The Winter that refused to end

Apparently Old Man Winter totally missed the memo about March. Maybe he forgot that there are only 28 days in February. Being a forgetful person myself, I can extend some grace here, but good grief.....

3.4.2014
It was -7 degrees F. when I jumped, uh....I mean, slowly oozed out of bed this morning.....
The van door was frozen shut and the engine whined when I turned the key at 9:40 am.

(after writing those 2 lines I'm shocked that the Farm & Ranch Magazine isn't hot on my trail)

So after that little buhumbug blurb, I must confess that I am a lover of winter. However, even I do eventually become desperate for some sunshine for myself and outdoor play space for my kids.

As the winter drags on, I'm trying hard to focus on the things I love about this season to keep myself from going totally insane.

I love the longer evenings, hot drinks, good company, warm blankets, flannel sheets, read aloud time with the family, warm sweaters, cute hats, time for extra projects, my kid's lego creations, a world transformed by snow....

I love that winter time brings with it a slower pace of life for our family. I love that we have been able to spend more time at home these last 2 months than what we have for years.

The new fireplace insert has brought additional warmth and charm to our living room.

Truly though, sometimes I'm totally up to my ears with 5 kids with boundless energy all contained within these walls. Sometimes we resort to things like...styling mom's hair.

I ended up with one doozy of a hair do. I'm not sure if this shot is from the front or the back of my head, although I would guess it's from the back because of the location of the fireplace and the bottom half of my husband.

And since the winter insists on raging on, I shall go make myself another toasty hot drink.