A Snowy, Sunny Day

Most everyone knows of the snow storm that swept our area. Yesterday we stayed on top of shoveling, so it didn't get to be so deep that it made it too difficult. And then Jonathon came home and got the tractor at the neighbors and plowed everything quite nicely. Should have just waited I guess. Oh well! I actually enjoy shoveling. There is something about being out in the crisp, cold air, making the body work at something that God sent down for us to enjoy. ENJOY!? Yep. Didn't He give us everything to enjoy? In years past, you wouldn't find too much enjoyment of the cold and snow in this house. This year has been quite different though. At the onset of the season, we realized that each complaint from our lips, displayed a lack of contentment on where God has us right now. What a difference it makes when we accept where we are, at the present moment, and we enjoy every minute of it even if there is something else we would much rather be doing than plowing snow and bundling everybody up til they can hardly move. Ha!

Josiah and Alegra got their school done quickly and after lunch bundled up and headed out to the blue sky and white ground. They both came in quite cold after getting snow in their boots and down their gloves, but what fun they have had.

And of course, Benaiah staying warm and happy inside. He gets so excited everytime he hears the door open, knowing that somebody fun is going to walk in.

On days like these, we take advantage of that glorious sunshine and warm air (despite how cold it really is out there). The air was truly warm standing in the sun. It made for a perfect winter clothes hanging day. My white laundry has really been feeling neglected lately with the lack of sun we have had. Not today! By the time I took this picture, the clouds started rolling in, but you can still see a peek of blue here and there. The sunshine is God's natural whitening agent for our laundry. It works wonders! And we are saving energy too by drying outside........

and inside too. We rarely use our dryer both in the summer and winter. It saves so much by just hanging it up. I am already producing heat with the woodstove, so why not make it worth the burn and dry my laundry too. Any place we can pinch a penny, we do. Sure it takes up half of our living space, but the children end up using it as a race course and run around it. And most of the time I do my laundry in the evening and by morning it is all dry and can be put away, so we don't have the hassle of it being set up and in our way.

Notice Diella on the couch reading? Yep, she is reading now, and what a great job she is doing! BUT, she takes f-o-r-e-v-e-r to do her lessons, so any suggestions anybody has out there to get her moving, would be much appreciated. = )

And the feeder that was in the tree is all eaten up, so all the birds are getting braver and coming to the window. Here, Papa Cardinal came while I was taking pictures, so I had to get him too. He is so beautiful with the white, snowy background.

I hope that you all are enjoying what God has sent down as part of His creation. We sure are and very thankful that the road crews have gotten roads cleaned up nicely around here too. That sure helps! Have a blessed and bright day!