What a winter!

What a crazy winter we have had here in Ohio!  7 snow days.  At least that many delayed starts for school (school starts 2 hours later on those days).  YW and YM canceled this week.  Church canceled yesterday because of icy road conditions.  Crazy!  It's 8 degrees outside as I write this.  It certainly has made for some new experiences for our family.  I thought I'd post some more pictures of us trying to find joy in our own version of the movie Frozen!

Bryce has a bizarre love for the snow.  He was so excited to go snow camping this weekend and was the only scout that didn't want to come home early on Saturday morning when no one could get a fire started for breakfast because it was too cold and windy!  He has been working on the wood carving merit badge and had a whole bag of tinder that he wanted to burn, along with a stack of homework.  He has just been itching to have a fire and roast hot dogs.  When scouts got canceled on Wednesday because of icy roads, we jumped at the chance to do it.  After all, it was a toasty 24 degrees outside and we had to take advantage of the warm weather and spend some time outside (yes, I have a sarcastic smile right now!). This is him and his friends Spencer and Gabe being crazy boys and trying to light a fire on our deck.  I just have to laugh that they had to spend so long shoveling the deck so they could do it in the first place.  It took them almost an hour to get the fire going, and we ended up cooking the hot dogs inside for everyone else, but they were die hards and stuck with it to the final smore!  The girls and their friends the Lunts got in on the marshmallow fun as well.  It is a new experience to have the marshmallows be frozen and have to defrost them before you toast them!

We have had lots of ice this week, and it makes for a different experience playing outside.  Brooke is holding up her ice trophy.

The girls mad a "Hobbit Fort" by digging out a cave from the ice and snow a neighbor plowed from their very long driveway.  Classic winter fun!

Brett got in on the fort fun.  He loves eating the ice and cheerfully endured the freezing cold for a long time for the sake of the frozen treat.  He doesn't care for the ice-covered snow though.  He is right at the optimal weight that sometimes he doesn't break through the crust of ice and can walk across the top of it.  The problem is that sometimes he does break through unexpectedly and it scares him.  No fun!

The reality of HOME on a snow day!

We tried making "snow cream" for the first time this week.  It was a hit!  We all loved it and it is a fun way to find joy in this freezing white stuff that surrounds us!

Evidently it was too warm inside and Brooke  wanted to enjoy her snow cream in a more authentic (15 degree) environment!  I stepped out barefoot for five seconds to snap the picture.  Yes, I am crazy, but not crazy enough to stay out there!

This was the view from the back porch on Sunday when church got canceled.  Not so much new snow, but it is icy.  Todd was supposed to speak in sacrament meeting...so maybe he lucked out.

Tamale Man strikes again!  Brenden is like me and enjoys the warm and cozy inside.  Baking is a much better way to celebrate a snow day than being out in the freezing cold!  On Saturday he made another batch of tamales--shredded beef this time.  They were SO GOOD!  I love that tall handsome chef!