sunshine and happiness in the land of frozen....

 Last night was cozy time.  Abigail came over and we watched one of the Psych movies...

(Jonathan, Abigail, Camille, Sonja K., and Charlotte Claire...)

We made pizza, even homemade dough for the crust...I made almond flour/mozzarella cheese crust for a keto pizza...we cubed up chicken breast, tossed it in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and air fried it...they used some in barbecue sauce to make their bbq chicken pizza, with red onions.  I put some in hot sauce and butter for my pizza, with bacon, pepperoni, and red onion.  It smelled so good in here, and believe me, I do not take that for granted....

Sad story, but kind of funny:  Emily, Mariel, Camille and Paul were going to the symphony last night.  Emily and Mariel were staying in the city after work, went out to dinner, then Paul and Cam were meeting them there...well, they drove all the way there, paid $15 to park, and oops, the symphony is TONIGHT.  They stopped at the store on the way home (Paul and Camille) and brought a heater cake, also known as a Pepperidge Farms layer cake, and a Marie Callendar's coconut cream pie.  I did NOT have any, but they put it out on the coffee table, candles lit, so fun!

Yesterday morning, bright and early, Abigail had an eye appointment, 45 minutes away.  She asked if Cam and I wanted to go, and yes, we did.  We went to the "far-away Target", and it was fun.  Cam and I spent a lot of time walking up and down the aisles, and even tried things on, during Abigail's appointment.  I ended up with a pair of black jeans, and we bought a few springy throw blankets, clearanced pumpkin spiced chai tea latte, and tea, and a half priced doctor doll for one of the granddaughters.  

Paul and Jonathan are ice fishing today, brrrr!  Emily came and picked up Miss Charlotte Claire, and brought her up to the north country to go cross country skiing.  I made them pbjs, and packed some snacks, and off they went.  So it's just Sonja K. and Miss Cam here.  Camille used to love cross country skiing, but cannot participate, since her knee has dislocated three times now.   (Her next appointment has been postponed until the middle March, no "unnecessary" surgeries these days in central NY state...)

So we're home, the sun is shining, but it's like two degrees out, brrr.  It's so cold in here, too.  We're trying to decide whether we want a cozy day at home, or if we should venture to the big mall and walk around...I would be happy to walk around Walmart, but they aren't sold...I think we'll end up staying home...but it's a good day.  

Camille and Emily will be going to the symphony tonight...not sure what we'll do...

But brrrrr.  I know so many friends who have moved to warmer climates...I won't be doing that, as Paul loves ice fishing, and fall hunting, and we have older kids here...I couldn't leave them, nor the grandkids.  We will have to be content just traveling to warmer places, and embracing the winter...

One thing I am super looking forward to is camping in the summer.  I hate tenting...last year, on one of our weekends, Paul and I had a super small tent, and with the air mattresses in it, there was only a small strip of floor to stand in to get dressed, stooped over, and I thought I was going to lose my balance and fall, it was not fun.  The rest of the trip was fun, but tenting, ugh.  My huge-0 princess-and-the-pea air mattress sprung a leak when the kids used it in the living room, so last year I had to use a regular $15 Walmart mattress, and oh dear, getting up in the morning, I felt like an eighty year old.  And of course Sunny didn't sleep on the little rug on the floor next to me, no sir, she slept on the air mattress with me, she's a bed hog.

So, with all that said, we are hoping to get a small camper...translation:  I am hoping to get a small camper.  A used camper, light, clean, no leaks, cheap, with a small refrigerator that runs on propane, a stove, sink, and a teeny tiny bathroom for those pesky night time wee-wees, which are NOT fun when you're tenting...the tent zipper goes ZZZZZZZZ, the dog's ears perk up, and no way are you snapping on the leash and getting dragged around the camp ground, risking that doggie barking at night time shadows and waking up the whole camp ground...anyway.  A camper is one of my mid-life dreams...I picture Paul and I at the pups going off and enjoying weekends away when all the kids are grown and busy...but in reality, they'll be camping too, and our site will be the cooking site, the gathering site, and I would have no complaints!  (Ben and Ashley have a small camper, it really does change camping!)

Anyway...off I go...I bought some things online at Target when they had 30% off, and if I don't love them, they're going back...they always look so good on the models online, then I put it on, and wah!

The days are getting longer, and January is winding down.  When we get back from Florida, February 4th, then we'll only have 24 days of February, and part of March, and part of April, and part of May, ha, of winter...:)