First snow

Over the holidays, my brother, his wife, and their 5 year old daughter came to stay with us for a week. It was one of the best holidays I've had in years for several reasons. One, it was wonderful to have family with us. I grew up in rural Maryland, on the water, in a family of seven. My siblings and I now live all over the country, from Maryland, Arkansas, Colorado, to California. We all have families of our own and get together every few years for family reunions and special occasions but there is nothing like having them around for the holidays.

While I wish my parents and siblings, and our families could all be together (there would be 21 of us!), I felt grateful to have even a handful of us.

Another reason it was special was my niece had never seen snow before. Maybe as a baby, but she had no recollection. So guess what it did the second night they were here - IT SNOWED! Big, fluffy flakes that fell for two days straight. Here are a few special pics from that week:



Look closely and you'll see that my brother his writing his daughter's name in the snow with his tracks.

What the kids wanted to leave for Santa - Soy milk, cookies, cheese, and cranberries :)


Evidence that kids have been playing in the snow all day.


The house was a mess, there was mud and snow everywhere, gloves were lost and noses frozen. And I hope it happens again soon.