Winter Storm 2012...

 What a way to bring in 2012! Winter arrived causing my work to be late start 2 days and closed 2 days. It all started with warnings all over the news. Businesses were closing early, people were staying off the roads, and loading up on generators, candles, and flashlights. Tuesday we were late start due to the cold and everything freezing. Wednesday came all the snow and our work was closed. I got to catch up on laundry, find an amazing cookie recipe, and watch several movies while Johnny worked. That night...our power went out. It came back on during the night which then Thursday came, my work was closed again, Johnny had to go in...and the power went out again...this time all day. Not only did it snow more that night, then came the freezing rain to weigh on all the snow. With that, I stayed inside listening to all the cracking and booming of all the surrounding trees come down praying they wouldn't come down on the house or the car. Sad to say, we had about a dozen trees come down, or half way down including five of my favorite by our drive way allowing shade for our parking and a diving landscape for the front lawn and back lawn. These 5 came down together from the root over our driveway causing me to be blocked on. Johnny came home early to help me chop those down and remove from our drive way. The power stayed out all day Thursday which Johnny went back into that work around 4pm to work more than a 24 hour shift. I got to stay home with my four legged kids cuddled under blankets! Friday the power came on just in time for me to be ready to go into work for our late start. The snow had stopped and warmed up a little now creating all those big chunks of ice from everything to fall. On the way to work it was dodging the trees down, or still coming down, ice chunks coming from trees and lines, and those crazy drivers who just did not know how to take their time driving in this weather. We measured the snow with pictures and came to about 9-10 inches! Yay, I know everyone from WI or PA will say.."hey that's nothing"..but for us..it's was a record.

 Johnny as a Lineman has been working SEVERAL shifts creating him to pull all nighters. BUT....he is  helping people get their power on. And that feeling I had when our power finally came back on, I sure am proud that he gets to bring that other feelings to other families.

 It's a week later and some snow is still left. Now...comes the clean-up. I decided to start with the pretty pictures, then this weekend comes the cleaning of the trees. I will add those pictures this weekend to this post. Johnny is still working overtime helping those families. He sure loves what he does. But, hopefully he will be able to come home and rest soon.

 As much as the snow looks beautiful, mother natural sure can make a mess. Things to invest for our family: generator and certainly a fireplace when we purchase a home! It was fun playing with Scout since the snow was so high she had to hop everywhere like a bunny. I would sit in the snow across the yard from Johnny and she would just run back and forth. After a while she got tired and went to the side of the yard where the snow was less under the trees to get to us. She sure is a smart little puppy!

 Mom, I know you admitted to not checking out our blogs:) But, here is the snow angel I made for you. This was the point when it was thick of ice on top of the snow...so it was pretty interesting to make. (i think i got a workout from it:)

Stay tuned for the aftermath...

Happy 7th Birthday Aidan

Happy 7th Birthday to Mr. Aidan Reed Kriebel!

 This year Nana, Uncle Mitch, and his girlfriend Jenna came in town for a simple cake, movie on couch, and presents at home. He got several cool gifts such as Nerf Guns, Light Up Shoes, Remote Control Car, Pokemon(sp) cards, and many more! Happy Birthday Aidan, seems like yesterday you were the 4 1/2 year old I just met:) We love you!  

What 2012 will bring....

Yesterday I finally (late) bought my 2012 planner, this year I went with a little larger one knowing all the events that I will need to be organized for! We are excited for:

• Guys Trip to Anchorage in March
• Wedding Planning
• Welcoming the Lowe Lowe Bean due in August
• Corey and Jessica's Wedding in August-Johnny's a GM
• Jon and Mandy's wedding in September in Mexico
• Angelica and Sam's wedding October 20th
• Johnny and My BIG DAY November 3
• Honeymoon!!
• Maybe announcements of soon to be new little family members in Fall 2012!
• A healthy and Safe year for our friends and family!

I know that above won't even be the half of things, so we are excited and ready for 2012!!!

Welcome 2012

We welcomed 2012 at brother Jon's Annual Cocktail party at mom and dad's house. Our two good friends Heather and Paul joined us this year. There was lots of food, dancing, drinks, picture taking, oh and did i mention dancing! I have to say that is the highlight of the evening is that he borrows his friends DJ speakers and lights so the TV room turns in the Dance Party of 2012. He found an amazing New Years Eve Song that basically turned into about 20 people doing the Polka in the TV room. You couldn't even move around...basically just hop up and down....then someone yelled SWITCH and you turned around and started polka'ing with the next person. Granda did the jig... Me, Rissa, and Erin doing the air rock band to "Call me Al." Tasso doing the robot, announcements on the microphone, pretty women in their dresses and handsome men dressed up, pink panty droppers, dancing with the whine bottle sing Firework by Katy Perry or and let's not forget those 100 jellow shots that Rissa and Mandy made singing "shot, shots, shot, shot, shots.." There was the famous "Ball Drop" that is created by a huge exercise ball wrapped with Christmas Lights jimmy rigged with a string in the house for Jon to lower it outside the huge window as we count down. An amazing evening with friends and family and of course with the love of my life.

Check out Erin's blog who will have SEVERAL more pictures!!!!

Also to start off the New Year..Fred visited the groomers to help take care alot of his mats on his back. Since he is a "larger" kitty he cannot reach those areas. So he went to get all handsome for 2012. We decided to go with the "Lion Cut" basically everything is shaved but his head, tail, and bottom of the feet. BUT.....he didn't enjoy the blow dryer and the trimmers...so she had to "modify" his trim that went only half way! She did say that he loved the bath though! Poor Fred may look a little funny now, but i sure am glad those mats are gone and are not pulling at his skin. He's still sore in some spots that they were bad, but we hope if we stay on top of them, we can help him be more confortable....oh our "little" Mr. Fred Fred.

To highlight the end of 2011....here's to you Erin whose hair caught on fire at Aunt Cindy's on Christmas Eve, broke her middle toe New Year's Eve, thought her camera was stolen and after the whole family searched the house found it in the medicine cabinet above the fridge, then...new years day as our family celebrated our Christmas she took a huge chunk out of her tounge:) I hope that 2012 brings you better luck!

And Congratulations to our Cousin Angelica who got engaged to Sam on Christmas Eve!

a Busy December

To try to recap and not forget anything, these Holday's were busy! There were several cookie decorating sessions, watching Caitlyn be an Angel and Mary in her school/church plays. Ashy was also in the play as the cutest donkey! Johnny phrased his as the "aimlessly wondering ass" since he really did not stay on his cut out circle on the floor. Santa even visited us at the Riggs house. The bottom left picture you can see him in the window! The top right picture is all the kids trying to see him. Christmas eve was watching mom play her handbells at church then Aunt Cindy's for food and spirits then home early for Aidan in bed so Santa could come. Christmas morning we got Aidan till 10 then the rest of the afternoon i baked an 18 pound ham, took naps, then made Johnny and I our feast of sweet potatoes
, mashed potatoes, corn, homemade bread, shrimp salad, ham gravy with sparkling cidar. We enjoyed this meal in front of the TV watching the Packers dominate:)
Santa sure was good to us this year! I could not have asked for a better Christmas. On top of that...which i will blog soon with a picture, we traded in the Saturn for a...... 2012 White Four Door Mini Cooper Countryman. LOVE IT!