The Quiet of a Storm

Today, we were supposed to bake tons of chocolate chip cookies to give away at church. We were supposed to thoroughly clean the house and make ham rolls and chocolate cake for the family Christmas Party that was to be in our home. We were supposed to bake more sugar cookies and decorate them to give away to my daughters' friends at church. We were supposed to get everything else ready for tomorrow. We were supposed to have a busy, busy day.

But it snowed more than a foot.

We are buried in beautiful blissful escape.

Instead, I kept my Pajamas on all day. I took video and pictures of my family playing in the snow. I huffed and puffed my pregnant self through the knee deep snow and played in it. I laughed when I fell backwards and my husband had to pull me up out of it. I enjoyed some hot chocolate with marshmallows (Warm chocolate soymilk is not so bad!). I still made cookies, but they were the healthy oatmeal walnut chocolate chip lactose free kind, not the mix I had been planning on using for convenience. I still ate too many chocolate chips. My daughter and I colored lots of pictures with a brand new box of crayons. I watched my husband play with my daughter outside and fell more in love with him. He let her try to play his trumpet after filling the house with Christmas and spiritual music for a while.

After dinner, she snuggled with daddy in the recliner while he read the scriptures and we said family prayer. Then we turned out all the lights and looked at the lighted manger scene and tree. We sang Christmas carols together. It was peaceful and filled with joy. It was what Christmas is all about. I love the Savior. I love my family. I love that I can be with them most of the days of my life. I love Christmas. I love snow.

I love it when Heavenly Father sends a blizzard to quiet the storm of our lives.