Snowpocalypse 2014

Here we are again.... snowed in.  I can't believe we've had two rounds of this crazy weather!  Last time a storm this severe came through, I was in middle school!  A lot of people from northern or colder parts of the country have been making fun of us for our unpreparedness during winter weather.  Pictures like this keep popping up:

But what I think a lot of people fail to understand is this isn't normal for us!  We don't have chains for our tires or enough snow plows to keep up.  We don't own a snow shovel, or blower, or even a SLED!  So when the rest of the country is laughing at us I can't help but be a little angry...  areas hit with tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes get national sympathies, red cross donations, and prayers.  We get made fun of.  Well, people have died, some are in shelters because they don't have power or can't get home, and structures have been destroyed by ice and falling trees.  And this picture (taken very near my childhood home)...

... IS REAL!

Anyway, now that my rant is over, I'll share some cute pictures from the past few days.

It begins.

While waiting on the storm to hit, Nick decided to pretend he was a cat.

This is the first layer of snow.  We had intermittent layers of snow/ice for nearly 72 hours.

Chase has made good use of his time while we've been snowed in, he painted our bathroom last week and started on Natalie's last night.  Because the walls were still wet, the kids had to bathe in our tub.  They were in love!

Check out those cheeks peaking through the bubbles!

Natalie said "I love this swimming pool!"

 Other than painting the house we've really had nothing else to do but eat.  And eat and eat and eat.

 Here are pictures after the storm.  I think it looks like a scene from Narnia.  The pictures really don't do it any justice.

My dogwood.  I can't wait to see it in full bloom this spring.  Gerry, our neighbor, told me the HOA had to step in to save it because the builder was going to level it.  Even though the tree was saved, they for some reason still cut off several lower limbs, sad.  He said it's such a beautiful tree it was worth the fight and that he has enjoyed it every spring.

Gerry's blackberry bushes.  They are right on our property line, I really hope he doesn't inventory the fruit!  Maybe a few homemade cobblers would be a nice way to say thank you for saving our tree.

Santa brought the kiddos an easel this year.  This is the first time we've let them break out the paint.  Totally worth the clean up!

Yay for snow days!!!