Our South Carolina Girls Meet Snow

K2 and K3 were both born in South Carolina.  K2 has never lived in a northern climate, and when she was up visiting us last summer for DD1's graduation, she told us that she had never experienced snow before.  So we all started praying that there would be lots of snow at this little place here when DS1, K2 and K3 came up for Christmas.

All fall, snow for Christmas looked like a bleak prospect.  The temperatures were above average for most of three months.  We had not a single snowfall during firearm deer season.  Only a dusting  during muzzle loading, which was followed by another above-average temperature spell.  Christmas, and our South Carolina girls, were drawing near.  We prayed earnestly.  Please, please God, let us have snow, and cold!  And not just a little snow, but enough for K2 and K3 to get to play in.  Sledding, snowmobiling, making a snowman.  Not just a little cold, but enough that the snow would last more than 24 hours.  Cold that would give K2 a real taste of winter in Michigan.

God always answers prayers.  Sometimes His answer is "Yes", sometimes His answer is "No", and sometimes his answer is "Wait and be patient".  This time, the answer was "Yes."

We got a little bit of snow a few days before Christmas.  The weather stayed below freezing.  We got a little more on Christmas Day.  Even more was predicted for the 26th.

DS1, K2 and K3 arrived early in the morning of the 26th, ahead of the storm.  We had perhaps an inch and a half of snow on the ground at the time of their arrival.  Despite having been in the car over 14 hours (and 900+ miles) and being awake most of the night, K2 was so excited that she took pictures of snow on the toes of her shoes!

On the afternoon of the 26th, snowflakes fell from the sky.  More, and more, and more snowflakes.  About two inches worth of snowflakes.  K2 was excited.  K3, being not quite 8 months old, just looked out the window in wonder at the snow, not knowing she should be excited. I would say perplexed was a better description for her expression.

I had bought K2 a sled as a Christmas gift.  It wasn't fancy, just a pink plastic saucer, but it was the first she'd ever owned.  After dinner, all the kids bundled up (K2 borrowed snow pants and boots from us northern girls), gathered up sleds, piled into the Suburban, and drove into town to the sledding hill.  K3 got to stay at this little place here with Grandma and Grandpa (aka me and DH).

She got her turn at playing in the snow a few days later, when the sun was out and the wind wasn't.    She wasn't so sure about the cold air, and the bright light off the snow made her squint.  But she was happy to sit down while her Mommy made a snowman with her Aunts and Uncle, and Daddy helped Grandpa to get the snowmobiles out.  Happy, that is, until she lost her balance and did a face plant into the snow.

This resulted in much kicking of the legs and fussing.  A few minutes later, she was allowed to go back inside with Grandma, while the snowman building continued and the snowmobile riding commenced.

First, DS1 took K2 for a ride around the yard and hay field (there wasn't enough snow to ride in the bigger crop field, where there are rocks that could damage the track of the snowmobile).

After a few times around as a rider, K2 got to try snowmobiling solo.  DS1 switched her to the not quite so powerful red snowmobile first.  After a cautious loop around the house, K2 got more confident and gained speed.  Maybe we'll turn her into a snow lover yet!