Slow Lane and Snow Forts

Last week I was overwhelmed, over committed, and running too fast for my strength.  Then this snowstorm came.  We spent  the day before the snow arrived hurriedly finishing up our Christmas shopping, grocery shopping for gingerbread house supplies and hot chocolate, and in general preparing to be hunkered down for a few days.   I normally don't like to stay put for very long, but guess what?

  I loved it.

I loved that the snowstorm gave us an excuse to go nowhere at all for 2 days straight.  I loved that school was canceled and I didn't have to panic with Cami to get her big research paper done by Monday.  I loved that I didn't have to help in three different classrooms a day while they had their gingerbread parties, holiday rotation "parties" so they can properly learn about all the other winter holidays except Christmas,  and holiday  concerts where they play one Christmas song total. I even liked that church was canceled and we could rest from our callings and from rushing kids out the door for a week (please don't strike me with lightning). 

Instead we're living life in the SLOW LANE!!!!  Playing together outside, drinking our requisite 3 cups of hot chocolate a day, baking goodies, making real gingerbread houses (a topic worthy of a separate post), watching movies, playing games, and  spending the holidays as they're meant to be!  Now if I could just figure out how to recreate living life in the slow lane the rest of the year.  :) 

Now for a little nostalgia....

Last time we had more than a few inches of snow was February 2003.  I think the grand total was something like 16-inches and just like this time the kids didn't have school for an entire week.  Glen in his excitement to relive his snowy childhood in Colorado  built this snow fort for the kids. It provided hours of entertainment for them and was such a novelty that they talked about it for years later...

 

Fast forward almost 7 years and the kids couldn't wait to try to recreate the snow fort again with the 20-inches of this storm. Spencer and Cami labored out there for hours, before Glen finally caved (no pun intended) and put his poor shoveling muscles back to work to help them make this 3 entrance beauty! 

  It's a bit of a tighter squeeze now trying to recreate the 2003 photo, but it's providing just as many hours of fun and enjoyment for the whole family (and visiting friends)!


PS  We have a great sledding hill, lots of sleds, and this fort if anyone wants to bring the kids over for some grand winter fun!   Please come.  My kids (and I) would love it.   :)

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