Merry Christmas 2010!

This Christmas season was our first time celebrating with just us! We were sad we were not able to travel to be with extended family, but it was nice to not have to worry about driving in snow. It was a quiet relaxing Christmas. The kids were so excited, but didn't wake up until 7:30! It was wonderful to sleep in!! When we got downstairs each of them got to open one gift and their stockings. Then we ate a huge breakfast that everyone helped cook! After all our bellies were full, we opened the rest of the gifts. After that, the day was filled with playing with playing with new toys, putting together puzzles and eating a big turkey dinner! We feel so blessed to have our health, home and family.

...And since we have no place to go, Let it SNOW, let it snow, let it snow!!

November 22, 2010 -7:00am: Woke kids up..they got dressed...ate breakfast...put on snow gear...and watched out the window for the bus. And they waited....and waited....and still waited...

I decided to check the computer to see...yep, school cancelled! Whoohoo!(Kind of hard to find out when you don't have television to watch the news...) The kids were already dressed, and decided to make the best out of this great snow day!

Why not go sledding!!! They were out there for hours! So much fun!

It's great to have our own property with some hills just their size!

Here's to many more snow days!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

A morning sunset...

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow....

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below

Kids enjoying the first snowfall!

Halloween is no more...make room for the snow Mr. Pumpkin!

Trying to make a snowman.

Despite the fridged temperatures out around us, we stayed warm with a fire in the stove. I'm very impressed with this home. They really knew how to build homes 100 years ago! It's solid. The wind can be blowing 50 miles an hour, and the house doesn't even creak! The front part of the home is only heated by what you see here, fire. Surprisingly enough(since I was worried about heating our home with just a stove) it's gets almost too warm! I keep asking Trevor to turn down the fire! ;D The old bricks keep heat in and cold out! Brilliant! I love this home!

Man's Red Fire

The colder weather is fast approaching. Each day we can see many farmers working long hours to prepare for the harvest. Our street will soon be filled with trucks carrying potatoes and wheat. This will be our first winter in our home. As we are looking forward to thoughts of hot chocolate, where to put the Christmas tree, and kids being able to sled in our backyard, we are also filled with worry about how to keep warm. Our home's main heat source is a wood burning stove. Feeling very unprepared without a truck or a chainsaw, we knew that it would be a bit difficult getting the wood we would need. This last week though, with the help of some wonderful friends(and their trucks), we were able to get a few cords of wood! It's a good start but a few more cords may be needed. We have found joy in the physical work of cutting and stacking. It's difficult, but we are grateful for the sore muscles! We now feel a bit more prepared for the harsh winter winds of Rexburg! Bring it on! P.S Dear Santa, this year we would like a Dodge Ram and a chain saw....

"Our" Potato field ready for the pickin'

"Lumber Jack Trevor" hard at work!

Kids helping stacking the wood. They did MOST of the stacking! Great to have eager helpers!

The pile so far. Much more to come....

A visit to remember...

Previously recorded in my last blog: "Since it is a home filled with history, I have often wondered who has walked these floors before. How fascinating it might be to know stories about those who lived here when the bricks were new. I will have to look into it and see what I can find."

Well last night I found out the name of the sisters who lived in our home so very long ago. Her name is Shirley Squires. Now most of you don't know this, but not only do I now know the name of who lived here before, I already KNOW HER!!! What a small world. Shirley was in my ward in Archer. We got to know her family quite well. In fact, I was in need of newspapers to wrap our dishes in for the move and Shirley gave me a hole box of them. I was thrilled to know it was her home! I just had to surprise her and took a visit to Archer today.

Shirley opened up the door with a smile already on her face! She knew why I was there. What a visit that was. Her grandfather, Armon Bigler, built the home(I asked if 1911 was correct year and she said she didn't know the exact date but said that sounded accurate). Her father, Hugh, lived in the home as a boy. She has an old picture of Hugh's brother sitting on the steps by the front door(she said she would find all the old photos to show me at a later date). Shirley herself was born in the home! Her mother use to make large dinners for the thrashers(I didn't know what this was and figured I should look it up... thrasher - a farm machine for separating seeds or grain from the husks and straw. I guess they would use this term for the men that would gather up the straw and place it in the thrasher. Many of the thrashers in the area would go to their home to receive a large hardy meal and Shirley remembers helping with the cooking and serving. She remembers her father telling her mother to "put more meat out there".

We had a wonderful visit and I invited all the of the family to come and see the home that is so dear to them. I look forward to hearing the endless amounts of stories and memories of Shirley Squires. Even though this home is just bricks and mortar to many, I know that the value is so much grater to many. I must say, I have fallen in love with this "little English Cottage".

Living in history...

I was thinking about how wonderful it would be write all the events and things that have taken place in our lives since the last time I wrote on here, but I think that may take ages. Plus I would not know where to start, so instead, I will share our latest adventure as a family.

On August 27, 2010, we bought our first home! Trevor and I knew that our time in this little town was not over, and we thought that having a home of our own would be the best step for our family. We looked at many homes in the area for a few months, but nothing seemed like the right home for us. Then in June, we found the one and made an offer. When it was accepted, we were thrilled and so scared! Without a Realtor or any other help, we learned a great deal about buying a home. What an experience this has been for us! We were glad when the last paper was signed and the keys were handed over. We love the area and the mountain views and feel very blessed to be here.

The original home was built in 1911. In 1935, an addition was made on the backside of the home including an added basement. The brick wall from the original outside can still be seen in the kitchen. Many have described it as a "Little English Cottage". In fact, the lady that owned it before us was from England and it reminded her of home. It is a very unique home with "quirks", but we love it anyway! It's a home full of character. The house sits on a little more than a half of an acre with large trees, a creek(property has water rights), and the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen. Since it is a home filled with history, I have often wondered who has walked these floors before. How fascinating it might be to know stories about those who lived here when the bricks were new. I will have to look into it and see what I can find. I know that a few years ago two elderly sisters(in their 80's?) came to the door to see as if they could come in and take a look at the home. They grew up in it before the addition was in place. One of the sisters told the owner of the home that when her mother was due to have her little brother, she had begged her father to take her to the hospital to see the baby. When her family told her she needed to stay home, she remembers crying on the steps looking out at the back window(I will point out the window in the pictures) to watch her parents drive away. I wish I could have known the names of the sisters! We are grateful to be here and look forward to making our own memories here. What a wonderful little haven this is for us. We feel truly blessed.

Here are some of the many pictures I have taken. I hope that it can give you an idea of the home.

A view from the front door looking into the living room(we have the crown molding we would like to put all around the ceiling)

A view from inside the living room looking out the front door

Living room(check out the built in shelves and the pass through window..guess they use to cook on the one side and pass the food through it to the other room)

A view of the front door. Look above the door....all original...

A view of the dining room

The other side of the dining room looking at the wood stove

A view of the original staircase. We would love to refinish them.

A glance into the kitchen from the dining room

The kitchen

A look at the original outside brick wall which is now in the kitchen.

Another view of the kitchen. The little door on the upper left is a way to get into one of the attics(guess we have two) We would like to one day make that attic another bedroom) Also note the window. This is the window that the lady had mentioned looking out to see her parents drive off. Cool, Huh?

Another angle of the kitchen ceiling

Look at the wood work above the door

A view inside the shower...great mountain view and you can watch the farmers at work all while getting clean! ;D

The boys room

Emma's room

Our room(not sure why the camera made a spot on the wall...)We were sad that we could not put the posts on our bed...or the mirror on our dresser, but until we can make the other bedroom..it will have to do.

Another view of our room

These are the keys and door locks on all the bedroom doors! How neat is that?!?

A view of the storage before going down to the basement

A glimps of the basement...we hope to finish. The laundry is down here and also a spot to install our wood stove we bought a year ago. We have a lot of storage space down here also.

A view from inside the mud room off of the kitchen...also needs to be finished, but check out the stone floor!

A look at our creek!

Some of the big trees on the property..kids love LOVE the rope swing!

Annie enjoying the grass...looking so distinguished.

Seriously!

SOMEONE needs to update this blog! It's been forever.... Guess I'm not great at this stuff. Life gets so busy that it can be hard to fit these things in. Our summer has been filled with gymnastics, t-ball and visits from grandma. When things settle down, someone will give an update! ;D