Something Magical

When I was little and it snowed, It was AWESOME!!!! Not that it's not awesome now, but when your little there is just something about snow that lights you up. Something magical.

It snowed every year where I grew up. It's notorious for being 102 in the summer and 10 in the winter. It truly is the best place on earth! Where the seasons actually change.

Spring is filled with April showers and May flowers.

Summer is filled with pool parties, sprinklers, Popsicles and water fights.

Fall is Burgundy, orange, and yellow leaves, rain, wind, and jackets

Winter is snow. snow. snow. Which means snowmen, snowball fights, sledding, and the one thing that rules it all...snow forts!

One year it snowed quite a bit. I'm talkin knee high quite a bit. now when your a grown up, knee high on a 6 yr old isn't that much, it's a lot, but not as much as your 6 yr old thinks it is. It was the perfect kind of snow. Just wet enough to stick together but not so wet that it was just a bunch of slush! It must have been my dad's day off, or he called in sick. I'm not sure which.

My parents always made sure that snow was a magical thing, and not this burdensome thing that most adults make it out to be. I never remember my parents complaining about driving in the snow. I never remember them having a negative attitude toward the snow. It has always been a magical, wonderful thing.

We woke up to snow that day. My mom and dad got us appropriately outfitted to go out and play in the snow. My dad in his flannel shirt and snow boots. us in our coats, hats and gloves. Out we went.

My dad, is awesome. That's it. He is THE. MAN. and when it comes to making stuff, especially out of snow?! Forget about it! He is KING of snow!

All I remember is him piling snow up in the front yard...tons of it. Shoveling it up and up and up. I remember trying to figure out what he was doing, and then I saw it. The greatest defense against any incoming snow balls. The biggest snow fort I had ever seen! It was as tall as I was! It was awesome and my dad had built it. Next came out the best idea my mom had ever had and she was the queen of all things snow related. 5 water bottles...not just water bottles, Squirt bottles filled with water...not just any water but Colored water!!! Colored Ice water so that we could Spray paint our new snow fort! In that moment my parents were the coolest people in the world.

Snow should be fun. Snow should be magical and wonderful. Snow should strike a certain feeling inside you, something I plan on passing on to our children!



Power anyone?!

Last night we had a pretty bad windstorm. Now there's something you need to know about me, I. LOVE. STORMS! Always have. Probably always will. I credit this to my parents, both of them!
I grew up in a valley. A place where you could watch the storm circle your town before it hits. We would hear thunder and run outside. We would stand in the back yard or sit on the front steps and watch my did predict where the lightning would strike. It has always amazed me how accurate he was! He would point, and then it would hit, right where he would point! I remember wishing and wishing that the power would go out. Most kids, I understand, are afraid of power outages, but that's where my parents ruled!!
We would stand out side with Dad watching the storm go around the mountains, circling our little piece of paradise and when it would start raining, we would wait a little longer, feeling the rumble of the thunder and counting the seconds between it and the strike of lightning. Predicting how far a way it was. We would stand outside until my mom stepped out and told us that our hot chocolate was ready. We then would go inside, put on dry clothes and sit in front of the fire, that my dad had now built and drink our homemade hot chocolate. Always made with milk, cream, real cocoa, vanilla and some cinnamon and nutmeg (for "nutmeg is the spice of love") Topped with real homemade real whipped cream!
When, and if the power went out my mom would light the candles that she had strategically placed around the house the minute the thunder started, and my dad would grab our flashlights. We would then sit by the fire and listen to our mom or dad tell us stories. Whether from a book or from their days growing up in Seattle.  We would play games. and sometimes just talk. We would talk about everything and anything!
It was a bummer of a time when the lights would come back on.
It is because of my parents turning something potentially scary into something fun and exciting that even as an adult I get all excited when the trees sway, rain pours, and lights flicker!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is/was my mom's birthday!!
I have spent all day thinking, pondering, and drafting what I was going to write in tribute to the woman who made me who I was. After many attempts of putting it in to words, this is what I've come up with.
I am thankful my mom was born. Because if she wasn't, I wouldn't exist!
I'm grateful for all my moms hard work to not kill her children.
I love that my mom loves all her kids not matter what, or how many faults we have!

Thanks mom!! Happy Birthday!!!