Our annual big winter bonfire at the acreage is one of the highlights of winter for all of us. This year we waited and waited for ideal weather and the hopes of cousins being able to join in, but finally had to do it while there was still snow and before Grandpa got too anxious that spring would come and make it dangerous. It only took Joseph two matches because the first went out - so really only one. He's proud of that. It was lots of fun, as always. 

Dan and I spent many a weekend winter afternoon snowshoeing across fields and through a swampy area. We're tempted to buy our own snowshoes since the ones we've been using are borrowed.

Winter Fun (Photo Dump)

Before it's gone (soon, we hope!) I figured I'd better do a winter photo dump because I have a few months worth of photos that haven't seen the light of the internet. 

January found us hosting some very special guests: Aunty Maddy and Oliver!

Our ONE warmer (I think it was -5; every other day was well below -20) day during the first two months of the year happily happened during their visit. We were able to build a great big huge snow bear.

 

  

A few weeks later, while digging the snow down to our back sidewalk, Dan and the boys made a massive fort out of snow blocks. This was in the early stages:

Since it was so cold at Christmas, we weren't able to do our annual bonfire out at Grandpa and Grandma Millette's. We went back over the February Break to get in the fun. It is a massive pile of everything that's been collected from fallen trees, brush, old wood, etc throughout the year. And it's just the best! This year we roasted hot dogs and drank hot chocolate too.

Just some dress-up fun: a knight, a cowgirl, and a superhero.

The weather finally warmed up in the last few weeks. We had a great time of outdoor skating and fun in Nipawin two weekends ago. Probably the last skate, since the sun has been melting spots.

The bystanders: Emma and Emilie. Yes, we get their names confused a lot.

Poor Emilie has yet to make it into our family frame in our living room. We got some nice pictures for that so she doesn't feel left out. 

Emilie and her best friends: Emma and Grandpa

Joseph had been begging to try out skiing. After Grandpa and Grandma spent significant time adjusting them for him, he was so excited!

 

 

Winter Blahs

Winter Blahs?! Actually, not so much. I pride myself in my own semi-motto of expecting winter to be winter and last a long, wintery time-frame and then just going with it (or so I brag on my blog...).

But this one has been quite the up and downer as far as temperature goes. At no other time of year will the temperature change 40 degrees over night: 2 degrees above zero to nearly 40 degrees below zero. Thank you, El Nino! I'm very happy to report that we've managed to keep our snow through it all... this is an important aspect of winter, in my books.

One of the great things about having kids is that they force my otherwise lazy or undetermined self into actually doing things, whether I like it or not. Getting outside every. single. day. is one of those things. And I'm so thankful for it.

We discovered "the holes" and "the slide" in February. At one end of our back alley-way, Joseph was beyond thrilled to find that someone hollowed out a big pile of snow left by the plow into a few fare-sized tunnels.

At first, his little brain raced to discover how this could possibly have been done and if the snow plow did it. He has been desperate to recreate his own little tunnels in our backyard but, danger aside, we haven't had the right type of snow for the job. So we've been making lots of trips over to the holes just to hang out and play.



At the other end of our back alley-way, the snow has been piled 30-40 ft high on the edge of a large parking lot. This is where we discovered the slide, or slides.

There are sometimes when I wish I wasn't pregnant and this was one of those. So. much. fun. But sliding on my back-side down 30 ft of icy snow over bumps would have been more than a little risky. As you can tell from Dan's face, it wasn't exactly a smooth ride.

Joseph and John Paul would stay there all day, every day, if we let them. Joseph loves exploring the heights and finding new ways to slide down.

And in John Paul, I'm happy to report, I've found my future partner for crazy roller-coasters. He screamed with delight every time Dan took him down (except, of course, the time I took a video). Once at the bottom, he'd get up immediately and ask his recovering Dad, "Gain?" I'm pretty sure I heard, "This is the last time" numerous times.



All in all, we've been really enjoying our outdoor play this winter. John Paul has come a long way: from the kid at the beginning of winter who cried every time we tried to dress him up, hated his mittens, and would barely get walking in the snow only to fall face first. He's now a regular little trouper who likes to take the lead in a walk down the street and climb up an over "mountains" or along their peaks, following his big brother's lead. His own little master, he's decided he doesn't like his thumbs in their holes and will do whatever it takes to work alongside Joseph despite his little self-made handicap. He never wants to come inside, but concedes when he can play his game of knocking on the door after I've already come in and asking "Come in?"

Joseph, meanwhile, will stay outside a good 1/2 hr longer than John Paul and I regularly.
-30 degrees doesn't faze him. And he's the best older brother, always helping John Paul pick up his shovel or snowball or whatever his mitted hands can't manage. Between the two of them, they keep our sidewalk and paths cleared of even the slightest whiff of snow and are always ready for another big snowfall.

Saskatchewan bred through and through, these two. They're growing up loving the cold and winter weather and telling anyone in warmer climates they just need to come out and visit! A Saskatchewan winter, against all odds, is a cure for winter blahs!

Let it Snow!

Winter set in here almost a month ago. The first snow fall came and stayed. The Ontario girl in me is thinking, "It's going to be one long winter!" Although Saskatchewan is home now, I don't know if I'll ever get used to these long, cold winters. And yet, I'm really enjoying the snow and cold, for now.

A beautiful prairie sunset just across the road

I bought my second and third pairs of long underwear this year. I remember vividly laughing at my mom who gloried in her own long underwear when I was young. Well, maybe I'm still laughing a little because it doesn't get near as cold anywhere in Southern Ontario as it will here. Mind you, it hasn't spiked down to -30 or even -25 yet. And I'm not sure if I've ever experience -40 or -50. 

My happy men

On beautiful sunny days I'm happy to spend time playing outside, but when it's overcast or snowing a little I'm much more inclined to avoid any outing. Thankfully, I feel some kind of motherly obligation to take my outdoors-loving little guy outside everyday. The result is, it's good for both of us!

Our 2nd snowman of the year

We've made a couple of snowmen already this year. Unfortunately, the dog (Emma) has knocked them over. One day shortly after building the snowman, Joseph and I were yelling at Emma for chasing vehicles. Scared of us, she turned on her heels to run off and smacked right into the frozen snowman. Serves her right!

Emma's jealous of all the attention Joseph receives

We've also made a few little snow angels and you wouldn't believe how cute they are with a 14 month chubby little body! Our favourite daily activities, though, are to walk the trail through the woods and sled in the ditch -- ahem, our hill. With our good old bag of hard-as-rock lawn fertilizer in the back for weight, Joseph's sled keeps him pretty happy. As long as we keep moving, that is. We like to check out all the little footprints on the trail, guess how long it will be before some of the leaning trees tumble over, and call for Emma when she gets too far away.

Joseph loves it when we run around the trail

We've also been doing a LOT of bird watching! When the bird feeder was first filled, Grandpa could barely keep up with the birds to fill it fast enough. We watch the grosbeaks, finches, chickadees, wrens, and, of course, the nasty blue jays. Some days there are up to 6 or 8 grosbeaks vying for feeder space.

Two male grosbeaks snacking

One morning a male grosbeak flew right into the window. Grandpa retrieved the stunned little bird before Emma could harm it and brought him inside. It was all we could do to keep Joseph from touching it. He was so excited! In his high little voice (as opposed to his low manly voice), he was chit chatting to the bird and going back and forth between the rest of us telling us about the bird.

Grandpa and Joseph save the grosbeak

I can't tell you how many times we've stopped to say, "It feels like it should be mid-December." And then let the reality sink in that it's still over a month until Christmas. And after Christmas is when Winter really sets in. Yes, we're in for a long winter! But the Christmas music has already begun in earnest here. And I now know why my mother-in-law insists on no Christmas music until after Remembrance Day. Since Monday we've heard nothing but Christmas music all day, everyday. Not that I'm complaining. I've married into a family that certainly takes everything Christmas-related very, very seriously. If you did something one year, well, it's tradition. And the day after Christmas is one of the saddest days of the year because you have to wait a whole year to open presents again!

The First Snowfall

We have snow! It may or may not be here to stay, but it's out there right now.

Joseph and I headed outside this afternoon just like two excited little kids (ok, he is an excited little kid). We just had to sled down the ditch a couple times, throw some snowballs for the dog, and run back and forth on the front lawn with the sled.  

I was just as delighted as this little munchkin, although quite possibly just from delighting in his joy. The giggles and laughs errupting from the sled as I ran over bumps and around in a big circle was enough to make anyone happy.

Joseph wanted to drag his huge mitten in the snow beside the sled, but wasn't interested in tasting it when I offered it to him (don't worry, it was clean snow!). When we came inside he sat down to examine and poke a little chunk of icy snow that fell off his snowsuit, curious as to why he couldn't pick it up and why it was growing smaller and smaller.

And, if this seems like a little too much excitement for you, we can always be brought down a notch with Dan's comment (although not made in despair): "About another 5-6 months of this now". Me: "Groan". But for today, it's fun to watch a 13 month old laugh and play in the first snowfall!

**Note: This snowsuit is red and blue. I'm sure it appears that way for all of you, but my family somehow thought it was a beautiful hot pink from these photos. As if we'd buy Joseph a hot pink snowsuit!