Long Is Our Winter

There's no denying it Winter is here to stay.  There's a ton of snow on the ground and we're expecting another week of frigid temperatures.  I know so many of you are sooooooo over it.  I'm not! As a young girl growing up in the tropics the vision of snow to me was better than visions of sugarplum dancing on my head. Even now, as a not-so-young girl, I could stare out the window for hours as the snow falls softly to the ground.  I'm a little bit of a dreamer ;-)

Don't get me wrong, by mid-February I'm sure cabin fever will kick in and I will write a long post about how I hate Winter.  In the meantime, let me tell you some of the things I enjoy about the season, in pictures -

• children and snow- it's the perfect combination

children who love to shovel snow makes it all better

he was throwing a snowball at me

the oldest daydreaming on the sled hill

• baking/cooking- especially the long simmering soups and stews and the special treats that the girl bakes, nothing says Winter like a warm, yummy-smelling kitchen

making her own batter mix ala Bisquick, this was better than the boxed stuff, thank you Pinterest!

trying out a new chocolate chip cookie recipe using applesauce instead of eggs, it's a keeper (both the girl and the cookies lol)

• Winter hike - there's something so peaceful and meditative (and sometimes treacherous!) about a winter's hike.  Hot chocolate (or caramel flan latte!) after a good hike is the best treat.

this hike was from last year as we have yet to go on one this year, it's been too cold

•  prayer journaling - is that a word? I alternate between the Liturgy of the Hours and the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This is the backbone of my day on top of daily Mass.  This is how I survive the rigors (sometimes mind-numbing routine) of the everyday especially in these long, cold Winter days.

 I don't have a picture of these but I do enjoy them in the Winter:

• napping - under a nice warm, electric blanket preferably with a cuddling child
• exercising - call me crazy but Winter is the best time to exercise! The cooler temps make huffing, puffing and sweating bearable. Yes, I'm still doing my crazy regimen of Insanity/P90x/Rockin' Body.  
• cleaning! - being indoors a lot at this time of the year, I can ignore the dust only for so long.  I have decided cleaning is my love language LOL

 What do you love about Winter?