More Than a Taste

This year in northern Virginia we've gotten a taste of winter. The past two years have been unusually mild, but this season we've had a few snowstorms and a few cold spells, too. We had to go north to Pennsylvania to get more than just a taste of winter weather. 

Born and raised in PA (as we locals call it), I find winter without snow rather dreary. Now, I don't want too much snow, and I don't want it to last too long either. But there has to be some snow to have a proper winter.

So we drove north and packed our snow gear and sleds. Just in time! There was six inches on the ground when we arrived, and another storm rolled through that night leaving everything covered in ice. Not so nice to drive in, but a feast for the eyes.

The kids enjoyed their stay at Grammie and Grandpa's house a bit extra this time. They had a blast whizzing down the hill. I even took a few turns, and, I admit, I was way more scared than they were...scared that somebody would get a face full of ice or a broken arm or leg. When Cade went airborne, I could hardly watch, but he came up rather pleased with himself.

Little Miss didn't love it. She only lasted a few minutes before being sent
in for a nap.

She got upset when she sank down into the snow.

The boys tried going from the very top of the hill but found there were too many cornstalks in the way, so they switched
to the driveway which was smoother.

All three of them piled on together.

This must have been early on in the sledding seeing as how they are all running up the hill instead of trudging.

Elsa is holding onto somebody's neck.

Luke crashed into the plowed snow on the side of the driveway, which incidentally worked out well to keep the kids
from going off the side.

The boys told her she was the Pink Panther in a tree, so she was screaming
like a panther.

Cade enjoyed somersaulting down the hill.

But the best time of all was in the evening hanging out with Grammie and Grandpa. And, as you can see, fussy Caroline
even warmed up to Grammie and snuggled down for a story. Victory!!

The fun didn't end when we left, though. We made it a half hour before we got a flat tire and had to call Grandpa to rescue us. He got us to Walmart where we were able to get a new tire (bummer - they couldn't plug the hole), and then we got to have lunch at Al's before saying "good-bye" to him...again.

'Til April, PA. But I sure hope there's no snow then!