Living in a Furnance

Wee ones had an awesome time playing with their new water hopscotch thingy.  Good times with weather that includes temps in the 90s and heat indexes into between105-110...   Just so you know that means our dew points and therefore, humidity levels that are comparable to what you feel in RAINFORESTS!

 

But I distinctly remember living in Minnesota and would prefer to see this right now...

Snowing Inside My House

What do you do when it's really cold outside but there is a fresh snow fall of 14 inches?

You bring the snow inside, of course!

A great friend posted on her blog that she had brought buckets of snow inside for her children to play with. I thought it was a FABULOUS idea, so I followed suit and to color or bling things up a bit, I gave the children several bottles of cookie sprinkles. It was so fun!

More Minnesota Winter

Minnesota Winter

I have a general rule of thumb concerning Minnesota winters.  If you willingly choose to live in Minnesota, you are NOT allowed to gripe about the eternal, frigid, bone numbing, painfully long winters that tend to feel as if they last at least NINE MONTHS.

However, I am contemplating breaking my own rule.

It's been quite a challenging year.  On an average year, we receive about 9 to 10 inches of snow in December in Minnesota.  We receive approximately 11 inches of snow in a regular January.

Last month, our city received the following larger snow storms:
December 3-4th with 8 inches
December 10-11th with 17 inches
December 15-16th with 3 inches
December 20-21st with 5 inches

So, not that any of us are counting... but that means we received a minimum of 33 inches of snow in December.

HELLO?!?!?!?!?!?!  Anyone listening?!?!?  


THIRTY-THREE INCHES OF SNOW!!!


I like to (NOT) shovel as much as the next proud Minnesotan, but seriously?!  SIGH.

Record-setting December snowfall totals were common across southern and central Minnesota - with many Minnesotans seeing roughly triple the historical average. Widespread, heavy snowfalls occurred on at least five occasions somewhere in Minnesota. Snowfall totals of eight or more inches were common. In some events snowfall totals exceeded 12 inches, including a 17.1 inch total on December 10-11th! This was the largest December snowfall on record for the Twin Cities, and was largely responsible for the collapse of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. 


Which, by the way, have you seen the amazing video of the Metrodome roof colllasping?!  Check it out...




So, now I will stop complaining, because I really had no point to my ramblings -- other than venting.  Enjoy the great song below from a fellow Minnesotan who makes funs of all of our crazy weather.

If you'd like to read more about the plight of those stupid, er... brainless, ahem! BRAVE souls (like me), who continue to survive and thrive Minnesota winters, please read THIS hard to understand, but informative article about  Minneapolis/St. Paul winter trends.




P.S. This was my mini-van AFTER I HAD ALREADY SHOVELED IT OUT ONCE the same day...

Snowy Cuteness

No theme for today's posting. I just like these pictures of the precious children in their winter gear.

Unamused!

When I woke up yesterday morning THIS is what I saw outside my window...
To say the least, I was highly UNamused. Yes, I am aware that I live in MN and I am very aware that it snows in MN. However, it was only October 10th. The kids were beside themselves with exuberant energy and excitement.

I had not planned on digging out their snow boots and snow pants and gloves and hats and all that other cold weather JUNK yet.

I haven't even had a chance to bring the kids to the multitudes of fall activities that I LIVE to photograph!!! We haven't made it to a single apple orchard or jumped in raked up leaves or drove to the fall harvest festival at the farm in Litchfield. Jeepers!

I am seriously peeved here, People! I want to know where to file my complaint with Mother Nature. I am telling you! That lady is going to hear from me...

Minnesota Nice

I adore MN weather. You positively never know what to expect from one minute to the next.

On Tuesday afternoon when I got home from work around 3pm-ish, it was partly cloudy outside. Within 15 minutes it was thundering and lightening and within an additional 30 minutes, it was hailing.

Okay, so the hail was tiny -- only about pea sized, but it HAILED!

The ONLY Reason to Live in MN

Is there anything better than a fresh, snowy day?!

Daniel thinks there is...

He was NOT happy with the cold, fluffy white stuff.

Glorious

FINALLY the weather in MN has taken a turn for the better. It's supposed to be in the mid-70s and sunny all weekend. A few of suburbs around here are having their all-city garage sales and I am raring to go! Got lots of bargains to hunt down so my children can actually be clothed. The challenging part is always getting a one and two year old to cooperate while browsing the messy tables and boxes in search of the next grand find.

When?!

When exactly is summer, or SPRING for that matter, going to grace us, forsaken Minnesotans, with its presence? I am so very sick and tired of cold, ucky weather. The low temperature last night was 31 degrees. Over the weekend, my dad received FIFTEEN INCHES OF SNOW near his home in Alexandria. I would like to inform Mother Nature that her behavior over the past week has been completely unacceptable. Do I need to remind her that it is almost MAY?! Enough complaining about things out of our control...

For the upcoming weekend, I don't care what the weather will be like because I will be happily relaxing inside a beautiful lodge "up north" with lots of awesome friends but minus my children and husband as I scrapbook until my little heart is content. Life is so good. I can't wait!!!