New Years Eve

We spent today exploring and experimenting as an end to 2012.  With our very unusual beginning of winter this year, our Christmas break has been no exception. 

Weather recap:  No snow, sub-zero temps, high winds, tons of snow, sub-zero temps, high winds, snow blown away.  Currently warm temps, above freezing temps, melt what is frozen temps.  So, here is the point of my rambling.  The kids like to go to the creek and explore.  Lately, since the afore mentioned snow has been blown off and we have had odd periods of sub-zero and above freezing temps, the creek has experienced some interesting changes. 

We went on a long walk on the creek today to see the cool changes together.  The sun was out and it was about 40 degrees.  (Way to warm for December here.  But of course, I loved the warmth.  Don't tell).    We all started the walk with all our gear on.  We all started shedding our hats and gloves before we even reached the creek.  We took the dog sled for the little kids when they couldn't walk any more and for when the ice was too slick.  No we don't own sled dogs.  Brad found it in the middle of the road one day many years ago.  It is perfect to pull behind a snow machine for the kids. 

 

 

Av did some "ice skating" without skates. 

 

 

Ok,so here is the cool part.  Some how these huge rocks became suspended in the ice.  The ice is about 3 feet thick.  We estimated the rocks to be about a foot from the surface.  But what I find fascinating is that the water is running beneath the ice.  We saw debris and fish swimming below the ice.  VERY cool.  The pictures don't do it justice.  But the rock is as big as two adult heads put together.  How did it get there and stay in a suspended fashion long enough to freeze in the middle of 3 feet of ice?

 

 

 

 

This picture has smaller rocks suspended in the same way.  The white cotton ball looking objects are air bubbles that froze in the ice.  Brad says the ice here is at least 3 feet thick and probably 5 to 6 feet to the bottom.  The rocks out of focus are on the bottom of the creek.  The ice fault lines freak me out however.  Have I ever told you how walking on ice absolutely freaks me out?  It does.  So today's adventure was a big step for me. 

 

Next we found some open water (again, temps have been warm for the past few days) with ice in the center.  We thought it looked like a heart.  Meaningful day.

 

 

Here is some more open water.  Was I freaked?  You bet.  I could have stepped there.  Yikes! 

 

 

Had to have a group photo on the ice. 

 

 

Brad was the tow barge on the way home.

 

 

Look what else I found.  A moose track that has melted into the shape of a heart.  Perfect ending to a perfect adventure. 

 

Later, we tried some neat experiments with sparklers.

Can you read what we wrote?

 

 

 

 

What a wonderful end to a wonderful year.  Thank you all for sharing with us.  I look forward to sharing our adventures in 2013.  Happy New Year to you all!

 

 

 

PROJECTS!!!!

Christmas break.  Finally.  We have had so much illness this month, that we were all ready for this break.  We have been taking things easy and just planning day by day. 

I have wanted to paint the kid's craft table and baby O's play kitchen table for awhile now.  It was my only mission for this break to get it completed.  Here is the breakdown.

Very old kitchen table.  We had cut the legs down a few years ago and made it into a craft table for the kids.  I sanded the top and legs to prep for paint. 

Old kid play table I found at a thrift store many years ago.  Sanded the top and legs of this as well.  I had to take the top off and the drawer out to get paint in all the right places.

 

Old shelving unit from a yard sale.  It is being used for the kids craft supplies. 

 

I taped off the area on the back and sides that I wanted to keep white to prep for the chalkboard paint.  Yup.  Chalkboard paint.  Took about 3 coats to get the desired thickness.

Final products:

Baby O play kitchen table.

 

 

 

Also made kitchen signs for her wall from random boards. 

Kid craft table and shelving unit finished.

Chalkboard paint on table tops and side and back of shelving unit.  Big hit. 

I love repurposing items.  A good update sparks my creativity.  Ready to tackle another project before the break is over. 

Happy holidays

Merry Christmas!  Long time, no blog.  Seems like I say that alot this year.  We have been busy as always.  All the kids are busy with school activities then we stack on sports.  High school wrestling started, middle school basketball came to a close, and gymnastics goes on forever.  We have been battling some nasty virus' since October. Last year we were pretty healthy.  This year we are certainly making up for it.
We started our Thanksgiving weekend with Little E breaking his index finger.  It has healed nicely.
Not much playing outside recently as the high winds have blown all the snow away.

We have had some fun with holiday performances.  Here is baby O for her pre-school performance.

This is baby O and Little E waiting for practice for church Christmas pageant. And here are my silly children torturing me for Christmas pictures as well as some fun experiments with light and my camera. Happy holidays!

 

 

 

 

Home Improvement

One more project completed.  Isaak's headboard.  He chose the fabric and shape for his headboard.  Nice look for a growing boy.

 He chose a soft, tiny corduroy fabric.

Next project...Halloween costumes and Christmas gift projects.  Too many to name.

Octoberfest!

1st annual Octoberfest was a blast!  Brats, kraut, carbs, and beer.

As the evening continued, Just Dance 4 took over the entertainment.  Quite the competitions....

So much fun.  Certainly to become a yearly event!!!

Last but not least

My mother emailed myself and my siblings that none of us are blogging lately.  My brother and sister promptly blogged.  I, well, I was not as quick on the draw.  Let's just say I have been busy.  Busy working.  Busy driving 4 kids to school and various after school activities.  Busy taking multiple other children to activities and school.  Cooking, cleaning, entertaining, and being the all over coordinator and executor of daily life here in the Bell household.  With that being said...I have carved out some time for blogging.

I believe I will just catch you up...
When I look back at previous blogs, it looks like I catch up often.
I'll backtrack to our trip back to Alaska.  This part of the drive always amazes me.  Here we are driving through Montana and the wind farms.  They are like gentle giants roaming the earth.  The sound as they turn is mesmerizing and comforting.

Here we are at the Alberta visitors center.  Unfortunately, there was a T-Rex and it chased the kids.  We did manage to leave with all kids in and all their body parts still attached.

 I do love traveling through Alberta.  Canola fields are BEAUTIFUL!  This picture does not do the vibrant yellow justice in the field.

 This is the highest point on the drive through Canada.  What a beautiful day and view.

Yes, more bison.  Here we have a fairly large herd.  So cool.

We believe this is the main daddy of the group.  Nature is amazing.  God is so good.

Famous sign forest in Watson Lake.

Pictures from our front yard.  This is a cow and a bull.  Nope, not legal and it was hunting season when they came to visit.  But, how sweet their connection.

I finally was able to finish some home projects as well.
Here are the rulers I have been collecting and the picture are Queen Ann's Lace I brought back from Missouri.

Of course it is blueberry picking time.  Or was a few weeks ago.
This year we brought Brad along.

Baby O was not particularly happy to be there at first.

But, then she warmed up.

All my boys looking at a "supposed" bear.  It wasn't.  Luckily.

Just a view from where we were blueberry picking.

This is close to caught up.
I'll be better at blogging.
Later...