Where the Tree Tops Glisten

It’s been warm and rainy around here lately (think March instead of December). My kids have been riding their bikes around the neighborhood without jackets and worrying that we wouldn’t be having a white Christmas this year. The other day Mary Kate declared that she was having a hard time finding the Christmas spirit without the snow. I’m a little bit like her in that respect, so when the temperature dropped late Monday night; and those first snow flakes began to form a soft blank of white over our dull brown grass, and collect delicately on the branches of the tree in our front yard, I felt happy. Snow isn’t my favorite thing in the universe, but I do like a white Christmas. I mean…what’s the point of living in a place with four seasons if you can’t have a little snow for the holidays? 

Now it looks like we’ll finally be hanging the bikes up in the garage where they belong this time of year, and where they will stay until spring. Hopefully.

I love that first picture because I love quite snowfall at night? I think it’s one of my favorite simple pleasures.

I also love how our street looks in the morning, covered with freshly fallen snow.

I was up early to capture this shot, before the snow plows came through and before the kids came out in their boots to track through it all…not that I mind kids tracking through it. The kids have been waiting so long for some decent snowfall that they really celebrated, pulled out all the stops. The whole neighborhood was out to celebrate in fact.

The snow was wet and heavy, perfect for packing. Snowmen of all shapes and sizes were being built in yards up and down the street.

I love that Mary Kate is doing ‘bunny ears’ on this unsuspecting snowman…as if he’ll download these photos tonight and be like…’Hey, what the….!’

The above giant cougar fan of a snowman (notice the hat) was created by the Larson family across the street, but we wanted a snowman in our own yard as well, so we created….daa da da daaa…

…Ooogly Gooogly, the alien snowman from outer space.

This extra terrestrial obviously didn’t come from Mars…much too hot on Mars for snow creatures. So…you scientists out there, which planet is the coldest, now that Pluto isn’t officially a planet anymore? Ooogly Gooogly must be from that planet.

He’s come a long way just to stand around motionless in our yard. Brought a nice scarf though. Don’t you think?

I like this last shot of our space snowman. It’s as if he’s watching the kids intently, longingly wishing he had the ability to move because he would so love to join them in their fun. Too bad Mr. Martian. The sun will decide your fate.

While we were enjoying the snow, Winnie was watching from the front room window, frantically scratching on said window, begging to be let out. Unlike Ooogly Gooogly, she can move and wanted to come out and play too. She was a bit hesitant about the snow this year. It took some gentle coaxing from MK for her to finally plunge in, but she eventually adjusted to the white fluff and ended up soaking wet, as usual. She spent the rest of the afternoon drying off on an old beach towel in the laundry room.

It’s warmer outside today and there’s a drizzling rain falling that’s turning the snow into nasty piles of slushy mush. The white beauty of yesterday is practically a memory. The snow might not stick around until Christmas (our snow alien is already a melted mound of slush with a purple scarf on top) but yesterday’s snow did give us a good excuse to stir up some hot chocolate and cookies (as if we needed an excuse), and it does feel a bit more like Christmas. We’ll pray for another temperature drop tonight and maybe, just maybe….