Just a few pictures

We just wanted to share some pictures of when we went snow shoeing. That Sunday we got a foot of snow and it snowed all day. Cameron, Atenas and I decided to go out for a walk while it was still snowing.

Nancy bought Atenas a dog sling and she loves it. While we were still home, we wrapped her in a blanket and put her inside the sling so she could get used to it (she even fell asleep in it).

Cameron and I had to gear up; we put on skiing outfits and got ready for our walk. Atenas enjoyed being outside because she was kept warm and dry all the time.

Cameron leading the way:

Atenas is inside the sling (you can barely see her):

Notice the accumulation of snow sitting on the bench:

Due to the slushiness of the ice/snow, we decided to get her some booties and an insulated jacket (with reflectors). She’s slowly getting used to them because she now sees the benefits of wearing the proper gear.

Today we got about six inches of snow, then some freezing rain, then just rain, and tonight the temperature will be below freezing. I’m sure the roads, driveways and sidewalks will be pretty icy tomorrow.

Coldest day so far

I have to take Atenas outside first thing in the morning; and today, it was not very pleasant because it was really cold outside. We were 2ºF and it felt like -6ºF (per weather.com). Tonight’s low is -8ºF and I’m grateful that we won’t be outside to experience it.

Last Saturday we left a bottle of water in our car and tonight as we were driving to a restaurant nearby, we noticed that the water was completely frozen! Who needs a freezer up here during the winter if you can just leave your food outside and it will be all right? We haven’t had a day with temperatures above freezing for a while; the sun is out but it is not enough! Life here is very different than Texas but we are adjusting to this environment.

Last night we used our fireplace for the first time. Cameron got the wood ready and lit up the fire in no time. It was so warm and relaxing and the smell of the wood burning was so pleasant.

Our living room was one of the first rooms we got ready. The fireplace is burning and if you look closely you can see the fire extinguisher (just in case we need it).

Cameron built this console table last year and I love it. Unfortunately a leg broke during our move but it is still holding itself up on its own and Cameron will be able to fix it.

Getting ready for the snow

We’ve been enjoying the sun for the last few days, but tonight we are expecting four to eight inches of snow and tomorrow morning a few more. We bought a snow shovel today, so we won’t be borrowing our neighbors anymore.

This is our backyard and the road next to it leads to the conservation area.

During our morning walk (I had no idea Cameron was taking pictures):

We traveled to New Hampshire for our groceries (Sam’s and Wal Mart); we decided to go there because they were the closest we could find and the stores were right accross the street from each other (about 25 minutes from our house). Not only did we buy groceries, but we also bought snow shoes and a small coat for Atenas (she hates it and doesn't like wearing it). We are so excited about our snow shoes and hopefully we can try them out tomorrow!

Her new coat with reflectors:

Cameron trying to salvage some firewood and Atenas exloring new territory:

Nancy bought Atenas a bed while we were in Ohio and she loves it. She’s getting spoiled by her granny!

Surviving the cold weather

John was right, as long as we have the right gear to bundle up, we will be just fine in this cold weather!

Tuesday night it started snowing and Wednesday morning our driveway and our street had disappeared! They were covered in snow. We still don’t have a snow shovel so we had to borrow it (again) from our neighbor. I wanted to clear the driveway before Cameron came home from work because I wanted to impress him; it is a tough job and now I’m paying the price of shoveling snow (my arms and back are pretty sore but it was a good workout).

No driveway, no street, just snow:

The wind has been blowing pretty hard the last couple of days and that makes the weather feel colder. Cameron had to dig up thru his skiing gear this morning and got his wind proof jacket and snow gloves. Apparently we are expecting eight inches of snow on Sunday; we’ll se how that goes.

Atenas is slowly adjusting to the cold weather. We’ve been walking around the neighborhood and thru the snow. We still need to get her a sweater/coat and maybe some dog booties.

Here's Cameron walking Atenas (notice that he is wearing slippers and not snow boots):

On a different note, we are slowly making progress in unpacking and getting things organized. Cameron says we need to get the house ready before we can go out and have fun.

I’m also learning how to cook in an electric stove and thanks to the guidance of Nancy (my mom-in-law), I haven’t burned anything!

We are home!

We got to our house on Sunday at noon and the driveway was covered in snow (just what Cameron was expecting). We knocked on our neighbor's house and asked if we could borrow the snow shovel (I had to put on my snow boots immediately because there was no way of getting out of the truck without walking into the snow). After clearing the driveway and salting it, we pulled the car out of the trailer and moved the U-haul into the driveway and started unloading things.The house is a mess! There are boxes everywhere but we are slowly making progress.

The kitchen doesn't have much storage so we will have the essentials and store the rest in the basement. It was a challenge getting the furniture inside the house because of the narrow hallways and doors! This will give is a good idea of what it means to own a house! Overall, we are having fun with this experience and hopefully we can soon get everything organized.

As we were unloading the U-haul, Cameron noticed people running behind our house (there is a road behind our house that goes into the reservation area) and also a lady that was cross-country skiing! Once we are settled we will definitely have to check it out!

Here are some pictures of what our house looks like right now; I’ll try to post the AFTER pictures as soon as we are done unpacking and organizing everything.

Our house, u-haul trailer, truck and our car:

Pictures taken from the back porch:

Kitchen (notice the electric stove):

Pictures of different rooms with TONS of boxes:

Rest Day in Ohio

Due to the weather conditions up in the north east, we decided to spend the day in Ohio and hang out with John and Nancy. According to the forecast, the weather should cooperate with our travel up to Massachusetts for the next couple of days.

We are getting so spoiled by John and Nancy and we are so glad that we were able to rest at their house. Nancy made French toast for breakfast along with a nice cup of hot tea. Then we all went shopping; our first stop was Bass Pro Shop where Cameron got me some snow boots! Then we hit the mall and got more winter clothes (since they were on sale).

We will be back on the road early in the morning and we are planning on driving as far as we can. Hopefully we can drive home Sunday afternoon and start unloading the truck.

Your prayers are greatly appreciated!

On our way to New England

First of all, we want to introduce the new member of our family: Atenas (a hairy Chihuahua). I got her in January 2007 but had to leave her with my parents when we got married in October (since we were going to live in an apartment). My parents brought her when they visited us during Christmas; Atenas was under “probation” all that time. Cameron wanted to see if she was a good dog before agreeing to bring her with us to Boston.

We left Abilene on Tuesday night; it was a lot of work loading the U-haul and trying to get things organized (Cameron had his doubts on whether or not we were leaving that day). The U-haul is completely loaded; there is NOT a single square foot that is unused.

Our car and our bikes:

Our first stop was at Matt & Jenny’s; we arrived there very late at night. During normal circumstances, that trip always took us two hours and forty minutes; this time it took us three and a half hours!

Aaron and Isabelle really enjoyed playing with Atenas. They were being very gentle with her and loved petting her. Atenas has been behaving so well and everyone loves her.

Matt & Atenas:

We left Dallas Wednesday morning and drove thirteen hours to Nashville, TN. We drove thru three states: Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee. In Nashville we met with my in-laws John and Nancy (John has been working there for the past six months and Nancy was visiting for New Year’s Eve) and stayed with them. Cameron was exhausted by the time we got there (unfortunately I can’t help him drive). We had barbeque pork ribs for dinner (they were delicious and would easily come off the bone!) and before we knew it, it was New Year’s Day.

Cameron, Nancy and I went walking early in the morning to the greenway close by. The path is right along one of Nashville’s rivers and it is so pretty! It was a little cold so we had to bundle up but Atenas didn’t seem to care. We walked a total of three miles and we were all pretty hot by the time we were done. Then we went back to the hotel and got all of our things ready and all of us headed up to Ohio.

Our trip to Ohio was pleasant and uneventful. Kentucky is a really neat state with lots of parks and attractions and it is the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln!

After six hours we arrived at John and Nancy’s and we got to see aunt Jan and Gramp. For dinner we had bacalao (Christmas leftovers) and they loved it! It was great seeing them one more time.

Gramp, aunt Jan and Atenas:

We are hoping to get to our new home by Saturday or Sunday. The weather is not looking very good so we appreciate your prayers.