Snow. Lots of It.

Last Wednesday, Madison got a massive amount of snow.  We're talking about 17 inches in 2 days, I think.  The University of Wisconsin closed down, all city offices closed down, the buses stopped running and even the Madison Public School District cancelled school.  That never happens.  Ever.  We had to get to the hospital by 10AM on Wednesday morning for an appt. that I had.  Alan shoveled the driveway and uncovered our car.  There was a path in the street where a couple of other cars had driven, so we thought that if we could just get to the tracks, we could make it out.  We backed out and got stuck.  Our neighbors came out to help shovel us out and at that moment, the snow plows came down the street. I honestly don't know that we would have made it to the hospital without that snowplow.  It was quite miraculous as the first reschedule date for my appt. would have been Dec. 21.

Anyways, the snow created a winter wonderland.  I do not like winter, but I must admit that I loved the snow.  The world turned serene and white and beautiful.  It didn't hurt that my kids spent literally two or three hours outside playing in it.  They built a fort, a tower with snow stairs, paths all over the yard and some major snow tunnels.  A friend from Nate's kindergarten class last year, who happens to live down the street, also came over to help build with her dad and brother.  It was a fun day.  Alan still was supposed to go to work (no rest for the weary, right?), but all of his patients cancelled.  UW delayed their clinics until 10AM, and WISPIC, where Alan has his patients most of the time, actually closed their clinic.  But Alan was working at the VA on Wednesday--No Federal closings, I guess.  Thank you patients for canceling and allowing my husband to be home with our family.

Here are some pictures from the major snow storm and the days of playing after it:

Our van--Can you see the sparkling snow?

Here's Abbie on the snow tower

The snow stairs leading to the top of the tower

Nate on his way into a tunnel

There he goes--This was completely terrifying to me.  I was sure that the tunnels were going to collapse and leave my children buried in snow.

Nate on the tower

Abbie kind of freaked out mid-way through the tunnel

Nate spends about 80% of his day with his tongue somewhere outside of his mouth

On top of a snow tunnel, trying to dig a skylight into the top

I love the rosy cheeks that winter produces in my children

Here's Abbie doing some shoveling (and talking to herself, like usual)

The setting sun turned the smoke coming out of our chimney to a stunning orange-pink color.