Every Season

We live in South Louisiana (not the deep south, but still the south).  I don't think you could pay me enough money to move away from Louisiana!  I LOVE it here.  One of the things I love the most about it here is the mild winters.  You can pretty much garden year round, which is totally awesome!  Heck, half the time we are wearing shorts at Christmas.  But, not this winter!  It has been COLD.  I mean really cold.  We have gotten snow twice!  And last year, we got 8 inches of snow!  That is a crazy amount of snow for down here.  I think it's a record or something.  I've never seen that much snow in Louisiana in my whole life...and I'm, well, it doesn't matter how old I am, but suffice it to say that I'm more than a quarter of a century old (I'm almost 30, and it's starting to creep me out!).  I think it's global warming, but I could be wrong about that...Our pipes busted in the barn and our well froze over.  This is not something I know how to deal with people!  What do northerners do with all this cold weather and it's side effects???  I don't even have a coat warm enough to go out in snow.  I have to layer all my clothes and it doesn't fit right, and I look like some kind of weird, puffy, mom thing.   It's not attractive.  The kids like the snow from inside the house.  I tried taking them out in it last week, and after about half an hour, we all had enough.  Our fingers and toes were frozen and our noses were red.  So, we stayed out long enough to get pictures for proof of the event, and then we came back inside and sought shelter in the warmth of our centrally heated home and had hot chocolate and brownies.  That's another thing about winter!  I don't feel like doing anything but eat...there's no motivation for exercise because my bones are just too cold.  But, it seems that spring is starting to come around. The last few days have been gorgeous and sunny - still too cold for me, but that's ok.  On the other hand, there really is something just breathtakingly beautiful about seeing a blanket of snow covering the ground and trees outside!  I don't know what it is, but it is just so still and calm and peaceful.  It reminds me of a Nichole Nordeman song.  She is a Christian singer who has beautiful songs and an even more beautiful voice.  I really enjoy her music.  It stirs my soul and makes me long for Heaven and friendship with Christ.  One of my favorites is a song about finding God as the earth and seasons change throughout the year.  It's just so lovely...sometimes it just brings a tear to my eye to think that we have a God who created all of this for us to enjoy and know Him more!  

"Every Season"

song and lyrics by:  Nichole Nordeman

Every evening sky, an invitation
To trace the patterned stars
And early in July, a celebration
For freedom that is ours
And I notice You
In children’s games
In those who watch them from the shade
Every drop of sun is full of fun and wonder
You are summer

And even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and was to come
You are autumn

And everything in time and under heaven
Finally falls asleep
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation
Shivers underneath
And still I notice You
When branches crack
And in my breath on frosted glass
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter
You are winter

And everything that’s new has bravely surfaced
Teaching us to breathe
What was frozen through is newly purposed
Turning all things green
So it is with You
And how You make me new
With every season’s change
And so it will be
As You are re-creating me
Summer, autumn, winter, spring

Here are some pics from our 'big snow' this year.  Enjoy!

Right when it started snowing: 

 

A few hours later: 

 

Even the yard angel was looking for cover =) 

The husband's truck: 

Kids with their Granny: 

Our Home: 

Trying to warm up: 

This is last year when we got 8" of snow: 

Last year at our old house (I still can't believe it):