Back to the Sled Hill!

We took Owen back to the sledding hill we discovered at Christmas on Saturday to run some energy out of him. Easier said then done!!! But, we did have fun. It's pictures like this one that make me think I'm getting a little peek into what he'll look like at 16.... The glasses are mine, I meant to grab some goggles that mom and Will left for him, but got in a rush and spaced them. We were trying to keep the snow out of his eyes this time since that's what spoiled his trip on Christmas.

Check out the hill!!! This is the "bunny hill" side. The rest is a lot steeper and a lot higher!!! Too high for me for sure, this one scared me and Owen...
He went down on a sled once and then decided he preferred just to scoot down the hill on his butt.
They have an awesome playground at this park too that we stopped at on the way back to the truck. Dave couldn't drop Owen fast enough on this teeter-totter, Owen thought it was such a blast! Despite the fact that it was all of 9 degrees there, we had to drag Owen back to the truck after about 45 minutes.
Check out how read his cheeks were!!!
Hope you are all having a great week!!! I just got back from the doctor's office with Owen. He suspects that he has both an inner and outter ear infection in his left ear. So frustrating!!! I'm real close to agreeing to have Owen's tonsils out at this point. He's had the sniffles for about a week, nothing major and nothing all the other kids in his class don't have. But, because that tonsil is so big, it puts pressure on his ear canal, trapping the fluids, which is causing the ear infections. Anyway, point being, I'm hoping he has a better week this week on the antibiotics.

They're Ba-aaak!

Our "visitors" were back on Saturday to lick the salt up that Dave just recently put down on the driveway! Aren't they sweet? We're not sure what happened to "mom", but I think I have Dave convinced now too that these are the twin cows that used to come by every once in a while last year with their mom. I'm wondering now though, what happened to the little bull and his mom that ate our pumpkins and head-butted/stomped my little moose Christmas decoration last year. We haven't seen them at all. I hope they're o.k. and just found some better stomping grounds. Nature is sure hard to understand sometimes!

Anyway, just had to share, we never get tired of watching the moose! ;O)

Snow Much Fun!

O.k., so my titles are getting corny...but, I am running out of things to say about snow pictures! ;O) That's all we really have to do around here this time of year and Owen is so much fun outside these days now that he's big enough!

I have to laugh and tell you that Owen and I had done some sledding yesterday and decided to walk further back into the woods. It was quite a walk as the dogs hadn't really packed it down yet and we stopped to sit and take a little break....

I was more laying in the snow thinking how peaceful it was and pondering why so many cranberries were still clinging to the branches back there...weren't the birds interested? Anyway, about that time, there was a terrible half snarl/half panting noise that was coming up on us quickly and then it suddenly leaped over me, covering me with snow!

I, of course, didn't get a picture that go around, but did manage to capture this one on his second lap....so much for peace and quiet!!! No wonder I'm always so stressed out! ;O) This is 65 pounds of pure fury coming at me at full speed with no intention of diverting from his course, so I best sit very still so he can leap over me or get the heck out of the way...fast!!! Max just cracks me up. As soon as he runs out of steam, he just sits and shivers uncontrollably. As much as he loves being outside and in the snow, he's just not built for it.
Owen decided he found a cave with monsters in it and climbed under the branches of a spruce tree. He was pretty proud of himself for this and thrilled about his special cave, but about the time he climbed out, Max climbed in and "marked" the tree...so much for that secret cave. Owen and I discussed what yellow snow is made of last week and now he won't go anywhere near it other than to point it out and confirm with me that yes, it indeed is still pee....;O)
Hope you all have a great week, I'm back to work tomorrow and praying the "men with guns" don't show up with warrants and the right to interrogate us all!!! I have absolutely no info to provide, but it still makes me nervous...life is never slow when you work for an oil company! ;O)

More Time in the Snow

I forgot to mention earlier, the moose finally came and ate the pumpkins off our porch!! It's about time...they waited until after I'd taken down all the Christmas decorations. So, I was thankful, they were starting to look pretty tacky on our porch still in January! ;O) Dave thinks they came in the middle of the night last week some time. The dogs never said a word and we never heard them. It may be time for a security system...there's nothing but little pumpkin stumps left. So, you know they sat right on the porch and ate every bit! I wish we'd seen them!

Dave and I took Owen out to sled in the back yard again on Sunday. Our weekend was really laid back this week, but still went by in a blink. The sled trail that Owen and I created last week had froze up and was lots more fun this time. I put Owen's hat in his daycare bag in preparation for the coming week because we forgot so much stuff at home last week. But, this was the only other hat he'd agree to wear. Doesn't he remind you of Dopey from Snow White! So cute!!

Owen was sledding all by himself this time, although I'm not sure he planned on it initially. His dad let him lay down in the sled and pulled him up the hill, then pushed it back down before Owen thought to get up! He didn't complain though!!

This is him going down the hill head first...he's such a little dare devil!
And this is Owen's idea, he figured it was his turn to haul his dad up the hill. It was actually pretty sweet!
Just one more shot of our Dopey look alike! ;O)
And Dave chillin' after he hauled Owen up and down the hill forty times! We were all pooped by the time we went inside. I think it was around 12 degrees on Sunday, so it took quite a bit of energy just to stay warm, let alone to haul 30 pounds of dead weight around! ;O) The temp has since dropped and now we're hovering right around zero, brrr!!!

Still Lots of Snow!

We're not getting "dumped on" like all the whiners claim in the Lower 48, but we've had our share. We have only let the dogs out in the backyard a few times this winter so the snow hasn't been packed down much at all. We had a bit of warming and then a cold spell, so there's at least a hard layer in the middle. Owen and I went out the other day to spend some time playing in the snow and I was shocked to see how deep it really was. I sunk up above my knee if I wasn't careful.

The dogs were easily belly deep and had to leap to move. They crack me up, but they were good and worn out by the time they made a few laps around the yard I can tell you!

Owen didn't seem to sink in the snow like I did, but he still couldn't really walk in it (he still sunk up to his thigh) and so I think the plan backfired as I was all but exhausted by the time I hauled all 30 pounds of him around the yard and back into the house!! This picture cracks me up though, he decided he wanted to go in the woods and when we got there, he informed me that he was going to climb that spruce tree. Really? He couldn't even stand up on his own, but he thought he'd be able to just shimmy right up the tree...the one with a million branches, not to mention really pointy needles. Sometimes his dad really shines through! ;O)

Hockey Team

Shawnie joined Dave's hockey team this year and after two games, I'm happy to report, we've yet to have a visit to the ER. Odds aren't good with both her and Geoff on the team, I think we have a rule against more than two Crouse's in any one dangerous situation at the same time....guess I better not join the team! ;O)

I didn't realize when I was taking the photos how scratched up the glass was. I'm not sure there's anyway to get above it and take the pics over top the glass, but I'll try next time.

That's Dave on the left....Shawn's pretty easy to pick out with all her pink. Even Owen can find her on the ice!!!

Christmas Pics Finally

We had a great time on Christmas Day and I can't believe its taken me this long to post the pictures. Our weekends are just so busy and I never have the ambition to get on the computer and post after I get home from work. So, I guess that makes today the day! ;O) This weekend will be a lot slower. Dave's at his hockey game now and Owen and I opted to stay home since he has a bunch of early games this season.

Anyway, back to Christmas...Owen was spoiled rotten again by everyone and when we finally got him to get out of bed and see that "santa" had come, he really got a kick out of opening all the gifts!

Jenna was still out of town, so Geoff came over and brought his pups to play. Molly was cuddling Shawnie and I thought it was too cute. Geoff and Jenna say Molly's high strung...she sure doesn't seem it here! ;O)

Shawn bought Owen this cardboard house for Christmas and he gets the biggest kick out of it. But, it was even better after auntie climbed in with George. Poor George!

Dave got two new games to play with our Rock Band instruments, so that is where the boys spent most of the night. Although, we helped sing a few times too! I'm sure they were thrilled...Aunt Laurie is really the singer however! (That's Uncle Doc buried in the corner under the dogs.)
It seemed my meal went wrong every time I turned around. So, instead of pumpkin roll, we had ice cream sundaes for desert. Hard to mess that up!!!