My kids just love the snow. All of them were just tickled to see a landscape cloaked in white… finally, ❄️ upon this dry season.

I usually don’t pray about the direction we should take for our home school schedule, I just try to do what we normally do, or put out the hottest fire, or follow my whims, and ditch the schedule. Maybe I was feeling indecisive. At any rate, I actually prayed.

I recalled that we had missed the snow day of sledding that our local home-school adventuring group had offered, due to some other pressing priorities. I was so sad to miss, especially as the snow might be gone soon and that would have been our only chance. BUT, it was STILL snowy! It came to my mind that the kids got sleds from their grandparents, and the opportunity to go sledding together, was our family’s highest priority.

Now, I had been mentored by moms far more adventurous than me, to create memories in the snow with their children. There really is a lot of overhead when it comes to snow, and that can intimidate me. Searching for all the right warm things, packing food for warmth, strength and comfort, traveling through snow, braving cold or wind, and then dealing with tired children who care very little about dealing with the recovery for soppy mittens so easily lost from one another, or hanging up snow-suits. Tired Mama might herself, decide to forego it all, (maybe baby compels this,) and then be completely overwhelmed by the mess later!

Two of my first snow play mentors were Cheri M. and Sonja L. whom I met in Minnesota.

Balaclavas are especially useful when its very cold outside, and this one is just like the one Cheri taught me to make but the good news is, you don’t even need that binding piece for the hole, and they still work very well, and hold up forever. If you have some fleece, scissors and sewing machine, you are set: Check out: How to make your own DIY ski mask, (balaclava), a pattern for children, from Make it, & Love it.

Secondly, Utah Mamas Summer N. and Emilie C. have supported an outdoor adventuring spirit to help me get out there in the cold, and currently, a whole group of thoughtful, detail-oriented hard-core Mamas are my outdoor mentors and inspire-rs, they are from my outdoor centered co-op, thank you all for empowering me to tackle and seize the day to invigorate myself and children through the fitness, opposition and skill building, opportunity, relationship development and playfulness nature provides.

Jony S. kept the campfire going during this adventure, and lent her hand when Stacey was tired. Pregnant mamas like Meg love and contribute her talents to our group.

Dawn S., hugging a child, with a heart of gold is the backbone of our group, steering with vision, cohesiveness and creativity to match the goals of our group. Stacey B. mastered popcorn making over a campfire through trial and error.

So, with this courage that other moms have helped build in me, we readied some hot chocolate supplies, ditched all home-school curriculum and routine, and the kids bundled up. The kids got ready faster than me with all my “geriatric pregnancy🤣”, self-care preparations. “Come on, Mom, hurry!” they urged as I slapped together a pb&j for each of us and made sure each boy had their warmer mittens. Luckily, the roads were melted of snow and ice and this was not part of our adventure.

Checking my texts, I realized I had a midwife appointment that I had forgotten about, they were now flying in every two weeks and I had thought we visited just last week! How would we fit this in, when we needed to travel 45 minutes to get to another neat opportunity I had already committed to with a snack I’d bring, later? GPS showed that we were only 8 minutes away from the midwife office.

I chatted with my friend, trying to figure out if we could somehow make it all work. I’m literally still terrible at scheduling but yet I knew I was trying my best, so in compassion to myself, I enjoyed watching my boys sled, and watched the clock, that we get to the midwife on time, hoping meanwhile to solutionize for my next engagement.

I had a great midwife appointment, taking my littlest ones into the office while the boys watched a movie in the car. We figured out how to meet my daughter en route with my snack components, and we made it to my friend’s dance class only five minutes late, and then back to mutual, only half an hour late.

Since that day, the snow stuck, and my boys have been zipping up and heading out often! I know their spirits crave the outdoor fresh air and vigor, and some time too, has been donated to the responsibilities the boys have for shoveling driveways assigned to them for the elderly, from our church. I know it’s best to be more flexible about requiring their home-school accomplishments; this flexibility and need for service and play is a reason we home-school.

My daughter, who loves snow as well, has been cross country skiing with her Dad, her friend and she also took her brother.

Its easy to hate winter and to inhale a lot of stuffy air, pining for the spring. Each season has its meaning, wells to draw from, and memory potential. If you shy away from the depth and character winter can carve in you and your family, because your bang zone is more summer geared, I bet you are amazing in spearing activities then!! Or if snow has grated on your every nerve for its repetition and lack of heat and color, or you have just have been out of steam this season for such adventuring, I hope this post has given you a little momentum, to pause for the wonder of winter, and to make it more meaningful to you in some way.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost Next

Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.

Much love and fun times to you, friend!

Emmy Gay