First Snow of the Season

Autumn seemed much too short this year. It seems the leaves scarcely had time to change colors and begin falling when, suddenly, the temperature dropped and I could almost taste the impending snow. The children were, of course, delighted when the first flakes of snow started to appear. Before you could say "look outside!" they were donning hats, gloves, boots and snowpants, and taking a stool to the door to unlock the chain (my latest attempt at keeping them from leaving without my knowledge) and free themselves from the warm confines of our apartment to the blistery cold outside. I begrudingly dressed Wiggles and myself (no small feat, since she lives up to her name, especially while being dressed!) and headed out the door. I must admit that, despite my wistfull longing for a longer autumn, watching the children gleefully run around scooping up snow, making snowmen and snow angels, and screaming "THANK YOU JESUS" while looking heavenward did manage to lift my spirits. And it was beautiful; The snowflakes falling, the white blanket covering the earth, and, most of all, my children dancing.


**Later that day, once we were back inside, Angel asked if we could send a Thank You card to Jesus and Heavenly Father for the "beautiful gift of snow". I smiled and told her that was so thoughtful, but asked how she thought we might deliver it, since no mailman I know of ventures quite that far. She paused for a moment, and then said "We could send it up in a balloon." She was so sincere that, though I'm opposed to the sending up of balloons due to environmental reasons, at that moment I nearly considered it! I think I managed to talk her into "praying" the Thank You message instead...