February

Eventually winter of 2013/2014 will be a memory. But for now we're doing our best to enjoy a few days that aren't so bitterly cold. We've also had fun doing things in the warmth of home as well. Here's a few pictures from our month so far. 

We enjoyed a sledding party with cousins and friends last week. Everyone piles in the calf sled for a ride to the top of the hill. A calf sled is on my Christmas list for next year, it was a blast!

Those that didn't fit in the sled crammed in one of the Rangers. It was just as much fun riding to the top as it was sledding down. 

 Beware of the voles!!! If you veered off the beaten path with your sled, you were likely to stir up one of these little guys. They are very fat and slow compared to mice. Added bonus: The next day the kids were watching Wild Kratts on PBS and it happened to be about voles. It was fun to see how they tunnel under the snow and survive the cold winter. It also makes me wonder just how many of these little guys were out there with us. :)

Hanging out near the fire was the place to be by the end of the evening. 

The next day we ended up getting several inches of snow and had the day off from school. The temps made it into the 40's so we hooked up the sled and made our way around the yard.

I "taught" Ethan how to make bread for his Cadet baking badge. I really don't know how to make bread very well, but it turned out pretty good for his first time.  We enjoyed it hot out of the oven with homemade strawberry jam.

 We entered a yield contest this fall and got second place for our soybean entry. We had fun visiting with other farmers at the awards banquet and we even played a little Black Jack at the casino. We came home $5 richer. :)

Anton turned 4! For some reason I just can't believe he's four already. He loves to run around the house pushing a dump truck or track-hoe. He likes making Lego creations and playing little games on the tablet too. I asked him what his birthday wish was when he blew out his candles and he said he wished for a dirt bike. 

Mark and I took a quick trip to NW Iowa to visit some friends we hadn't seen in a while. In this picture Mark is singing Karaoke in front of their wine cellar entrance. It happens to be made out of an old cistern. If you look closely you can see the ceiling is made from slats from their old turkey shed and the walls are textured with straw. They have the most creative house I've ever seen, I absolutely loved it and loved hanging out with them again!

We made it to a couple fundraisers, this particular one was a dessert auction. Our table had the winning bid on this, a Red Velvet Cheesecake. Yes it was as good as it looks! 

 Amelia and I decided to see if we could get some 2 year old pictures of Allison. It was fun to try and figure out my camera settings and use a new lens but my little model was quite challenging. :) (This is one of the better pictures.)

Generally this is what I got. :)