...and the snow rages...

I kind of feel like I'm stuck in this weird, snowy loop. It's been a long, long, cold, white winter. And here I am, another Monday. My children sleep, I stare outside at the snowy mountains, I watch the freezing wind whip through the trees, I wonder how the hell I ended up here. Then I stop myself. Take a minute to appreciate. Fantasize about sunshine. Beaches. Bougainvillea. Count the days til spring break. Realize I have no plans to go anywhere. Money's tight. Things are in flux. Try to stop the brain. Count the days. I'm almost 37. That sounds really old. Remember being young. Aimless, weekend amblings with my sister and Melissa. So many warm days. Absolutely free of responsibility. My one paying job (the same paying job, but more pay, back in the day).

The grace of February arrived in the face of beautiful guests. My mama first, sister and niece next. They appreciated the snow and cold in a different way. The way of total fascination. Of Piper shouting, "It's snowing!" and bursting outside to stand under the flakes until she's cold again, races back inside. It feels sometimes like I moved to a foreign country. I see so much of myself in my sister, in my mom, yet my lifestyle has changed so dramatically. How thankful I am that they come here, try to appreciate and understand my very different world.

I'm trying to call on the birthday spirit, the birthday wisdom, the promise of spring, but I'm coming up short. Maybe tomorrow when we officially welcome March I'll be able to have some perspective. For now, thank you Wendy for these beautiful pictures of the cousins. So many beautiful, cold memories! The sun will shine again. It has to...