Mowing in a Winter Wonderland!

Snow is magical; no amount of inconvenience, chilliness or shoveling will ever convince me otherwise.

Long after the mystery of Santa was revealed to me as a child, snow remained a constant seasonal wonder. As an adult who has had to drive in the snow, outfit two squirming children into snow gear whilst working myself into a drenching sweat and has had to do my share of windshield scraping, I will still forever be enchanted and calmed by snow's soft embrace.

December in Chicago this year was disturbingly green. Then, on the morning of Christmas Eve, the snow came; my prayers were answered. A few hours and a few inches later, the landscape succumbed to winter's white comforter.

Honestly, I feel that folks who live in the Midwest and complain about snow are missing out.

On the macro and micro level, snow is breathtakingly beautiful. Have you seen close up photos of individual snowflakes? They are nothing short of miraculous: the intricacy, the variety, the frozen purity.  

My six year old went to play in the snow on Christmas Eve and came inside three times for mitten exchanges; despite icy fingertips, he did not want the fun to end. He discovered an unlikely snow buddy as well: our dog! We adopted Jack back in June and this was his first exposure to snow since we've had him. He LOVES the snow! Our previous dog hated the snow, so to have this nut job darting around the yard at light speed, kicking up white, tasting the snow and sneezing, having a glorious romp, was such an unexpected surprise.

Animals like this adorable owllove the snow, too! Wouldn't she be cute, displayed in your home?

Years ago my son found joy in mowing the snow, despite skiing, sledding, hiking and skating being the obvious winter activity choices.

Close family friends have a house on a big hill and I have fond memories of sledding there as a child. Over the course of the last decade I have taken my own kids to sled there, too.

The crunch of the snow under the sled, the icy wind in your face, the risky rush of speed flying down the hill: what can compare? And coming inside to savory snacks and warm drinks after the toes and noses have frozen over is just the best. After all, the Disney mega-hit isn't called "Melted"! And no one displays rain-globes on their mantles.

Ok, even if you're idea of enjoying snowy scenes is from the indoors, through a window, lounging on a couch in front of a fire, wrapped in fleece, there's no denying snow's beauty and power. Accents of snowy scenes displayed in your home bring seasonal cheer and wonder and won't even leave a water mark on your floor. From my home to yours, I hope you enjoy this wintry time in a way that brings you happiness and joy.