NEMO

The weather didn't really start to get bad in Boston until after Christmas. I don't know that it snowed anymore than what we had experienced in Utah (with the exception of Nemo), but when it got cold and nasty it was a whole different level of cold--the kind of cold that made your bones ache. We tried to make the best of all the snow by building snowmen (and snow horses in Carder's case), making snow ice cream and doing plenty of sledding.

It didn't snow much at first, so as soon as there was a little white covering the ground we took the girls out sledding. They loved it. Looking at these pictures now with the grass poking through everywhere, you can tell that we are California girls and aren't used to having seen too much snow to have even considered sledding on this.

We had a small backyard that the kids enjoyed going out in and building some snow friends. Carder decided the traditional snowman was too conventional for him and built himself a snow horse to ride instead. Brenn didn't do much building but she loved to roll around in the fluffy white stuff and especially liked to eat it.

Ellie and Carder became sledding pros. I don't know who enjoyed going out sledding more, them or Brittany. Every time it snowed she was at our door with her sled ready to go to the park. I mostly got the job of watching the babies at home while they napped or just so that Brit, Ellie & Carder could get crazy on the slopes of Grove Street Park.

Then there was Nemo....

  

We heard that a blizzard was coming, and that it was going to be the most snow that Boston had seen in quite some time (and they weren't kidding). Everyone was asked to stay off the roads because it was supposed to get pretty bad. Indeed, Governor Patrick issued an executive order for all vehicles to stay off the roads. Some friends who lived just down the street invited us over for a game night, but being married to the rule follower I am, Jake let us know that we would not be driving over there. I let our friends know that we couldn't come and the next thing I know they find the loop hole, where they are telling us that they will be picking us up. Before we could tell them "no" they are in our driveway (rebels). At that point it wasn't snowing bad at all, but by the time it was time to put the kids to bed the snow was falling HARD. Our friend Matt had to go home and took us home as well. He is an Idaho boy, so pretty experienced with driving in the snow. It was so bad though that he had to drive with his door open so that he had decent visibility. Insanity I tell you! We got home safe and sound (it was only a couple blocks) and enjoyed cozying up in our house while the snow continued to fall.

Matts car was pretty stuck in the snow, it took 2 Utah natives and an Idaho boy to unjam that baby while I slammed on the gas (I do not drive in the snow, when I was at BYU I had a car but also had a bus pass so I could take that any day it snowed. I was scared out of my mind when they gave me the job of being at the gas pedal...thankfully it was a success.

When we woke up the next morning EVERYTHING was covered in snow. I have never seen so much white in my life. The only thing that even compares is maybe White Sands in New Mexico. The kids thought it was awesome. In no time they had their snow suits on and were ready to play. 

We lived on a decent sized main road, but there was so much snow that people were out cross country skiing and we just pulled the kids along in their sled (which they thought was totally awesome). Leon served his Mission in Novosibirsk, Russia and I guess it often gets like this there, so we nicknamed our town Novaskibelmont.

Later in the day (once we were able to dig ourselves out of our houses) we met up with the Johnsons and the Webbs at Grove Street Park for an extreme sledding adventure.

Leon, Daniel and Jake dominated the slope. I am pretty sure the grown men were having more fun than all the little kids there.

The snow lasted for days. Brenn loved to go out in it. She would say, "Coat On" and beg to go outside. Her little snowsuit made me want to eat her up.

My little "A Christmas Story" baby. (Left is her playing peek-a-boo another favorite thing of hers to do).

The next night it was still snowing but a little lighter. Jake took Brenn outside and she was laughing as hard as if someone had been tickling her, it was awesome. That night we made use of our abundance of snow by making ice cream out of it. It was a big hit, and actually worked out a lot better then I had expected.

The snow lasted for quite a while. The sidewalks were dug out after a while, but a 4 or 5 foot wall was on either side of our house for weeks. Carder loved all of the sledding that he was able to do and became quite the adventurous soul as he'd get a running start, jump on and blast down on his belly, etc.