My First Blizzard.

...And I'm SO EXCITED!
So, like...blizzards are really real?

(this is NOT a Blizzard, but a nice, light, beautiful, feathery dusting of snow)

My Great Guy is out of town
This morning I got 5 children ready to go to Auntie's house by 8:15am.
Auntie was graciously willing to watch them while I got a bunch of dental work done.
Even though Auntie has 3 of her own Bugs and is expecting #4 in two weeks.
AND Auntie has pretty-much a one room cabin.
Add to this that  it.  was.  frigid.  today.  reallyreallyreallyreally COLD outside.
As they are filing out the door, Olivia threw up.
Oops.  Change gears in quick time.
Uncle Char let her sleep in the office/guest cabin while he worked, so I could still go.
"Going" meant borrowing Uncles Suburban because it is 4 wheel drive.
You just never know.
But I can tell you... I needed it today.  No way the van would have made it down the road.
We have this one spot called Cardiac Hill. 
It's a little steep.
Even after it was completely re-graded last year.
Wider, and a little less steep, but still with it's former name.
I let the logging truck pass me before he stopped to chain up.
He probably has more experience on Cardiac Hill in the Winter than I do.
(I don't plan to have much experience there in the Winter.)
The Dental staff treated me good.  They got me in for a slew of fillings all at once.
It meant laying in that chair for a couple hours, but it sure is worth it if I can shorten the number of visits!
They saw Clay at the same time.
Clay grinds his teeth at night and all his baby teeth are pretty nubby.
(Does anyone have any good solution for the teeth grinding?)
The dentist didn't have much help for me regarding the grinding
since Clay is losing baby teeth and getting bigger adult teeth
at a rate that makes it hard to get a good fitting teeth guard.
Anyway, he said it looks like Clay's been taking great care of his teeth.  That about made my day :-)
Afterward we couldn't get into the Burb.  The locks were iced up.
Prayer and perseverance meant we continued on with two errands
It was BITING COLD!  The windchill was... chilly!
WalMart was out of lock de-icer.  I guess I wasn't the only one today.
Homeward bound and praying all the way up the hill.
Oh you WONDERFUL 4 wheel drive!  How I love you!!
I took a hot shower at Auntie's when I picked up the chiluns.
My hot water froze up yesterday.
When I got home and unloaded the Burb (and rejoiced a prayer of THANKS LORD!)
I discovered that my cold water pipes had froze too.
WHILE the water was left running in the sink spiggot.
Hmm.
I am so grateful that AJ had frost-free valves placed out around the house!
That means that I CAN get water - even if I have to carry it in in pots and heat it for washing.
That brother of mine.  Sheesh.  Who could ask for a greater guy.
He carried 4 big pots of water up to the house for me.  Thanks Char:-)
The boys nearly cried when I asked them to get some wood on the porch,
The girls DID cry when I sent them out to go potty before bed.
I didn't wash dishes tonight.
I'm playing my Wild Card without embarrassment.
I checked the weather tonight and there was a Blizzard Warning.
So I thought. "Wow!  Blizzards are real?"
This is some of what I read:

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY...

* WINDS: NORTH 20 TO 25 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 35 MPH WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT.

* IMPACTS: THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE NEAR WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL WILL BECOME VERY DANGEROUS BY THIS EVENING...AND BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS OVERNIGHT WILL LEAVE STRANDED TRAVELERS VULNERABLE TO EXTREME WINTER CONDITIONS. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED ON INTERSTATE 90 IN EASTERN WASHINGTON.

* WIND CHILL: READINGS WILL DROP BELOW ZERO THIS EVENING AND REACH VALUES OF -10 TO -20 LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL...HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED...STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.

You know, just FYI.

I was all ready to send my boys out to finish stacking the wood in the shed tomorrow too.
I guess it would be bad to send your little boys out into a Blizzard.
That just doesn't seem right.
Here were Charlie and I discussing the fact that Winter is just starting out,
so we'd better gear up for the "real" cold.
We two were casually easing into it,
When all along this is not the usual cold for up here.
AJ told me that our contractor friend 30 minutes North of us called
and offered to drive up here to take care of anything I might need.
Does he think I might turn into a block of ice?
(Or is he feeling guilty that he didn't help facilitate the completeion
of my indoor commode with a little more fervor?)
Truly though, we are blessed with precious precious friends.
All glory to the Lord - over and over again!


I am glad to hear that Blizzard warnings with a predicted windchill of -20 are not normal.
Maybe the Winter is destined to warm up from here out ;-)