Along with everyone else in the Midwest, I am so over winter. Wichita hasn't gotten a ton of snow like our northern friends have in Kansas City and Iowa, but it has still just been so miserably cold out. Which means Franklin is pyschotic inside. He is blissfully ignorant to the low temps since he has the thickest coat of fur ever, but I just don't know how much more I can take. 
Thankfully, I believe we are supposed to have nicer weather this coming week - 40s - hello heatwave!
Hopefully, we won't have to continue to take turns bundling up and playing with Franklin in the backyard to wear him out for 10 minutes at a time. Andrew just did this earlier today, and I'm up next.
Come on warmer weather.
Okay, so Frank ate my Blackberry last week. I was not a happy camper, but knew I had insurance on my phone so I was hoping for an easy (not expensive) transition to a new phone. 
I get to my nearest AT&T store explain the incident to one of the sales clerks and long story short...I am the new proud owner of my very own iPhone!
I know I am like three years late compared to all of the cool kids that got them when they first came out. But, I do feel kind of cool since mine was only $100. Turns out with an insurance claim you have to mail in your phone and meet a $50 deductible in order to get a replacement. Since my original two year contract with AT&T had lapsed, I could renew for another two years and only pay $100 for an iPhone. Obviously, the choice is clear. I am loving it. I don't know why I wasted over a year talking on a Blackberry.
Franklin is allowed to come out of the dog house now as clearly he had my best interest at heart all along. What a guy. :) 
My dog ate my homework. Not really, but he did eat my phone last night. 
And afterwards, Franklin definitely knew he was in trouble. If we had a dog house, he'd be in it. Instead, he's lounging on his luxurious puppy bed he got for Christmas. Rough life.
If you've seen my posts on Facebook from the past several days, you are already well aware that Andrew, Franklin and I were snowed in at his parents house over Christmas. We were originally going to spend Wednesday night through Friday in Hiawatha with his family and then head to my parents in Iowa early on Friday morning to make it to 10am church with Noel, Hillary and Quinn.
Well. Change of plans.
The blizzard of 2009 really scrooged me.
Let me share a brief recap of our five days of an unexpected Hiawatha/Moore farm Christmas.
Wednesday:
Adam and Emily Griffin arrive in Wichita around 4pm. Their puppy Tyson and our puppy Franklin play for about 45 minutes. Franklin looks really rolly polly compared to Tyson. Tyson runs circles around Franklin. Andrew gets home and we load his truck up with suitcases and presents and drive to Hiawatha for the night. Feel like Santa in his sleigh. :)
Thursday:
I get up, get ready and drive into town (with 4-wheel drive on the entire way in Andrew's truck) to pick up Halley, Megan and Katie for our annual Christmas Eve morning "us eight girls" breakfast. High school friend reunion! It was so much fun, but it couldn't last forever because the snow is really picking up. Spend a bit of time at Noel and Hillary's with Quinn and Halley, drop Halley off and head back out to the farm. Andrew does chores with his dad for 3+ hours. Butch, Ruth, Andrew, Zach and I pile into two trucks to drive across the frozen country for a family dinner with Butch's cousin and family. Had so much fun, drank too much wine and stayed too late! On the way home, about a mile from the farm, both trucks get stuck in snow drifts. Boo. Work on not getting too claustrophobic as we sit in the truck cabs waiting for Butch and Zach to get back with the tractor to pull us out.
The tractor arrives to save the day, and we finally make it home well after midnight. Exhausted...sleep in the "snake room". (Haven't heard that story before? It's a good one, just ask.)
Friday:
Merry Christmas! 
It is still snowing and still blowing 30+ miles per hour. Open gifts, eat lunch, watch the Hangover. Andrew is convinced he, Franklin and I are "the three best friends that anyone could have, we're the three best friends that anyone could have..." Watch TV, throw myself a pitty party that I am stuck and don't get to see my family for Christmas and go to bed.
Saturday:
Still snowing, still blowing. TV, Facebook, solitare on the computer, TV, Facebook, solitare, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat. No snow plow truck. Andrew leaves me inside again and does chores with his dad for 3+ hours. TV, Facebook, ..."hey you can come outside to the shop with me!" Yes! Something to do!
Watch Andrew work on his brother's truck. Blaaaahhhhhhh.
Watch The Proposal, TV, try to convince Andrew to play cards with me. Pitty party. Bed. Did I mention typically dogs aren't allowed inside the house at the farm? Whoopsies.
Sunday:
Stopped snowing! A bit less breezy! And, what's that? SNOW PLOW! Go into town for a change of scenery. Hurry up and get the truck ready or I will start walking there myself.
Exchange gifts with Noel, Hillary and Quinn. 
Read a book with Quinn and play with Dora stickers. Really excited to see new faces! 
Back to the farm. Exchange gifts with Luke and his girlfriend Lori (who were stuck in St. Joe, in their own house). Pack up. HOME! 
Not so fast...Andrew forgot his jeans in the laundry...back up...
Finally, by 7pm we are HOME! Franklin and I felt the same way - it is so good to be back. :)
YES!
Christmas hasn't happened exactly as planned this year, and we all know how well I deal with interrupted plans.
Thanks to mother nature, Andrew and I have been bundled up at his parents' house since Wednesday night. We are completely snowed in and haven't even thought about making it to town because of the huge snow drifts. I am going to die of boredom. Not to mention, we didn't get to go to my parents' for Christmas.
Trying to keep a positive attitude, but any last ounce is just about gone. Helppppppp!
I left Dillon's on Saturday morning, and as I was waiting to turn left onto the road, three cars drove by me that were decorated with Christmas decorations. One had a wreath on its front bumper, one SUV had garland and red bows tied to its cargo rack and another SUV had antlers sticking up from its front windows.
Maybe this is becoming more popular, but I'm not sure why?
*image courtesy of smarthome.com
