Happy Birthday, Ted!!

Ted is just a great guy. He's the guy everyone loves. He's the guy that will help out anyone with anything. He's the guy who can TALK to anyone about anything. He's a little sarcastic and loves to pick on gullible people. He's dependable, loyal, and fiercly protective. He's the strong leader of our family. He's the love of my life. He's the Daddy who will dance with his kids although he hates dancing, show them how to assemble or take apart anything, give them his last bite of a favorite food, and always puts them before himself.

I thank God every day for you, Ted. Can you believe we've known each other for just about 25 years, and I've loved you (almost) from the start. You are such a blessing to every person who knows you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Doing one of his favorite things with one of his favorite people (Brother Bob)

Ted truly started the fashion trend of Crocs. He had his before anyone!!

WE LOVE YOU!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(One of) Ted's Saturday Projects

Here in the land of never-ending snow, there is concern of major leaking/collapse of roofs because of all of the snow. There were major drifts on our roof, so today Ted decided to get them off.... Step 1: going through Kaleb's closet window, using an ice chipper to loosen it.

Step 2: That's Ted, on the roof, shoveling the ice snow off

Step 3: using a snow rake (didn't know they had those, huh?) to scrape the rest of it off

Step 4: (Actually this was step 1) breaking off this ginormous icicle from Kaleb's closet gutter and carrying it through the house to our lawn. It's now a beautiful ice sculpture in the front lawn.

And a posting wouldn't be complete without a shot of Fashion Princess. Still wearing her "ballerina". This day, we were walking to our neighbors to play, so at least she put on her "warm leggers"

The excitement of winter never ends.

What up?

No pictures this week for the blog, folks. Hmmm, no really big news to share either. I could tell you the latest "stuck in the snow" story--The mail truck! Right in front of our mailbox! The last snow storm Ted was sick of it, and snow blowed (blew?) the plow junk back into the street. That, plus the fact we live on a hill and didn't clear far enough PAST the mailbox caused the truck to be stuck. Couldn't go backwards up the ice, couldn't go down through the 10 ft mound of snow. Just stuck. Finally freed with me, the mail lady, and the nice neighbor all pushing our brains out. Won't be delivering mail anymore until it's cleared. Which will be summer. When the kids are making up their snow days.

In other news....Anna had the worst bout of stomach flu the McMillans have ever had. Puked 15 times (I kept a tally sheet) between 10:30 pm and 3:30 am. That's once every 20 minutes, people. I guess I'm lucky that was the first time I was EVER up ALL night with a sick child. I didn't even pull all-nighters in college. Thankfully, we both slept most of the next day. Let's hope it was food poisoning, so we don't have another puke marathon?

Will this winter EVER end??

Another snow day this week. Blah blah blah. It was from the ICE that came before the snow. Our roads have been terrible. The kids have to start making these up now, at the end of the year. When it's sunny and warm. If that ever happens!
At least I have a sweet snow angel!! (Anna--she looks long)

Here was yet our THIRD attempt at clearing our sidewalk. It's ANOTHER neighbor's fourwheeler, with a plow attachment. It got stuck too. Ok, we have been defeated and will be walking in the road to the bus stop, until June. When we have snow days to make up. The snow SHOULD be gone by then...Alas, there is good news! TED'S CAR WASN'T TOTALED. He has really enjoyed his loaner Grand Prix, with no traction control, or anti-lock breaks.

Someone wake me when it's summer.........

Visit with Klugs, and other stuff....

Heather, Peter and Tyler are back in the States for a short visit so Peter could interview for jobs in Milwaukee (!! Yipee!). We've only been able to see them once due to weather and illness, but we made the most of that visit...

Breakfast at Fiddlesticks, where my kids favorite trick of Tyler's was "muscles!"

Hanging out back at "The Reg-li-ar Ya's"

The guys have early release once a month, and instead of just watching TV those afternoons, I've been trying to do some sort of activity. Will's concussion is better, so we did ice skating today!

We had the WHOLE rink to ourselves. It was 16 degrees, and that felt warm.

Other weather-related developments: We have now passed the all-time record for total snowfall. We've had 77 inches, and it's still coming! Our snowblower broke (again) last night as Ted worked on trying to clear the sidewalk to the bus stop. It's full of all the the ice snow that the plow shoots up. A neighbor with a John Deere tractor with snowblower attachment came by this morning and kindly offered to clear it. He got stuck. I had an opportunity to drive my first John Deere as he and another neighbor tried to push it backwards up the hill to get it un-stuck. After several attempts, we got it out. He got back on and said, "I'm taking my John Deere and going home. Good luck with your sidewalk"

And, perhaps the saddest weather-related news, Ted's beloved Passat is probably totaled. It was parked in his work lot early yesterday morning, and the contracted plowing company backed straight into it at full speed. I'm calling his boss and asking for car/workers comp since it happened on work grounds. What? You've never heard of car/workers comp??

ANOTHER Snow Day

So today was our THIRD snow day of the year. That's in addition to the two late starts, and one early dismissal we've had. Ted even stayed home! I think this is only the second time in his career that he has stayed home due to weather. The unofficial count as of this hour is about 13 inches, but just south of us, it's 20 inches. Today was FULL of adventure!!

Here are Ted and Steve, of the Munson Family, our great new neighbors! They decided to WALK to the local pharmacy this morning, which is about six blocks away. TWO hours later they return, and had visited many of the local hot spots in the snow storm. Ya know, the American Family agency, whose agent is another neighbor, the GROCERY STORE, which is waaaay farther than six blocks.

Our snow hikers after they returned

Then, Ted got busy cooking in the kitchen for our lunch. He made omlets for us--cute chick on the left is Steve's wife, Melissa. She is a high school math teacher, and I may become her aide because I'm so good at math.

Baxtie had a really stressful day too. Hey, since when do I allow him on the furniture??!!

Although this wasn't a picture of today, this is what Baxter likes to do in the snow. He'd stay out for hours if I let him.

Oh yeah, the kids were home too! It was a jammie/High-School-Musical-2/game-playing type of day!!

The Big Cheese!

Kaleb was "The Big Cheese" of the week in his class. So he got to do all sorts of cool stuff this week, in addition to the picture boards he brought in (see behind him). He totally scored at lunchtimes-- Grammy brought in Subway on Monday, Tuesday there was no school because it was too cold, Thursday Dad brought his fav, Taco Bell, and today Anna and I brought in McDonalds. Cheese, anyone?