It has been an unusually cold and snowy winter here in the Midwest. The snow is beautiful, sparkly and white – who couldn’t appreciate looking out the window and seeing it?
Boxwood bushes covered with dollops of white floof,
snow forts and frozen snow perfect for scooting and sledding and sliding,
ice-covered branches with sunshine glinting through them, reminding us of a winter wonderland,
cozy nights and afternoons reading or doing school in front a warm fire, lots of hot chocolate.
But there has been a somewhat seedy side to all of this beauty. Frozen pipes, high energy bills, frantic runs to the store for milk or toilet paper, furnace issues, and a mouse.
Yes, a mouse. Seems our kitties have become too attached to their warm kitty house to go out and hunt as diligently as usual.
He’s under there. Somewhere. We will find him.
Despite these inconveniences, it really has been easy still to be thankful that we have food and a shelter from the weather. Even if our shelter is only 44 degrees because our furnace stopped working last week. It is still a shelter! We still have power, and food, and running water, and warm clothes, and a sense of humor.
Think of our pioneer forefathers – 44 would have seemed amazingly comfortable to them. They surely wouldn’t have complained, would they? And it is fun and hilarious to watch mom kneading this week’s bread while wearing Dad’s winter hat.
Olivia discovered that the waterproof inserts in kids’ boots make perfectly warm winter slippers when you take them out of the boots.
Pancakes are great for breakfast, especially when you’re wearing your outside winter wear inside.
The bedrooms and school room have space heaters which keep them quite cozy.
In just a few days, Valentine’s Day will be here. We’re planning on heart-shaped pizzas for dinner, peppermint ice cream, and the kids are already working on the Valentine cards they are going to give to each other. And of course there are the delicious heart-shaped cookies we love to make, and eat.
You can sing no matter how cold it is. Beautiful hymns like Fairest Lord Jesus and Be Thou My Vision, which warm us right up.
And school can still be accomplished – it’s never too cold for that!
Memories. That’s what we’re making. 
And if anyone complains about how hot it is when the warm summer days of July and August roll around, we may all take a stroll down memory lane together.
Just for fun.
Hope you are warm and cozy!
