Southern Snow

When the local forecasters started calling for snow last Thursday night - I was a true skeptic. I've heard the calls before - the ones that cancel school long before the first flake has fallen - the ones that cause pandemonium at the local grocery stores when folks flock to buy every remaining gallon of milk and loaf of bread off the shelves.

So you can imagine my surprise when it actually started snowing - and snowing - and snowing.

Silently it fell through the evening and through the night - blanketing everything in a soft white layer.

I love the sound of the world when everything is coated in snow - slightly muffled - slightly still - and completely at peace.

We had gone out to eat with some friends Friday night - thankfully we were close to home - so we had a short drive to the house. The snow hadn't started to accumulate on roadways when we left our house at 5:30 - but by the time we left the restaurant closer to 7:00 - we found a blanket of white.

The kids couldn't wait to get out in it - so we bundled up Anna and James (and Daddy) and sent them out into the 'blizzard' of '10. Anna immediately started scooping up snow - helping Daddy build a snowman - and making snow angels.

James didn't quite know what to do with it - and sort of stood there looking around - getting his 'snow legs.'

We warmed up after their evening tromp with valentine cookies and hot cocoa (I love their little rosy cheeks and James' hat hair!)

Of course we lost power while we were sipping our cocoa (we always lose power - in every major weather storm) - but thankfully my wonderful in-laws gifted us with gas logs when we purchased our home - so we made a bed on the floor of the den, lit a lot of candles, pulled the pack-and-play out for Jack - and the kids got to camp out. I think we were without power for about 10 hours - enough to put a chill through the rest of the house - but we were toasty warm.

The next morning the kids were up at the crack of dawn - jumping up and down to get out in the snow and play!

After a special 'snow day' breakfast of cinnamon rolls and more cocoa - we bundled up and headed out ....

And made a snowman as big as Daddy!

And didn't let a little thing like snow get in the way of our lawn mowing duties...

The kids had a ball. (Mommy and Daddy did too!)

I for one was just happy I could use my Sorel snow boots - footwear needed in my hometown in the Pacific Northwest but that hadn't seen the light of day since I moved here in 1997.

Now as much as our kids loved the snow - they didn't love how cold and wet they got (because we really don't have proper snow gear) - so we had to take several 'breaks' to warm up and change into dry clothes throughout the morning.

And by the afternoon - much of the snow had started to melt - and it's all but gone now.

A perfect snowy day - something I'm so thankful our children got to enjoy! It will probably be another five years or so before we have as much snow as we did Friday night - and I'm tickled pink that our children got to enjoy it and hopefully remember it.