The Big Snow, the next day

Saturday evening we had our friends who live on the next street over to visit, and it snowed a little before they arrived at 6:30. They were bundled up and she was wearing her snow boots. They left a few hours later, and it had snowed maybe a bit more, but the big surprise was this morning when we woke up to a Winter Wonderland! We immediately turned on the news, who reported that there had been 7 inches of snow overnight, and that there was a Level 3 Driving Conditions Warning in effect, which pretty much means don't drive unless you are an emergency vehicle or in need of emergency help. So we were watching the screen for cancellations. (They post school delays and cancellations during the week, and church service and civic type cancellations on weekends.) There were several churches listed as canceled, but not ours. Which put us in a conundrum. I had agreed to sit the nursery this weekend. So PJ put a call into the church, where the pastor answered the phone (!!! We didn't think anyone wound answer!) and told us the other pastor was doing the early sermon for which there were only a handful of people, and although he understood our commitment, he felt it better and safer if we just stayed home. What a nice guy! So in we were. There were gusts blowing hard and snow was trying to come down, but the wind at times was so great that it was just horizontal. After it died down, PJ got Ava bundled up and got the snow thrower out. He did our driveway (which the guy across the alley blew snow right back into when he did his driveway and it made me grinchy) and the walkway up to the house from the garage, around front, and down the front walk to the steps that lead to the sidewalk. A few people had gotten out their snowblowers, so the sidewalks were already done. It was lovely to have the snow on the weekend when people could clear the sidewalks (which will help immensely as we really need to go to the market tomorrow and last time the snow was on Sunday night and barely any of the walkways were shoveled, blown or salted). I brought James out, who was tentative, and then the dogs who totally were not. Fred was leaping and running and galumphing all around. He really likes the snow. We let him run in the front too, and he wore himself out. We all piled back inside for warmth, more coffee (for PJ and me) and hot cocoa (for Ava). Later, after naptime, we took the kids back out for Snowman Building time. James was not interested in the snowman, but wanted to go for a walk. He went down to the Secret Sidewalk and turned left, just like he always does. I told him we weren't going to Henry's, but to come back and find Daddy and Ava. He would have none of it. I had to bribe him with Snacks (one of his new words!). That barely worked. He loves to be outside regardless of the elements. Dad's child for sure. Here's some evidence of the wintry goodness.