Snow

Snow in the Grey Valley!

August 10, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

We rarely ever see snow on the ground. When we lived in Cheviot, I believe we saw it four times in eight years. Here, we live in a river valley, at a very low elevation. We sometimes see snow on the mountains around us, but it’s been 10-15 years since our village had it on the ground. So, we were quite surprised, Sunday at lunchtime, to see this out the window:

The children were thrilled!

The huge flakes came faster and faster!

When we got home, there was snow on everything.

The boys immediately started building snowmen.

This will be one of my favorite pictures from this year! Left to right are Mr. Diligence, Simon, Mr. Imagination, Mr. Intellectual, and Mr. Sweetie.

The next morning, there was still a lot of snow around. Simon and Esther went to work, and Simon took this picture from the car.

I took these pictures from our living room window.

By Monday evening, the snow was gone, except for the snowmen, who stayed a little longer. Now they are just memories!

Photos En Route…and More From Michigan

March 2, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

When I looked at my childrens’ memory cards, I found some interesting pictures taken on the way to and and the way home from America. I also found a few more taken in Michigan that I wanted to share! So, here you are.

This was on our first flight, from Christchurch to Auckland, when everyone was fresh and excited!

07-IMG_2904

I could see Farewell Spit from my window as we flew north. I’ve seen pictures of it at low tide, but it was apparently high tide this time—quite different!

08-IMG_5351

This was one of the interesting planes we saw on the tarmac in Auckland. I don’t know what airline it is, but the artwork on it was spectacular!

09-IMG_5352

Our first glimpse of snow on this trip came as we approached Chicago.

10-IMG_2925

My boys were fascinated with all the big planes parked at the International Terminal in Chicago.

12-IMG_2938

13-IMG_2942

14-IMG_3107 15-IMG_3111 16-IMG_3112

They also liked the diversion, during our four-hour layover in Chicago, which turned into five hours when the flight crew got held up in traffic, of watching luggage being loaded into the belly of our plane. 13-IMG_5449

As we traveled home in our van across the mountains from Christchurch to the West Coast, we had to stop on the way down from Arthur’s Pass, because there are a couple of one-lane spots still from a major storm in November. We were amused by the tourists in front of us—two people jumped out of their cars to take a picture of this waterfall—so one of the boys took a picture of them taking a picture!

On the Sunday we were in Michigan, we drove to Ludington after church to see the ice at the breakwater. I’ve never seen the lake so high against that breakwall! We decided not to attempt walking out on it.

02-IMG_1408 03-IMG_1410

There was a solar eclipse that night. Some of us were still awake to watch it reach totality. We tried to wake some of the others up, and they groaned and rolled over. One of those, who shall remain nameless, came into my room a few hours later, still in the wee hours, and asked me when the eclipse was happening—he was quite unhappy to have missed it, and said we should have shaken him. We had.

05-IMG_1420 06-IMG_1427

And, to wrap this up, here are a few more shots of snow-deprived little people enjoying a rare treat!

07-IMG_1429 08-IMG_1433 09-IMG_1435 10-IMG_1436

We’re Home!—Photos From Michigan

February 14, 2019 by NZ Filbruns Leave a Comment

Six of us arrived home late last week after a three-week visit to Michigan and Ohio, visiting family (the other three stayed home to take care of things here). It was a wonderful trip…and an awful trip…and we enjoyed it immensely…and we’re very glad to be home! The time spent with family was wonderful. The stomach bug that laid all of us low for our last week and a half, and which came home with us to infect a couple of the ones who did such a wonderful job taking care of things here, was awful. I don’t have a lot of pictures I can share, because most of the ones we took are of other people, but there are enough to make a couple of posts. I’m always amused at some of the pictures my sons take!

Either the first or second day in Michigan, my mom and I both wanted a nap, so I sent the three boys outside to explore the farm I grew up on. I gave them guidelines so they wouldn’t get lost, and they had fun finding the creek and the woods. Mom’s cat followed them the whole way! There was no snow, but it was very cold; they had fun sliding on the ice.

15-IMG_2946 16-IMG_2947 17-IMG_2950 18-IMG_2953 19-IMG_2954 20-IMG_2955 21-IMG_2956 22-IMG_2958 23-IMG_2960 24-IMG_2961 25-IMG_2962 26-IMG_2963

The wedding was beautiful; I really appreciated the simplicity of everything, and it was so good to see my sister making her vows to a good man.

28-IMG_2974 29-IMG_2976

The little ones enjoyed playing with Grandma’s toys.

14-IMG_0001 30-IMG_5353

It started snowing in earnest, and got very cold, after the wedding. My boys loved playing in the snow! We enjoyed watching the birds come to the feeder.

31-IMG_5355 32-IMG_5356 33-IMG_5358 34-IMG_5359 36-IMG_2980 37-IMG_2981

When I stripped my bed to put on fresh sheets, I recognized the mattress protector! It was one of two Hudson Bay Company blankets that were in the house when my parents bought it in 1972. I had to call the children in to see this bit of history. It’s not in the best shape anymore, but still works as a warm underlay!

35-IMG_5360