Blizzard of 2016

We survived the blizzard.
Technically, I think we're still in the aftermath since the kids have a snow day today and all non essential travel is banned.  There are still people in Walkersville and Frederick City that haven't been plowed, but out street is down to pavement.
With the 9 degree temperature, it's extremely slippery pavement, but visible pavement.
Considering how much snow there was, even seeing the road is a major victory.

I did not buy into the blizzard hype until Thursday.
After seeing my most trusted weather source, Justin Berk,'s lowest prediction for snow was 20", my butt got kicked into gear.
We're good about having supplies around - so really the only things we had to get were a handle of Fireball, some triple sec and some fabric that was on sale at Joann's so I could start my new dress and skirt.
It's all about priorities.

The Weather Channel said that snow would start in Frederick about 2:15.
We saw our first flakes at 2:18.
By 3 pm, there was a dusting.

Herkimer was mesmerized by all the stuff falling from the sky.

By 7pm, it was clear we weren't going anywhere and sat down as a family to watch "Captain America" and were snug in our beds by 9.
Turns out we would need the extra rest.

Here is what things looked at by 10am with 2 feet on the ground and stiff winds:

It took us 3 hours to shovel half of our driveway and to get our neighbors driveway and fire hydrants freed up.  Even hard work is fun when surrounded by good people.
Our People are the salt of the earth.

After earning my hot apple cider with cinnamon whiskey, we settled in to watch the next "Captain America" movie and went to be early.  We were all really tired from all the shoveling.
Haven't had a workout like this since leaving Worcester.
It felt like old times when we had to throw the snow up and over the retaining wall in our driveway. Only it was the drifts we were chucking snow over...

The kids did a pretty good job staying out of each other's and keeping sane.
I can't lie - I wish they had worked harder when outdoors shoveling.  The call of playing in the snow was too much for them to withstand much of the time.
We are getting our money out of the new basement.  They spread out and spent hours playing legos.

 We are also very grateful for our good snow wear to keep us warm and dry.
I did send this picture to LL Bean.  Considering my go-to winter coat is the Bean anorak I saved up $35 for and bought out of the overstock catalog in 1993, I think it has been well worth it.  You can't pick out the 10 year old pair of boots in that row, either.
Love LL Bean.

 All in all, we officially got 36" of snow.
I think we got a bit more, maybe closer to 40".
I am not able to walk through our back yard and had to crawl to the back of our neighbors house with a roof rake yesterday because the snow was up to my waist.
Other neighbors took the kids and made a toboggan run yesterday so we could get the roofs around us set.  After all the water infiltration we had in Worcester and with rain called for later this week, consider us paranoid.
The pictures are impressive.
As usual, events like this make us even more grateful for our family and our Tribe.
We are in a good place.

Here's to a good snow day.
Happy Blizzard.