We had a winter storm two nights ago.  Woke up that morning to 10 inches of snow on the ground.  This is our second big snow storm of the season.  The last snow was on Christmas Day.  Since then, we have had some really nice weather.  The snow was all gone between these two storms. 



We live near Hendersonville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  It is beautiful here year around.  But, everything closes down due to the snow.  Curvy, narrow, mountain roads are not safe to travel on during these storms.  Elevations can change by a thousand feet quickly in a short distance on these roads.  Where we are at, it is about 2500 feet elevation.  But all around us it goes from 1,000 feet to 4,000 feet in any direction. 

My husband got up early and shoveled the sidewalk and cleared off his personal truck.  It has four wheel drive.  The company work truck, which he normally drives to work, is only a two wheel drive. 

He started his truck 15 minutes before leaving to be sure it was warmed up.  As he was headed out the door, my husband’s work called, and said they weren’t working due to the weather.  They are a construction company, and when the weather is this bad, it brings everything to a stand still.   But he had lots to do, and decided to take the four wheel drive truck in to the office anyway, and get some paperwork done.  He is managing seven projects right now, and the paperwork can build up fast.   Later he told me he was glad he went in, and between the snow holding up construction, and a quiet office, he was able to get everything done.

Driving his own truck to work was also a good excuse to get to play in the snow, big boy style, with the four wheel drive.

But my van isn’t so easy to get around and the kids and I stayed put.  My van seemed to almost disappear in the snow.



My boys couldn’t wait to get outside and shovel some snow into a tall pile. They said they were building a snow fort.  This sure was handy to clear the driveway.  This was their idea, I came outside to find them busy (clearing the driveway) building their snow fort.

They are in the 4th grade, 2nd grade, and kindergarten.  This was good practice for working together to accomplish a goal.  It was good motor practice too.  Young boys enjoy using their muscles and being active.  Thankfully, they had good eye hand coordination and as they flung the snow off the shovel, no one was hit.  But instead, they were concientous of each other and stuck to their plan to build this great monument of snow.



They had big ambitions and built it about 3 feet deep, 5 feet wide, and 15 feet long before they were to tired to do more.  They cleared the whole driveway.  This was at 9am.  Where does their “get up and go” come from?  I still hadn’t had my mocha latte yet.  Whew!



They tried snow balls, but the snow wouldn’t pack.  They had hoped to sled down the hill, but the snow was to powdery and they sank.



However, it was perfect for making snow angels.



After a couple of hours of play, everyone was frozen and came inside for hot chocolate, and warmed up in blankets on the couch.

When Dad came back home, it was time to go back out in the snow and play some more.  It had continued to snow all day, and now it was a wet snow coming down and that packed even better.



Daddy had his own ideas about sledding.  The powdery snow wasn’t going to spoil his fun, no way!  So he commenced to sled “Daddy Style.” 

A sled, a rope, and a lawnmower!



Have you ever seen Tim The Tool Man Taylor from the 1990’s sitcom?  He always had to UP Size everything, bigger drill, bigger boards, bigger nails, more power, bigger motor in the washing machine (bigger mess), etc.  Anyway, my husband and”Tim” have a few things in common, bigger is better.  He is a big kid himself. 



And in the kids eyes, he is a true HERO who saved the day!



What could be better? 

Flying on the sled, with dad at the throttle, and having fun with your family! 

Priceless.



Now this isn’t the first time he has pulled someone behind a moving vehical.  Once, when we were dating, I rode with him and his friends as they pulled each other behind a vehicle on the ice in Kansas.  They rode trash can lids as sleds, and hung onto a rope as they pulled each other across frozen ice and snow covered roads behind a truck.  (Disclaimer: Kids don’t try this at home, injury can occur).

Well, I too did some silly things in the snow as a kid.  One time, wearing house slippers, several friends and I took turns in a similar way.  We would “ski” in house slippers behind a four-wheeler going down the frozen road.  We had lots of fun, and got a few bruises when we would crash.  But still, lots of fun. 

You just don’t think about anything, but having fun, when it is a snow day. 


How did you and your family spend the winter’s SNOWY DAYS ?