SNOW DAYS!

McKenna sledding at the park with friends.

I love the snow!  It is so beautiful in the Northwest.  Because we don't get it very often and it goes away quickly everyone stops to enjoy it.  It makes us slow down.  It keeps us cooped up together and gives us an excuse to play games, watch movies, bake and be silly.  It makes hot chocolate taste even better.  It makes for great memories.  We just finished being snowed in for four days, and what fun it was!  Here is just a little taste of our four days of adventure through McKenna's eyes:

When Austin said he was building a snow cave, I had this picture in my mind of a cute little igloo placed in the snow in the middle of our yard- NOTHING like the 12 by 18 foot fortress I ended up sleeping in. 

It took Austin five hours and my Dad 4, plus some help from a family friend, Jarin McKague to finish this cave. That was a lot of work for it to just sit empty so in the end I agreed to sleep in my brother’s fort with him. Carson refused, but that didn't stop us. 

Boy, have our laundry baskets come in handy for so much more than just laundry!

Austin didn't have to go to the mountain this year for snow caving!

We went out at about eleven o’clock at night, Austin towing all of our sleeping gear. We had to wear snow gear so our pajamas didn't get wet when we crawled through the entrance, which was strategically placed (L-shaped) so the wind and snow couldn't get in. The walls were about 2 feet thick on each side, so inside it was cozy, especially when we lit the candles to warm it up before we went to sleep.  The snow acted as an insulator.  It blocked out all the sound other than what happened inside the fort as well, so when we fell asleep it was really quiet. 

Our parents were as protective as always, bringing us anything we managed to forget in our house only yards away. By the time I fell asleep, I was bundled in about 20 layers of sleeping bags, plus a waterproof ‘taco’ tarp just in case our ceiling dripped. It was fairly warm all night, but the ground was kind of bumpy, making it an interesting night, but we both slept through it.  I hope we get enough snow to do it next year! Thanks, Austin.