Burrrrr!

It's been a cold start to this new year.  I have been busy with my photography blog and such that I find I never have time to post here... and many pictures of Ella end up on my photography blog anyway...

I've started a 365 project.  Taking a photo each day of the year.  Just a snapshot of my life, which will probably be centered around Ella anyway :)  I have these posted on a number of my photography profiles:

On Facebook HERE
On Flickr  HERE
And of couse on my Inspire Me Photography Blog HERE

Here are some pictures of Ella playing with all her Christmas loot...

 And playing with Ali....

Last weekend, Ron had drill so Ella and I headed to Fort Worth to visit a friend from Korea. Kendall was home visiting her parents before she heads off to London to be with her husband.  They are expecting a little girl in April so it was the perfect opportunity to get a quick visit in before she's back on the other side of the world...

Here's Ella on the beautiful and sunny drive up on Saturday:

And enjoying the candy at the baby shower:

On Sunday morning, we had planned on seeing the Fort Worth Stockyards and mingling with some cowboys.  But we woke up to freezing temperatures and rain.  Ugh!  So we decided to head out early and get back to San Antonio before the predicted snow started. We had just left (and Kendall and her family headed off to church) when my low tire pressure warning light came on.  I know how to check my tire pressure and put air in my tires... IN THEORY.  But I have never had to do it.  Ella and I spent the better part of 45 minutes at a gas station, in the freezing rain.  And when I say us, I meant me.  Ella was toasty warm in the car.  I finally got the tires straight but was soaked to the knees and all down my back... misery!
We head out and my GPS freezes up so I now have no idea how to get back to Kendall's or get to the highway.   I pulled over, in the middle of a country road with cattle on both sides, to gather my wits and figure out what to do next.   Miraculously, after about 5 minutes, the gps started talking.  The screen may have been frozen but it still had my route home programmed.  We made it to the highway but by now the tire monitoring system was acting up.  Aghhhhh!

I drove slow and cautiously but 10 miles down the road, it started to snow.  I was so frustrated by then, I didn't even stop to take any photos (which is sooooo out of character).   Granted still being soaking wet, the thought of stepping out of the heated car and off the seat warmer did not even cross my mind.

Somewhere close to Waco, the skies opened up, the gps came back to life, and the tire monitoring system stopped blinking.  By the time we reached San Antonio, it was sunny and at least 20 degrees warmer.    Seriously, forget the stockyards, next time I'm bringing my own cowboy :)

This week has been cold, freezing cold, and wet.  We've spent a lot of time inside.  Ella has read her Leap Frog books so much that she's earned enought rewards to play the online games... here she is on my computer composing music for Ariel under the sea...

And drinking hot cocoa in the middle of the afternoon....