Blizzard 2016 weekend

The snow fell for two days straight. 32.3 inches were counted by the end. It was a storm to remember. On Friday morning we began to prepare the yard for the storm. Snow was projected to start after lunch but ended up coming in before that time. We stuffed anything loose in the garage and covered weak shrubs with buckets. Stray branches were trimmed and shovels placed in the house. It was crazy to do so much yard work (um, yeah, we sort of didn't get around to all that in the fall) in under an hour but we were glad we made the effort. 

This is our church. We were one of the few families able to attend mass Sunday.

Digging out is the hardest part of a big snowfall. Fortunately we were thinking and kept up with shoveling. We parked the cars near the end of our long driveway making less work overall for us. That decision was the best one we made. We only needed to shovel a few feet to get to the street and were able to complete the remainder of the driveway over the next few days.

After church we all chipped in to shovel our way out. Even the littlest one was willing to help. We were happy to see the sun and get outside.

Since we had plenty of snow to enjoy we had to get out all our gear. These pictures make me happy. Skis, snowshoes, sleds. All fun equipment which rarely gets used in our own yard. This snow loving family was thoroughly enjoying our ski trip at home vacation. There is nothing better than being able to cross country ski like you are on vacation and never leave the comfort of your own home.

This little kitten has lost her mittens. She's not one to keep them on long. I love that monster hat. It turns out that it too is her favorite. She won't wear any other hat. Isn't that just wonderful? I think so.

We made sure to enjoy just about every minute we could of this incredible snow. It never lasts long in our region. If only we could pause and save some of this fun for next winter.