Thaw Tactics

This winter has apparently been very dry and warm compared to Utah winters in the past. While I comprehend the dryness, I wouldn't exactly call our weather warm. We have had about one small snowstorm a week, and this past week we measured nine inches total at the house. The ski resorts often get twice as much snow. I don't see how this is supposed to be warm. Most days I'm packing snow clothes into Will's bookbag. I still can't believe I'm having to do this. I have gotten more use out of my stocking hats than I ever thought possible. While I love how pretty the snow is, and I love playing with the kids on fantastically bright white afternoons, I miss warmer weather. I catch myself thinking about green grass and planting things (although most everything I plant doesn't stay green for long), and being outside with the kids without having to bundle up. So in order to keep myself focused on each day as it comes, I have been trying to make the most out of our winter days and especially our winter holidays. And in case you haven't figured out, I am counting my own birthday as a winter holiday (this will not be news to my parents, sister, or husband). Actually my birthday was very low-key(one of the most exciting parts was buying some new corduroy pants at REI), and I celebrated with new friends during the day and Jon fixed me a nice dinner that evening. Will really got into Valentine's Day this year since he had two class parties. He spent a long time writing all of the names of his classmates on his valentine cards. Brighton had valentines to hand out too, but she was not happy about giving her princess cards away at first. She eventually got the concept. The kids loved getting Valentines in the mail from their grandparents, and we had a good time making Valentine cookies. My favorite Valentine tradition, however, is getting a card each year from my dad. He never fails to send me a card, and I never fail to cry like a baby when I read it. It is something he has always done and something I will always cherish. Thanks, Daddy. The last wintertime holiday we Schumachers celebrate is, of course, Mardi Gras. We couldn't have spent the last three years for our lives in Southeast Louisiana without putting an emphasis on this most fascinating time of year. I won't go into why Mardi Gras is so awesome or spend the time defending it as family-friendly because I have done that so many times already. We have missed being in Louisiana to celebrate this year, so we decided to throw our own Mardi Gras in Utah party. We were so happy about the turn-out we had this past Saturday night. Who knew we could have so many friends in six months?! We have decided to make it an annual event since it was such a hit. We did not take pictures of the party itself because we were a little busy, but we got some pictures of our weak attempt at decorating and the post-party snowfall that covered some of those decorations. It was a great evening and another fantastic way to warm up our cold Utah winter!

My not-so-helpful snow-shovelers have a tendency to give up on their jobs and go hide in the playhouse.

Clouds along the western mountains.

Clouds along the mountains to our east (Wasatch Front).I love to watch these crazy clouds that just hang out along the mountaintops. The kids and I do quite a bit of cloud watching and bird watching. Check out these California Quail(I know they are hard to see) that hide in the tree until I walk past it, at which time they all take flight, scaring me out of my wits:

I enjoyed a steak dinner and lots of love from my family for my birthday :)

We made a Mardi Gras snowman after one snow shower. He was definitely the only one of his kind on the block!

My little chefs decided to help me with some Valentine cookies.

My children are extremely animated.

We broke out all of the beads we collected the last few years and decorated the house.

Some of our decorations got to experience Utah weather.

That's as far as Daddy got on the snow fort...

...Will decided it should be knocked down.

My little angels seem to like the snow.