Snow Much Fun!

This January = snow, snow, snow!  It had been over 3 years since our last measurable snowfall in NC (December 2018), but this month made up for it with 4 separate snow events.  Leah and I returned to Sugar Mountain the Saturday after her birthday for a fun-filled day on the slopes trying out our new skis!    

This little girl is just so much fun.  We have the best time skiing together and it's a special way to enjoy the winter season and make the most of the cold weather!

Our first snowfall at home this month occurred on the last day of winter break.  This meant that Leah had a 2-hour delay on her birthday and it was a great way to kick off the 2022 school year: 

I love this pic of the kids in our neighborhood (and Luke towering over them)!

Back inside, we've been playing lots of games while snowed in.  We've had family Catan marathons, dealt numerous rounds of Five Crowns, and enjoyed lots of the board games that we received for Christmas.  Leah also got out her Twister game, and Millie joined in on the fun:

Right Hand/Paw Green! 

Giant Paper Airplanes for the snow day win!

Leah's world famous waffles are the perfect snow day breakfast.

Just a doodle in her dog bed snuggling with her stuffed animal.

We also made s'mores on the porch with our new City Bonfire Pit, which is a great winter alternative to our back yard (snow covered) fire pit:

Cozy and (somewhat) warm under the blankets.

Our next January storm brought snow and ice, and caused school to be shut down for a week.  Some of the children in our house were happier about the return to remote learning than others, but everyone was pleased that those learning days do not have to be tacked on to the end of the school year.  Millie was excited to play outside with her siblings, and the ice created amazing sledding conditions for days!

There was a third snowfall somewhere in the middle of the month, and all I have is another photo of a kid holding a sled in our front yard.  I run out to snap these photos when it snows and then come back inside to enjoy my quiet, warm house.  

Snow Days mean jigsaw puzzles for Mama!

One of the best things about snow days this year is that the kids are completely independent about donning/doffing their winter gear.  The days of us needing to help to bundle them up in coats/boots/mittens has passed, and this is a beautiful thing!

Last weekend, we continued our snowy fun as Leah & I visited Winterplace Ski Resort, WV for the first time:

We hit the slopes early and had the mountain to ourselves for most of the morning.  The lodge had cute West Virginia signage and we found ourselves humming "Take Me Home, Country Roads":

Mountain Mama's & Almost Heaven. 

Ski Lift Selfie.

Peanut certainly has a lot of personality skiing.  Here she is, racing down the mountain, and doing her "victory" pose.  She cracks me up!

One of the best parts of this winter weather is hot chocolate!  Leah's new travel thermos has been awesome for our ski days as we take our breaks in between runs:

The kids had an early dismissal on Friday in anticipation of yet another winter storm, but this time, we only got about an inch and the roads were clear.  It was mostly melted by the next day, and I confess that this is my favorite type of snow (as a fleeting visitor!):

As you can see, we're embracing the winter weather and have had snow much fun this January!