Memorable Leap-Year Day

February 29th only comes around once every four years, a snow day only comes around about once a year, and an 18" snowfall comes around about once in a century. For all three to land on one day was a bit spectacular and made for some memorable sites around here.

This was our back door early Wednesday morning. The clouds were very low and thick.


Keith and I cleared a path to the road so that he could get to work. I went in to feed Gabe and wait for the boys to wake up and the snow to slow down before we tried to do any more.


We ate and I went about my business while Gabe went downstairs to play. It seemed to me that he got very quiet, the kind of quiet where a mom knows she needs to check it out. I was just in time. Gabe LOVES to help with the laundry and apparently he had decided that he was capable of more than just helping, he was ready to go solo. He opened the washing machine and emptied the contents into a corner on the floor. He then filled the washer with 10 rolls of toilet paper! He was just going for an eleventh when I walked in. I don't know if he actually knows how to push the right buttons to turn it on, but I'm sure glad I didn't have to find out the hard way.


It was noon before we decided to go out and finish the shoveling. Our "finish" consisted of making paths, not really clearing the entire driveway or sidewalks. With the forecast predicting 40s and 50s all next week we decided not to waste too much energy when the sun would soon take care of it for us. The following pictures are all excerpts from our "labors".

Lisa in our shovel-wide path from the house to the barn. That 3 1/2 foot pile next to her is part of the driveway. If we don't move the pile we don't move the van. We decided the van needs a vacation.


Bryce manning a shovel


Shane doing flips

The inevitable lost boot


Shane doing the "Gabe Toss"


and Gabe loving it.


The boys taking a shoveling break to climb the shed. I love the butterfly stickers on the window of the shed. I think Ellen and Dana put those up about 10 years ago.




Roof-jumping




An advantage of having a tall brother...

...is having access to a roof-slide


Mister Gabe


No matter how prepared I try to be, when this snow breaks loose the thundering sound it makes as it slides down the metal roof will scare me to death!