Winter

Winter has finally showed up in Michigan.

At least, it showed up and stuck around for about a week.

Then a few nights ago, we had 40 degree weather overnight, and a rain storm.  The snow is gone now.

But we enjoyed it while it lasted.

When we had our first big snow storm, we headed to the hill I used to sled on when I was little.

Luckily it is a small hill, and I could yell from the bottom.  Putting a stop to my husband's plan to send the {almost} 2 year old down the hill by himself.

Karson loved every second, I could hear him giggling from the top of the hill.

And this is the exact reason why the {almost} 2 year old wasn't allowed to go down the hill by himself...

 Sometimes I don't know who is having more fun...

Daddy or Karson...

We go sledding at the local elementary school, that I went to when I was little.

Karson spotted the slides, and decided they were more fun than sledding.

He talked about playing on the 'side' in the 'noooowwww' all weekend!

The next day it was absolutely gorgeous!  We spent all afternoon outside in the snow!  It was sunny, and relatively warm, with no wind.  It was beautiful!

Karson helped Daddy shovel the driveway...

...and laughed and laughed when Moll chased after the snow.

We played outside for a few hours, then put Karson in his sled and took a walk to Nana's.

I love that we live so close.

SNOW!

We live in Michigan.  Where there is supposed to be snow.  Except, there has not been any measurable snow this year.  Frustrating.  We were in a winter weather advisory over the weekend and were supposed to get a bunch of snow.  We got enough to just cover the ground.  Mother Nature needs to be reminded that this is Michigan.

Karson runs to the slider every morning and checks to see if we have any snow.  Finally, after his nap yesterday there was enough to get out his sled.  He had SO MUCH FUN!

I was so excited to take Karson out, and had everything ready when he woke up.  Getting an almost 2 year old ready to play in the snow, when your 6 months pregnant, is a task!!  I sent Karson out with Daddy, and gathered all of my snow gear on...another task when your 6 months pregnant!

After squeezing into my much too small snow pants,  Daddy took Karson and I on a sled ride.  Karson yelled '1, 2, 3, GO!' the whole time!

After our sled ride, we got out the shovels.  Karson helped Daddy clear the driveway...

 ...while Molly stopped running just long enough to catch her breath.  She loves the snow too!

 Karson still fits in his little sled from last winter.

I think DJ and I walked around the house with him 20 times each.  Every time we would stop, Karson would yell '1, 2, 3 GO!'

I am so glad we finally have a little bit of snow.

I love that Karson loves the snow!!  We are going to take advantage of the snow while it lasts!!  Hopefully we will get a blizzard soon!

His Book

Have you ever read Kelle Hampton's blog?  You should.  Especially if you are a Mommy.  She writes about her life with her 2 little girls.  I love her party ideas, I love that she lives near the beach, I love the outings she takes her girls on, but what I love most about her blog is that she says over and over I am writing their book.  The pages in Karson's book...they are up to me.  What he remembers about holidays and first snows, is determined by what I make of them.  I am writing his book.  

 

I know he won't remember these pages.  I know he is too young, but that doesn't matter to me.  I want to remember them.  They are pages in his book-pages I can tell him about when he is older. 

I want him to remember opening the back curtains and discovering the deck and yard covered in snow.

I want him to remember running around all morning yelling 'snow, snow, snow.'  I want him to remember making me look out the window at the snow, all morning.

I want him to remember bundling up, before 9am, to go out in the snow.  Because Mommy was just as excited to play in it as he was.

we had to put playing in the snow on hold while we watched an airplane

We had very little snow, it was cold, and it was early.  But his book...it says we rushed outside right away.  It says we walked through the snow, and looked at the prints we were making.  It says we brushed off the snow on Daddy's wood pile...

he was asking for 'hewl'  he didn't like the snow on his gloves...he is is Mama's child!

His pages from the first real snow this year...they say we were so excited, we were out with the sun.  They say we threw snow up in the air and watched it fall.  They say we walked around the house a dozen times pointing out all the 'snow snow snow!'  They say we took something ordinary, and made a memory.

The Holiday Page this weekend, we went big.  I had no idea we had a Santa Train near us.  We booked tickets as soon as we heard about it.

We knew how excited he would be, we kept telling him we were going to ride a train with Santa. We played it up big.  We were just as excited as Karson was.

 

His face was doing 1 of 2 things when we first got on the train...

A memorized oh wow oh wow oh wow...

...or an ear to ear grin.

We were on a train...with Santa.

 

oh wow oh wow oh wow

 

He did what I figured he would do when it was his turn to sit on Santa's lap...

 

He sat on Mommy's lap instead.  Much better.

oh wow oh wow oh wow

He told Santa his glove was "icky."  I have no idea how he came up with that.  And of all things to tell Santa...he told him his glove was icky.

 

And after insulting Santa's glove...Santa gave him a special truck.

Holidays and special occasions are what we make of them.  We write their books...

I want his book filled with pages of family, and traditions.  Filled with rushing out to play in the snow, first thing in the morning and filled with special train rides with Santa.