Thanksgiving morning when I am preparing

for his extended family of 37. :)

that means hours and hours of undocumented time. gone. sitting in

a) either a tree with a bow or a gun or

b) the goose pit.

this year it meant that he wanted us to come to the goose pit on Christmas day.

yes. i did.

i woke children from naps.

left the house a total wreck.

made some hot water. and packed the bags for a hot chocolate bar in the pit.

we pulled on snowsuits. dug out hats and mittens. and we were off.

to.the.goose.pit.

Christmas afternoon.

we didn't see any geese that night.

maybe we were too loud?

;))

but it was fun for us to see why daddy likes the goose pit so much.

not to say i understand it. ;)

but i do hope to learn to hunt soon.

so that i can understand my man better.

so i can spend more time with him. doing things that he loves to do.

maybe i will understand "the thrill of the hunt" someday.

and maybe not.

until then. i will try not to get cranky about all the time he spends hunting.

and focus on being a better help mate instead.

now. i have to pay some bills.

i really must have taken a vacation...some of these are *late. eeekkkkk.

and then we are off to the store.

and then. we are going to clean the house.

and then we are going to razzle-dazzle the new year in.

HAPPY 2013. You have been good to us.

Bring it on 2014...i wonder what you have in store for us?

My Christmas post is coming soon...

it will probably bring in the New Year.

what i didn't say, was since matt spends a lot of time hunting.

then that kind of gives me permission to sit down and drink some coffee, and read a book or some magazines. :))

apparently, i wasn't paying the bills.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

h*appy b*irthday.

in just under 30 minutes 9  years ago, i will have given birth to my first daughter, kaycee agnes.

a world of unknowns.

i had been at a Christmas dinner that night.

feeling fine.

8 days overdue infact.

came home.

told matt as i was getting out of the car, at 9:30 p.m., that i thought i was going to have the baby.

just.like.that.

he kind of chuckled.

he called our nurse friend, aunt nik, and told her to pick up a movie, and come over.

she asked to speak to me.

she and i decided she would forego the movie. and meet us at the birth center.

kaycee agnes king was born, in a bathtub, at 11:54 p.m.

i could not wait another 6 minutes for a new years eve baby.

nope.

it was mentioned.

maybe that made me push harder? ;)

it was my first delivery at the birth center...turned out to be the first of the next 4. :)

my first water birth...the first of the next 4. ;)

my first pregnancy being more than one day late...the first of the next 4. ;)

matt's back was broken...he was in a back brace, and off work for one month...

the first of 3 1/2 more months.

the birthing pool was being filled, but wasn't filled in time, hence the birthing in the bathtub.

must have been awesome, because i stuck with water birth from then on out.

yep. that is the way to birth a baby. ;)

fond memories as i think back nine years ago...

where life has taken us.

wow.

had a little party for kaycee today.

what fun.

we made some gingerbread cookies, and decorated them.

don't know if i have to do that again real soon, but i think they had fun. :)

happy birthday sweet kaycee agnes.

kaycee was decided on by your father. you are named after a western town, kaycee, in wyoming.

spelling and all.

agnes is after your sweet great grandma.

you look like me. exactly as i did when i was nine.

you act like me.

i cringe sometimes in fact. ;))

love you.

it's now officially 11:56 p.m.

kaycee agnes. you are 9.

thanks to maribeth, my most favorite midwife of all time, and aunt nik,

and matt.

what a team. :))

sleep good.

i am beat. :))

Happy Christmas Eve

Yep. Happy Christmas Eve Si Style.

matchy*matchy

i don't know why i like seeing matching outfits on kids?

but i always have,

and have matched outfits and/or coordinated fairly often during my "mom" stint thus far.

(L to R): Kaycee- 9 in 8 days, Kaden- 10, Calli- 5, Karolina- 2 and Campbell- 6.

Thanks Trudy for 2 of the dresses...i then found 2 more on ebay. and kaden. well. he just goes with the flow. ;)

what should we do FUN over Christmas break?

any ideas?

Pappy and Grandma...get ready. we are coming!

one of my new years resolutions that i have started early, is getting to visit my grandparents more often.

they are the only living grandparents we have left between matt and i, and actually, my kids never got

to know ANY of their great grandfathers, so Pappy is extra special to them...AND he has an i-pad Kaden plays on.  ;/

but trying to come up with other fun things, and keep our distance all at the same time.

our family is one of FEW that has not gotton the nasty belly bug that is going around. 

i am THANKFUL!!!!

here is to having a wonderfully fun filled week, anticipating the celebration of our Savior's bith!

and the weary world rejoices.

can you feel it?

the excitement in the air?

i can. i can. i can.

i love the hustle and bustle of the Christmas holiday.

i could do without the crowded grocery stores.

the bumpy horns of impatient people and the overall grouchy attitude of some people in the world.

but overall.

i *LOVE this time of year.

yesterday was calli's preschool program.

i recorded it, so i did not get any pictures of the cutest little star holder upper i *ever did see*.

what did you expect me to say?

she was very pleased with herself. and very excited for her part in general.

this was afterwards at the cookie reception. ;)

things are always a bustle around here.

it really doesn't take the Christmas season to be upon us for that to happen.

but i am hustling with a joy in my heart.

that isn't quite always there. sorry to say. life gets in my own way sometimes. ;)

today. i am happy to be going in for kaden's 4th grade party.

i am doing a fun Christmas ball ornament craft with them...

i got the idea here.

love it.

think i will do it with my own children sometime this week...

fill in some fun. lots of fun.

"FOR TO US A CHILD IS BORN, TO US A SON IS GIVEN, AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER, AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE."     Isaiah 9:6.

Christmas fun.

i think i have mentioned that Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

Not only has the meaning of Christmas intensified for me, since having my own babies,

but i love.love.love to decorate for this special, incredibly meaningful celebration!

friday night we hosted our Sunday School Christmas party.

oh.my.word. i think we had so much fun.

i spent the day decorating more.

i had a couple cancellations, due to the weather...

so i was able to use my china afterall.

i made those simple burlap table runners.

after seeing them in a cute store in our area. ;)

yep. a total copycat i am.

the huge pine cone on the end, i spray painted.

i love it. i brought it back from chile.

so everytime i look at it, i pray for the people in chile, and remember our trip there,

which was last march...

i do not have a membership at costco because i would spend way to much money there,

but i went with my mom last week, to get some fun party foods...

the bacon wrapped scallops were worth every penny.

and i bought their "fresh" garland.

for ten bucks, it was worth every penny.

hung some outside, and then split a lot of it apart, to decorate with inside.

love.love.love fresh greens.

festive napkins, and some fun cinnamon stick/greens place cards,

and we called it a party.

;))

fRoZen.

it is really a wonder anyone still checks out my blog.

i got my camera fixed a few days ago.

(which fixes my camera problem, but still having tremendous problems uploading from my phone...umoungst other things on this site)

well. actually. my lens was apparently broken.

so...on recommendation of my brother, who happens to be a photographer, thanks mark,

i got TWO new lenses.

Merry early Christmas to me.

so. i took our advantage of our un-forcasted snow storm

to try things out.

without furthor adue.

*frozen*