Ode to Winter's First Snowfall and 3-D Glasses

I think we can all say that this Winter has been a mild one.

Despite enduring more cold days than I enjoyed (6), there really wasn't much Winter to complain about - we barely saw any physical manifestations of the chilly season.

But leave it to the impending arrival of Spring to make shy Winter brave enough to come out of its shell a little.

It still eluded DC, but I caught a glimpse of the timid, cold nymph when I went to Wisconsin on my way to Iowa a few weekends ago.


**I apologize that it's taken this long to really talk about that blessed trip - I blame it on being confined to my sick bed for a week, with only the mental and physical capacity to moan and whine and watch old episodes of 30 Rock.**

Anyway.

As soon as I got to Wisconsin, the wintery flurries began to grace the northern midwestern state, and oldest brother Chris exclaimed this was probably only the 3rd snowfall they've seen in the last 4 months. I haven't seen any substantial snowfall since last Winter, so he had me beat. We grumbled and prepared for a rather obnoxiously white drive to Iowa that afternoon and evening.

Luckily, the snow only accompanied us into part of Illinois and then hung back to party in happenin' Peoria. It was lame to drive in, but definitely pretty to look at.

 So much snow, so suddenly. A shocking lack of color.

 My travel companion, mr. ladybug, poking his head over the dash to check out the road conditions. They weren't great.

Ode to a farm house, clouded by the weight of snow in the air, serene in the stillness of white.

The snow and the drive directed my thoughts to Robert Frost's Stopping By Woods On a Snowy Evening - and I'm guessing Chris's thoughts were, consciously or not, stealing from the poem as well. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.

Despite the snow, we made it to Iowa an hour earlier than we had anticipated - mainly because the GPS we had originally taken our arrival time from hadn't been changed to standard time since we left daylight savings in October (NOTE: Chris, don't forget to switch it back to daylight time again!). So when we left, it told us we'd arrive at 11pm, but once we were about 72 miles away, we felt pretty confident that it would take us 2 hours to get to their house, at a speed of 70 miles per hour (math nerds - can you confirm our reasoning?). Once we got the GPS switched to standard time, the arrival time looked sooooo much better. Especially because that meant we got to surprise the Iowa clan by showing up early!

And scared them we did. What a way to make an entrance - Chris, niece Maddie, and I racing to get in the door first, scaring the bejeezus out of the adults standing in the kitchen. It makes me smile just thinking about it.

The weekend was a blast. We watched a little basketball at night, chatted and laughed about anything and everything, watched sweet, excited, nervous Emilie get baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and thoroughly enjoyed one another's company. Laura and I got in one or two "Just Dance" dances - awesome - and we got the whole family involved in "Glee: Karaoke." I must say, our family is musically gifted. Maybe not in the way good singers are gifted, but we can rock the karaoke. Who knew? Ben/Laura, Chris/Jodi, Mom/Dad, and Maddie/Caleb were exceptionally good dueters. I loved it all.

We also went and saw The Lorax: 3D because it just looked so good, and I loved that story (so colorful!) growing up. We left dad at home with a sleeping baby, of course, and took the rest of the group out. I won't lie - I didn't love it like I wanted to, which is surprising because usually if I'm determined to enjoy a movie, I will. But it was still a cute movie, and regardless of how I felt about it, this particular activity is getting highlighted because apparently it's the only other time I thought to whip out my phone camera. Because who doesn't love pictures in fat nerd glasses?

 Jodi and her two eldest children - all three of these people just exude coolness.

Me and Caleb. So hot right now.

 Grammy Dette (mom), Caleb, me - generations!

Maddie - supermodel.

Niece Maddie had the great idea of popping her lenses out of her glasses, once we got home, and I found myself coveting them for awhile, until I decided I could do the same with my glasses (or she could, rather). And then we got to be twinners! I felt totally hipster in them, which made me feel conflicted, because I enjoyed wearing the glasses, but I wouldn't consider myself one with the hipster fashion/un-fashion movement, you know?

 Me and Maddie - she's 13 years old!!! WHAT?!?!?! So fun to have an practically-an-adult teenage niece!

I look like a giant dork in these fatty glasses. Luckily, I try to embrace the huge nerd in me whenever possible.

And just so you see the what good-looking men are in my family, here they are (minus one, who's also very good-looking and likely has a black jacket he could wear with these boys):

Ben, Dad, Chris (sorry dad, I had another picture where you're not making a weird face, but it wouldn't load! I think your face is cute this way anyway :)

You guys, my family rocks. I'm so glad I got to go out and visit them, even if it was just a weekend trip that brought me home with strep throat. The two days in Iowa, and the two back-to-back roadtrips were awesome. I had some great conversations with Chris in the car, and with Jodi, when she could hear us from the way back of the car (Jodi, you're amazing, you bless my life with your selflessness in car trips!), and we continued the storytelling and conversations at their home in Wisconsin. It's awesome having a niece who's old enough to understand and begin to appreciate those conversations as well. Maddie stayed up chatting with us on Sunday, and it was fun to hear the input of at 13 year old on so many topics.

Team Barlow, I'm such a fan! Can't wait to repeat these fun times with more family members in May!!