the big freeze

We experienced unprecedented cold weather in Texas this year!  In the 2 years we lived here before Miami and the 8 years we've been back, we've never felt temperatures like this! The drop in temperatures was shocking, but then came the snow and ice which made the roads scary and dangerous. 

But this is when things were just cold and novel...

Colby made a snowball, then wanted to get back in the car ASAP!!

Just for reference...

On Sunday before church, the snow started falling and it was SO incredibly beautiful.  We didn't know how long it would last, so we let the kids play in it even if it meant logging in to church a few minutes late. 

We didn't last long because the winds were chilling, but it was fun while it lasted. The day started at 11 degrees, but "felt like -7" according to my weather app. 

We quickly discovered that our face masks made the perfect shield for our faces, haha!  Colby looked like a blue ninja.

While I got ready for a church meeting (via Zoom), Kevin and the kids prepared the perfect spot for me, complete with an ottoman for my feet, a blanket, and my water.  Coziest spot in the house!!

The next morning we woke up to 6-8 inches of snow and a chilly 6 degrees!  With the wind chill, it felt like -13, but you better believe that my kids still wanted to go outside and play. We lasted about 25 minutes before feeling quite frozen.

Everything looked so pretty covered in snow...

Colby loved all the accumulated snow on the trampoline :)

Then it was time to go inside and warm up...

Tuesday morning was still bitterly cold, but Kevin had to drive into work again.  (He attached our snow chains Sunday night to prepare for Monday!) The kids did lots of puzzles and played games while I began washing sheets in case we needed to have house guests.  People all over North Texas were losing power and their home temperatures were quickly dropping.  I had reached out to Pam Jarrett in our ward and found out that they were without power.  She said that her and her daughters were "fine" the night before, but that she would bring her parents (Bill and Mae) over to stay the night. I've never met them, but we were happy to have them stay with us.  They are in their late 70's and Mae has some health issues, but I didn't realize how bad her Parkinson's was.  It was really sad to see her struggle, especially since I learned more about the awful nature of that disease, which my dad also has. 

Once we had our final headcount, the kids set the table and waited for our guests to arrive. My friend Ashley and her two boys were also coming since they were without power. We felt so lucky to never lose gas or power, and I think it's because we're on the same power grid as a nearby fire station. 

The kids loved having a sleepover with friends (which we have never done) and playing the next morning together.  I loved listening to them play Harry Potter and watching them cast spells over their little picnic. They kept asking when we could do this again, haha.  

That afternoon, Mae watched Brooke play the piano and gave her the sweetest compliments.  She took several naps on the couch, so I let the kids go upstairs and watch a movie while Bill read near Mae. 

They stayed with us a few days because Pam was still without power and her house was only at 35 degrees.  (I couldn't convince her to come stay as well, despite my best persuasive efforts.) 

One afternoon, I took the kids out of the house to burn some energy.  We found icicles all over the place!!

And the neighborhood pool was crazy...

The sun was shining and the kids had a blast!  I had them wear rubber gardening gloves over their knit mittens and that was a game changer.  No more soggy mittens for my little ones, haha. 

On Friday we said goodbye to Bill and Mae. They entered our home as strangers, but quickly found a place in our hearts.  My kids are in no way perfect, but watching them interact with them was incredibly precious.  I had to praise them for being so thoughtful and kind without prompting from me. I had talked to them about Mae's disease before they arrived, but I had no idea how severe she was.  But my kids just seemed to understand and treated them like special grandparents.  One evening, we were upstairs watching a movie together.  Mae got up to get something from her room, but was very unsteady as she walked.  Colby immediately jumped off the couch and went to the doorway of her room and said, "I'm just gonna stand here in case you need me."  It touched my heart so much.  And watching the way Bill cared for Mae was incredible. He was patient, kind, and always happy to serve her. His love for her was deep and I loved listening to their stories.  Bill is Pam's step-dad, which I didn't know, but he stepped in and raised her and her siblings when their abusive dad was out of the picture. Bill obviously didn't share these stories about himself, but Mae would talk about how kind he was to the kids. It was truly an honor to get to know them.

By Saturday, it was back to 75 degrees and most of the snow had melted.  Texas weather is crazy!

Our driveway was super slushy, so Brooke attempted to make a slush pile...

And that's the story of the Texas Snowmageddon!!