More Snow and Cold

During the week before Christmas, we had 4 or 5 days of warm temperatures (mid 30's is apparently quite warm here!) which melted most of the foot of snow we had accumulated since Thanksgiving. But on the 23rd of December we had a big storm roll in with snow and cold gusts of wind (church was even let out an hour early because it was getting pretty bad). The temps have stayed cold, and we've gotten a little more snow every couple days since then. Therefore, we had a white Christmas and multiple opportunities all week to really fall in love with shoveling the driveway.

Chandler and I worked hard on the 27th to clear the driveway; then when we were done, he thought he would be rewarded with a clear spot to play basketball. The first basket he made ... no ball appeared! It was stuck in the frozen net! My suggestion was to get another ball - surely it would knock the first one down. But no. I guess that hoop was more frozen than I thought! Poor Chandler. He's the only one of the kids already mentioning he's tired of the winter in Wisconsin since sports are more difficult to pursue!

Caleb and Rachel kicking back in the snow. I forced Rachel to have her pacifier (she's always happy to obey that request) so that her drool (cutting molars right now) won't freeze her chin!

Rachel and Chandler in the front yard.

Carlie on the back porch on Christmas Eve making a mini snowman (to the left) and snow angels. The storm the day before left an odd piling of snow. Because it had been so windy, some spots in the yard had practically no snow, but our back porch had a large drift of snow that had accumulated.