Obligatory snow pictures :)

The beginning of February looked like this for us...

2 kids who forgot what it was like to play outside got all bundled up one Saturday morning, ready to venture out into our very own winter wonderland. (Don't you love the skeptical looks on their faces here?!)

I plopped them down in the bank of snow in our front yard, which was easily 3-4 feet tall from all the snow Rob had recently shoveled off the driveway.

They nearly gave themselves frostbite on their little cheeks because the entire time we were outside, they both insisted on eating the snow off their mittens. I love the curiosity and wonder that children have for simple things like how cold snow is on your tongue and how yummy it is to eat!

My handsome little guy.

Child labor. Clearly we were prepared - that shovel is her size! Haha.

The kids go for a walk down our deserted street - it was fun to see neighbors out shoveling their drives and walks and say hi.

I am so lucky these two are mine.

Our next door neighbors have kids a few years older than ours, and I can tell this summer will be the summer that they all finally enjoy playing together - Robbie's old enough to keep up and the boys adore one another. Here Robbie is enjoying the fruits of their labor - a snow slide!

They are sitting on a mound of snow so high that it covers the mailbox!

(We are in trouble if/when all this snow melts at the same time.)

Unfazed by the frigid weather - I think on this day it was in the teens.

Ellie acted like all the world was her personal walk-up buffet. She just kept trodding down the sidewalk between 2+ foot walls of snow and dipping her little hands down and shoving snow into her mouth. Good thing it's is low-cal. ;)

I made a big pot of hot chocolate from scratch once we were too cold to feel our faces, and while Ellie's was poured into a sippy cup still fairly cold, Robbie got to experience for the first time a mug of warm hot chocolate.

Complete with heart shaped strawberry marshmallows. Because I'm a sucker for seasonally shaped sugar.

He was so careful with his mug, and nursed that hot chocolate for a good half hour while discussing how 'tasty and sweet and good indeed!' it was in between sips. This kid. He kills me.

Daddy still had some shoveling to do so we watched from the front window. This picture reminds me of just how much I have to be thankful for (not that I quickly forget). A hard working husband who will do anything for us, two sweet kids who love us and just want to be with us, a warm home on freezing cold days... we are so blessed.

Ellie is our little bookworm right now.

After Rob came inside, we put the kids in a warm bubble bath and let them snuggle in our bed for a few minutes while we all got ready for a big fat afternoon nap. On this particular day both kids slept for 4 hours! Definitely makes all the effort of getting them bundled, playing outside, then unbundled, and finally bathed worth it.

A few more pictures just to document Blizzard 2011 in Wheaton.

Being buried in snow and freezing temperatures has meant many trips to the DD drive through for hot coffee and sweet breakfast treats. Oh who's kidding who, it's just my excuse for now.

And this one was too cute not to post, but it's from January - all dressed up for Church!