Ice Storm

The much anticipated event has finally arrived.  All week, it was all that anyone talked about.  Our week back from Thanksgiving break was jam-packed with events...my school's staff Christmas party, aerobics, dentist appointment, glucose tolerance test, etc.  I had to go out looking for .  Stonebriar Community Church has even canceled services for Sunday and I've never known that to happen!

On Thursday, we teachers were glued to weather.com (whose radar is apparently not compatible with Macs...grrr) and sure enough, the parents began coming to pull their kids out early around 2:15ish.  I had my dentist appointment at 3:15 that day and wasn't sure if it'd be a good idea or not...but sure didn't want to reschedule or wait another six months since it takes so long to find an appointment after 3pm so I don't have to take a half day off of work.  When I left school at about 3pm, I had to scrape 1/4" of ice off my windshield and it was sleeting.  The roads were all fine, so I opted to continue.  I called Jason to let him know how the weather was up north, and he decided to leave a little early in order to hopefully avoid some of the freeway madness on his long commute home.  Turns out he had zero problems, and it just rained on him.  He got Reid from Kids Klub at preschool so that I could run to the store for a few more things just in case we were stuck inside.  I'd been to the store the night before, after our staff party, but there were still a few more things I'd thought of that we might need.  After waiting 30 minutes to check out, the checker announced that Collin county was supposed to be bypassed by the precipitation. Ugh.  Much ado about nothing?  It was still just freezing rain by the time I finally arrived home at 5pm.  We heard some sleet later that evening, then I got the phone call that school would be canceled on Friday.  Hooray for an ice day, but boo that we'll have to make it up in May!!  So then we just wondered how Jason's commute would be--his work hotline stated that "The work day begins at 7:30" but then had some lame statement to basically say that if you don't feel safe, don't come.  Really?!  It did sleet throughout the night as we awoke often, and he finally got word that they, too, had an ice day.  Woo hoo!  So I awoke to the wonderful smell of Jason's egg sandwiches and we got to go get Reid up as a couple. We were surprised that it took Reid a little while to discover why it was so bright outside.  He didn't notice until we asked him what the white stuff was outside after we'd eaten breakfast.  Immediately, he wanted to play in the "snow."  It was kind of a struggle to find super warm clothing to fit him, but we made do (such as the doubled up socks, wrapped in plastic grocery sacks, stuffed into too small rain boots).  Off into our Winter Wonderland...

From afar, it looks like snow, but it's all sleet and ice.  Not nearly as much fun to play in, but beautiful nonetheless.  It was beautiful and surreal.

Reid didn't seem to mind and was all game for venturing out into the 24 degree freeze.

We mainly stayed in the backyard, especially since I'm a little off balance these days, but on Friday there was decent traction on the driveway and along the sidewalk.  Saturday, not so much--very slick.  Everything was very quiet and beautiful.

We were pretty amazed at how thick the ice was in several places!

                                                                        Our little explorer

All the houses had long icicles.  I had Jason get a nice long one to stick in the big garage freezer so cousins Ben and Alex can see it when they come after Christmas.

More beauty...amazing what God thinks of!

Reid panicked a bit when he realized his pumpkin he'd "planted" was buried under the ice, so he and Jason dug it out.  Oddly enough, a few minutes later, he chunked it aside to play with something else. 

I didn't bother putting on makeup, but you can have a general idea of how bundled up we were!

Even the street signs had icicles...

Reid loved hitting the ice off of this crape myrtle.

Back in our own backyard, Jason posed by our ice laden river birch.  We're hoping it makes it and doesn't snap at the trunk...

Happy boy!

After awhile, Mommy's hands were frozen (even with nice, thick, waterproof gloves) and this little guy looked all petered out.  So inside we went for some hot cocoa with marshmallows and spray whipped cream.  Yum!  Someone also requested candy canes :)

We're so thankful for the fun family time the ice storm allowed us to have.  As an added bonus, we're sure hoping this freeze kills off some of the awful bugs we've had the last two years...  And Reid has enjoyed staying in his pj's all day long.