Our Winter Wonderland

Skiing at J-J Ranch

What's Wrong with this Picture --that would be a tree limb...
That would be the offending tree...
Board Games by Candlelight
Watching the snow fall...and fall...and fall...

My husband and kids have wished for a white Christmas every year. They have always thought I was a bit of a scrooge for saying that a white Christmas would really actually be inconvenient and make everything more difficult. I could say that I was right since two weeks of winter storms canceled every Christmas party and program we had planned, we lost power for three days and had a tree poke a hole through our ceiling...but I think I have to admit that despite all of the cancellations, changes and inconveniences, it was a Christmas season to remember. Being out of our routine allowed us more quiet moments to reflect on why we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Canceled programs and activities gave us extra time together as a family. We had a candlelight dinner for our elderly neighbors. We did things differently. We rescued a stranger in the snow and ended up hanging out at K-Mart with her until 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. My kids spent hours working hard to shovel snow, deliver firewood to neighbors and drag fallen tree branches out of the yard. We learned that a four wheeler makes a good ski-tow and our driveway a nice ski slope. We learned to be thankful for electricity, heat (we don't have a woodstove...yet) and running water (our well doesn't pump water without electricity...) and were reminded that many people live without these comforts every day. I discovered that sorting socks by candlelight is almost like playing solitaire, but it is difficult to distinguish navy blue from black. We all learned that traditions are fun, but an expendable part of celebrating Christmas. Christmas is about remembering God's mercy and love in sending His son.