Snow!

It finally snowed this week. Six inches the first day, 22 the next. There is a steady snow now. I've accepted the fact that the snow probably wont melt and go away for several months. The same way I learned to love the rain in Alabama. This world is so amazing. In Alabama I used to sit on my front porch and watch the constant down pour in awe and wonder. I felt much the same way tonight as I had the opportunity to watch the snow fall. The utter magical beauty of each flake dancing its way to earth took my breath away. I know I've seen snow fall before and I've felt the excitement and joy it brings, but I've never looked at a snow storm and paid attention to individual flakes before. I felt like I was watching it for the first time.

We hardly played in the snow in New Mexico. Mostly because by the time we got our winter gear on large pools of mud appeared. Here we have concrete! I love that I can let the kids play and there is virtually no mess. We've done a lot of playing. The first day, my boys were outside for 6 hours straight! I so did not think they would even last an hour. Taylor has taken it upon himself to help all the neighbors shovel their driveways. Its obvious it makes him feel good and he honestly expects nothing in return. I love my boys! Its funny that all the neighbors have been more "neighborly" since the snow. People stand out in it and chat way more than they ever did in the summer. I had a man come help me shovel yesterday. He said he was wandering around helping anyone who was shoveling because it helped him not think about the cigarettes he was craving. Sounds good to me.

I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying the snow too. I've never loved the cold. Here I bundle up and head outside to be with my kids. As long as I dress right I hardly notice the cold. To see the joy on my kids faces makes it all worth it anyway. I don't mind the shoveling. It gives me a sense of accomplishment for some reason. The fact that I know I'll have to go out and do it all over in just a few hours again doesn't bother me at all. Weird.

The boys made a snow cave today. Its big enough that they can lay flat in it and sit up comfortably. They wanted to sleep in it tonight. They probably would have been fine if I let them, but that was a little much for me. Yesterday we made snow angels and had a snowball fight. Tomorrow we'll build a snowman and see if he lasts until we get back from NM after Christmas.

The road conditions are rough right now. Last summer the ABS and traction control went out on my car, so I'm learning a whole new style of driving. I tried to turn a corner yesterday and the car would have nothing of it. So we continued on straight until we found a corner my car approved of. We made it home eventually. The worst is when I stop at a red light it takes forever to convince my tires there is enough traction to get going again. I've ticked off quite a few drivers behind me. I'll get the hang of it.

For now I'll enjoy my winter wonderland.