Well, here I sit at 10:30 on a (whatdayisit??) morning, drinking my coffee and blogging- having finally gotten all my family out the door.

Oh, no, not to work or school- we're on vacation! They are actually outside. Yes, outside, in Oregon, in December! Sledding! Again!

Papa Vroom Vroom is here today and so Joel and he are out with the kids, doing things like building jumps for the sleds and watching for cars.

And I am drinking my coffee.

I can't decide if I love this snowstorm, (or string of snow storms), or if I am done with it. It doesn't really matter, I guess because I can't control one ounce of it. I do love life being slower. Joel is also officially on vacation now, so I am very glad I don't have to worry about his commute each day. I do love being cozy and making hot cocoa for the kids once all the wet gloves and boots and socks and hats and snow pants have been stripped off and hung to dry. It is truly beautiful and incredible outside, and I love how it is equally as legitimate to play in the snow at 9 at night as it is at 10:30 in the morning. It's practically the same brightness and temperature out, after all. And I love how I know my kids, especially The Bigs will always remember the Christmas that school was canceled for an entire week, and even then the fun wasn't over.

What I hate is that we are supposed to go to Idaho tomorrow and I can't even imagine that we will be able to leave our driveways by then. Most years I'd be okay with staying home, in fact most years I insist upon it. But this year I feel an urgency to be there with our family and I hate that it's probably not going to be an option.

But we are all safe and warm and have what we need, which is more than many people across the country can say right now, so we will be thankful.