White Week

For the past week, we have been coated in SNOW. After that blissful snowman-building day last Monday (Feb 3rd), I thought for sure we had seen the last of winter. But then Tuesday it got really really cold and everything in sight froze solid, including our half-melted Frosty. Then the snow started falling and falling and soon we were just covered in a beautiful white icy blanket. And it lasted! We had an entire WEEK of whiteness—actually 10 days of it! Every time the snow started to get faded and trampled, within a day more snow fell to plump it up again. In fact, church was cancelled on Sunday due to a particularly delightful snowfall. My internal calendar is all out of whack because we didn’t have church on Sunday. What day is it? Who knows.

Well, I avoid driving in the snow at all costs. So we stayed HOME for all of this time, with the exception of a few brief in-town outings. Tate and Layne stayed home too, though, so it was just us White Things in the White House surrounded by White Stuff for a whole White Week. I think we were all feeling a tad on the cooped up side by the time the sun really got going and melted the rest of the snow today. We went to our play group today and it was such a welcome change of scenery.

In spite of feeling homebound, we did venture forth into the white world and frolic a few times.

1. On Monday (Feb 3rd) we built Frosty the Snowman.

2. On Thursday (Feb 6th) we got really excited watching the snow really start to come down and stick to the frozen ground.

3. On Friday (Feb 7th), we played in the snow on Rose’s birthday.

4. On Saturday (Feb 8th), in the morning I put on  my trail shoes and went on a slightly treacherous 4 mile run on the snow-packed streets. I only skidded and windmilled my arms once, but it was pretty slick and slow going out there.
Saturday afternoon, we went to the only hill in town (at Dykstra Park) and went sledding with our friends the Kartchners—Spencer! The Best Buddy:

We borrowed Grampa Dan’s CLASSIC Flexible Flyer sled. Those metal runners skimmed through the snow like a dream. We sailed straight past all the floppy plastic sleds in the park.

We decided to call the Flyer sled “The Beast” because it is so heavy-duty and solidly big. I couldn’t even fit it into the trunk of our VAN without folding down the back seat. Jay, Rose and I fit onto it easily together.

“Rosy cheeks and everything!” (name that movie—anyone?)

I don’t know why it won’t show the picture of the video to click on, but here’s the link to a little go-cam style action from our sledding fun. I sledded down parallel to the kids and took this video of the ride: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=567647518830&l=4445817013767217471

After the Kartchners left the park, Jay, Rose, and I went on a little adventure up Euclid Street past the park. This is the only real hill in Grandview, and we thought it would be epic to sled down it on The Beast. I pulled Jay and Rose on the sled all the way up up up the hill, working up quite a sweat under my scarf I might add. The park is waaaaay down there in the distance, hidden behind that pine tree on the right.

So, at last we made it to the top of the hill and I clambered aboard the sled behind the kids and pushed us off. But one problem: the gravel. Around here, they don’t salt for snow, they dump little reddish pebbles all over the place on top of every layer of snow to give car tires grip. There is maybe one small snow plow in Grandview, so the roads don’t get plowed. Just that gravel. The gravel stopped our smooth running Beast right in his tracks. We didn’t slide more than a few feet before the sled caught gravel and halted. After all that work hiking up the hill, I had no choice but to hike back down again! Oh well, we made it back to the van and went home.

5. Snow adventure #5 was Sunday morning (Feb 9th). Church was canceled and Jeff went out to shovel the driveway after the glorious snow-dump. Eventually we all were out there scrunching around in the squeaky, deep (for Grandview) snow. We went on a family walk around the neighborhood with Jeff pulling the kids on The Beast.

6. Monday we didn’t go outside at all—the cabin fever apathy was setting in. Tuesday (Feb 11th) Rose and I went outside for a bit to enjoy the last of the snow. It was softening nicely in the warmer air, and we managed to make a snow-penguin.

 

Cute little fellow, huh? Rose gave him that nice round snowball hat.

After building Mr. Penguin, I suddenly remembered what Jeff put in my stocking on Christmas: a snowball maker! I dug it out.

I stood there and made well over 100 snowballs in less than 20 minutes with this beauty (I stopped counting after 65). It was so fast and took practically zero effort! Insert scoop into snow, close it, open it, and boom: SNOWBALL. It was amazing! You can even sling snowballs fast n far with this bad boy.

I think we could give Buddy the Elf a run for his money.

We need another snowball maker to give me a worthy foe. Arr!

Snack time.

Poor Frosty never got to melt all the way before the freeze caught him.

The White House with White Stuff. I want to remember this cool icy look in mid-July when we’re sizzling again.

Now we’re just swimming in large wet puddles of slush and meltage. It is very wet outside, but it was 60 degrees today! I could get used to that.