magical

Today the kids went and helped WBC do Toys for Tots. (The two big boys couldn't miss school so they didn't go.) Bekah missed the first half because she was sick over the weekend, and we were being cautious. But then she seemed to be better, so we let her do the second half at WalMart.

Stick brought the kids home from Toys for Tots around 11am. They didn't want to go back to school and I didn't really care if they went or not. I'm fully aware that this week is a waste of movies, parties and goofing off at school.

Stick told them they could stay home if they shoveled the driveway. An offer they happily accepted.

What they didn't know however, is how wet and heavy the snow would be.

They shoveled for hours.

Oh and they played too. Bekah helped for a bit, but after she took her second snowball to the face, I let her come in. (Brothers!)

ALA, everytime I see an icicle, I think of that one you and J were admiring everyday in Lindon. Remember it was hanging off mom's house and it was super huge, and getting bigger every day?

And then remember the naughty little boys next door that knocked it down?

Ha!

(This one is little.)

See how the heavy snow is weighing the tree down?

After a few hours of shoveling, and a quick lunch I took the kids to their favorite sledding hill which we call Kmart Hill. Called that because, it's located right behind Kmart, of course.

I stayed in the warm car and took pictures with my zoom lens.

We just heard on the news that Utah got more snow today than it did last January-April combined.

And just for today, I loved it*.

White fluffy snowflakes came down for most of the day. The house was warm and decorated (a little) for Christmas. I played Christmas carols and made gingerbread cookies. It felt Christmasy and Wintery and Magical all in one.

It's supposed to continue tomorrow. We will just have to see if my goodwill continues.

*I'm not even going to think about the mounds of wet gloves, hats, coats, snow pants and multiple pairs of boots that had to be dealt with. Or the wet snow melting all over the floors.