February Snow

It hit. The storm that we had anticipated all week actually happened! We woke up Thursday morning to pretty snow everywhere. Our yard was white, the neighborhood was quiet, and for a moment life couldn't get much more peaceful. But then there were those eyes . . . with that "mommy can we go play out in the snow all day?" look. Those eyes that couldn't hide their excitement over the sheer sight of the powdery white stuff. Those eyes that lit up like a Christmas tree the moment he opened the curtains. Those eyes that stared, with great anticipation, out the window every moment until we were finally outside.

Those eyes that got so much brighter the moment they were outside.

First order of business? Eat some snow, of course! Didn't I tell you last time it snowed that all Jonathan wants to do when it snows is eat it?! We were outside maybe five seconds before he had a handful in his mouth.

Fortunately, over the course of the last three months, his taste for fun has grown more than his taste for cold snow, so we were off and running in no time. Mommy had the joy of teaching Jonathan how to make a snow angel. He was a pro in no time!

Out front, it was time to play king of the hill in the empty lot across the street. Someone was thrilled to stand high above Mommy. He promptly sat on his bottom and slid down the hill like a slide. Good thing there was enough snow to cover the dirt (not entirely . . . he still came inside with some dirt on his snow pants).


After earning his spot as ruler over the neighborhood, it was time for some serious snow fun. Mommy and Jonathan chased each other all over the yard during a snowball fight (he throws a mean snowball!).

We also had fun building a snowman. Actually, I'm not sure it was a man. It actually turned out pretty small and seemed a little more feminine than the one Jonathan built with Daddy and Gampa back in November. It also never had a face or arms. By the time I gathered up the nose, etc., most of the snow had already melted and our beloved snow person had fallen apart. Boo.

It snowed a bunch while we were in the front yard playing. The flakes were huge and really sticky. Our snowballs stayed on our clothes for a few minutes after our snowball fight, and our coats seemed to collect snowflakes for later use.

After a little more time in the backyard, Jonathan was pretty happy.

. . . and ready for a little break.

Break time on a snow day must mean cookie time. We baked up a batch of these yummy treats.

Not only are they completely yummy, they're completely good for you (as much as a cookie can be good for you). Almond Butter Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies—with only six very healthy ingredients, they're almost guilt free. :) (Here's the recipe.) I used 73% dark chocolate instead of chips (and fortunately for the cookies I only had a Valhrona bar on hand, so they got the good stuff). Jonathan was thrilled with a tasty treat, and I was thrilled to see how much he liked them. Next stop: naptime.

Unfortunately, we didn't know that naptime would also mean time for the snow to go bye bye. It was here and gone before we realized it. By about one or two it was all melted. Good thing we went outside to play in the morning! I still had one pretty sad little guy on my hands because earlier I told him we would make snow cones and we didn't get to. But wait! God delivered, as usual. ;)

At about 7:00 the skies opened up and that beautiful, peaceful, cold, amazing white stuff started falling again. Within about twenty minutes our entire yard and street were covered. This time it was light and powdery—the perfect consistency for . . .



a cherry snow cone, as promised by Mommy. Hooray! The day was complete. After we had seconds, little Mister was content with his snow allotment. He got snuggly in his snowman jammies and cuddled on the couch with Mommy while watching an episode of Veggie Tales (Jonathan's latest favorite). What a perfect way to finish a long, fun day in the snow: hearing Bob the Tomato say, "God made you special, and He loves you very much." Yes, He did and He does, Bob. If He made every little snowflake we played with special and unique, He certainly made us that way, too. And if He loves us even half as much as we loved those snowflakes, we're pretty darn loved.