Saturday, January 30, 2010

How Lucky Am I?: Snow Edition

holy experience

I am thankful for #62: Snow Days...it really feels good to get a call at 6:30 a.m. telling me that schools are canceled for the day. That's what happened the Friday before last (the weekend these pictures were taken), and that's what I also received this morning. I'm thankful for the technology (#63) that allows parents to receive this call from the warmth of their beds.


Of course, it's not the same effect as huddling around your little television set (that gets only 4-5 channels) as a kid and waiting with expectation for your school to flash across the screen. (I can still SEE it in my head...Ava, Bakersfield, Billings, Blue Eye, Branson, Cassville, Chadwick, Climax Springs...oh, let it say CRANE, let it say CRANE...CRANE!)


I had no idea that it was even supposed to snow today. Therefore, it was totally bizarre to hear the words on the phone - but very nice to set my phone back on the nighstand and cuddle back into my covers. That deserves to be #64. And also #65 - I love my bed. There's nothing really special about it. My mattress set is 12 years old, my duvet is missing some buttons, and I never make my bed unless we're having company. But it's MY bed, and I think it's so comfortable.
The kids spent A LOT of time outside when it snowed last weekend. I'm very thankful (#66) that everytime I looked, there was Tornado, holding Sissy's hand, making sure she didn't slip on the slick driveway.
I'm thankful (#67) that my three kids are such a CREW. They love to hang out, and despite the gaps in their ages, they make it work.
#68...It's just great that something like ICICLES bring such JOY to kids.
I'm thankful (#69) for an active husband. (Even if our attempts to sled with a piece of cardboard were not successful.)
#70 I'm also thankful that he's super cute. And that he forgives me (#71) for posting a picture of him, even after he told me not to. And I'm thankful (#72) for those sleepy eyes because of what they stand for: all the hard work and time spent with his family.
#73. I don't really know what it is, in particular, that I'm thankful for here, but...there's a lot.
#74 I'm thankful for a helpful 9 year old who loves to scrape off snow and ice.
And it's really fun (#75) to experiment with new things like snow icecream. What's better than snow icecream? A snow icecream banana split. (I was a little freaked out to make it, and I googled a bunch of opinions about whether it was safe to eat snow...with contradicting results...we went for it, though. Just added some non-dairy milk, sugar, and vanilla until it seemed right.)
On snow days, it's nice (#76) to have a Googie and Papaw who call and ask if we need anything from the store while they're out. They brought us a movie from Hastings (#77), and Papaw provided much indoor entertainment (#78), running around and chasing 3 squealing kids for quite awhile.
We very rarely make hot chocolate (because it very rarely snows or feels cold enough in Arkansas to do so) so the kids were very thrilled. I'm thankful (#79) for my kids' appreciation of little things, and #80, I'm happy for vegan marshmallows.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

I love your post. It looks and sounds like you are having a blast!

Annette W. said...

Love this post...your kids...your thankfulness.

Laura at By the Bushel said...

love the phone call from the warm bed. I remember that tv too, with the 4 or 5 channels,, bliss when you hear your school!
We don't get many snowdays, well, never, since we're so far south, but love seeing other's snow picts.
I have a beautiful one on my screen saver.
Have a blessed snowday!

Cary said...

I love that you rarely make hot chocolate, but you have the perfect mugs for it. That's very you.

Anonymous said...

Jenny you just never cease to amaze me! Ryan is so lucky to have you! Thank you for reminding me of all the little things I can be thankful for too! Please, please, please tell us the recipe for snow ice cream. I have two feet of it in my back yard and it would be a great weekend "fun thing" to do with the kids!!
Pam

Jenny said...

It's approximately 8 cups of snow to 1 cup of milk. I forgot I started out sweetening it with maple syrup but ended up adding a little organic sugar, as well, to make it taste more like icecream. And you have to eat it pretty fast because it starts to melt quicker than regular icecream.

The Davidson Den said...

#73 is my favorite. :)

We made snow ice cream, too!! As a child, I LOVED that part about when it snowed. It was something I did with my grandparents.

My kids need warm boots like yours. Our feet (and hands and legs and heads, frankly) were all soaked through!!

shannonmarie said...

I'm enjoying your grateful comments, as I am also surrounded by snow. Looks like you all are having fun. Maybe my family can do the same outside once the blizzard conditions die down. In the meantime, we'll stay cozy inside together.

That is a cute pic of your hubby. Mine hates it when I post him, too, but thank goodness they forgive us.

I also have an awesome Paw Paw. He makes sure we have everything we need, even taking me to the grocery store at the last minute before this storm hit. He also is quite entertaining :-)

Annette W. said...

Hi! Can you send me your address again? Someone wants her friend to get a Valentine, even if it's a bit late. :)...and hopefully the mail goes today!

veganf said...

My kids are snow eaters, especially my second, drives me bonkers! But I don't think it's bad if it's fresh snow.