Winter in Michigan

It has been an AMAZING winter here in Michigan compared to the last 2.  There was a huge storm that came through just a couple days after we returned from Christmas in Seattle, and it has been here ever since.  And temperatures have been such that the snow hasn't ever really melted, it just keeps piling up.  I honestly don't remember the last time it was above freezing.  We have 4 foot piles in all the corners of our yard from shoveling all the snow from the smaller storms that come through.  There is so much more to do this winter with the snow around.  We've enjoyed lots of cross-country skiing, sledding, ice skating and playing in the snow.  Warmer weather is around the corner, but I'm nervous all the snow is going to melt and Michigan will become a muddy, ugly mess for the rest of the winter.  Perfect for doing... nothing in.  Then we'll really be stuck inside.

On New Year's Day Pete had the day off, so we unburied our cross-country skis and took them for a ride.  We skied off our back porch and behind the houses in our neighborhood.  You can go a couple miles before you have to cross a road, and there's a small hill (which the kids have labeled "North Mountain") that's about a mile away and fun to ski up and down.  That's about all the down hill skiing we get around here, but the kids love it.

We have also spent a lot of time indoors, especially when the temperatures have been in the single digits and below.

Playing with the marble run they got for Christmas

Making cookies

Playing with the Zoob

Play dates with friends

Playing with playdough

Playing with Legos

Looking studly at church

Seeing our baby

Napping

Reading books

And wishing he could go outside more.  Whenever anyone is putting on their snow gear, Will runs and gets his boots and hat (or someone else's hat and gloves). 

We have loved ice skating at our ice rink down town.  The last couple years it was only cold enough to skate a handful of days, but this year it has pretty much been up and running since the beginning of the year. We pull Will on the sled while the other kids skate.