it's here!

Winter has arrived around these parts, and with it ... some of the treats of the season: gingerbread cookies, warm cider, and sledding with friends.

It amazes me each and every year - how instantly everything changes when this blanket of snow comes down and covers everything around us. Everything transforms into something new and fresh. And even though the weather has been slowly shifting as it does, it's still always a shock those first few times of the season - stepping out into the white crunch. It's beautiful, magical and amazing. The challenge is to still find it as beautiful, magical and amazing come March when it feels as though it will never end. So here's to remembering in March. It really is magical out there.

Comments

[Helena B]

"stepping out into the white crunch" is a beautiful and succinct way to describe it. Enjoy the day with your babes!

[jean]

a wonderful afternoon. tasty treats and lovely gifts.

[Lia]

:) oooh!!! You are all amazing, in every weather!!! **

[Kristin]

You really know how to find the joy in life and share it with your family and also us (your readers)! How do you find the time to work and clean and do laundry and such? Happy snow and thanks for continually reminding me to enjoy life.

[Audra]

What a magical life!!

[Suzanne]

You got more snow in your part of New England than we did, not enough here to crunch around in. Enjoy the snow and sledding!

[Christi]

Beautiful!

[Heather Wilson]

Oh! Isn't it fun?? I love the arrival of the snow as well!
I wonder if we here in Maine will think it is as wonderful & magical in March and April? ;)

[Eren]

oh it is indeed...and your photos find me a little reminiscent of our past two winters in WI. Gorgeous snowy pics Amanda!

[Sarah]

Yum!! Do you have a good gingerbread recipie? Mine always come out... well... not so good. I've tried a few and havn't had luck.

[asti]

I'm having some serious snow envy here! We are lucky to get a sprinkling over the winter and if we DO get a couple of cm, everybody rushes outside to enjoy it before it turns to slush :(
Agree it may not seem so great after a few months, but enjoy!
Just got to say I love my daily visit to your blog - always makes me smile.

[Stacey]

Beautiful branches.

[Jen]

I want snow too! That first big, snowfall is the best.

[erika]

I just printed a winter card that has that same sentiment! I look forward to a snow fall here in philadelphia...maybe later today :)

[Nancy Cook]

oh wow
looks awesome
love the sled and looking for one like that. i saw one at land of nod catalog- is this that one?
thanks

[erika]

I just printed a winter card that has that same sentiment! I look forward to a snow fall here in philadelphia...maybe later today :)

[SOULEMAMA]

Sarah - I use Martha's gingerbread recipe - this one:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/gingerbread-snowflakes?autonomy_kw=gingerbread&rsc=image_6

Nancy Cook - ours is from LL Bean:
http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&categoryId=23757&sc1=Search&feat=sr

[Heather]

Ah yes, here in Vermont we got a huge dump of snow on Monday. Colin and I spend part of the morning sledding, making paths in the snow and baking gingerbread! So beautiful and magical!

I'd like to share this memory with you. Just this morning while driving to work, I was thinking about when I was a kid and how magical I thought the snow was back then. As a young girl, I played with little characters I made up (mostly of wooden clothes pins or pompoms) that were gnomes and fairies. In the winter I would make "snow homes" for these little guys under our "treehouse tree" and under a special pine tree. Closer to Christmas, I would make a little house under our Christmas tree between the presents. We would call a big snow like this a "gnome snow". And the funny thing is after all these years, I still call it a "gnome snow"! A wonderful snowy memory!

Thanks for sharing your snowy day fun!!

[cyndi]

SPECTACULAR! thanks so much for sharing those photos. now how bout sharing some of those cookies as well ;)

[camerashymomma]

this is the magic of childhood! endless runs up the hill with the sled in tow!

i've really enjoyed your snow pictures, i miss the quiet anticipation of the snowstorm and the laughter heard while crunching through it later. it is magical. i transforms everything

i wonder how many snow people will be built come March? :)

[Kristin]

I share your sentiments exactly...I never get tired of watching each and every snowfall that comes our way here in Southern New Hampshire. I happily learned after Monday's storm that my 3 year old shares my same love for the fluffy white stuff. We spent two hours sledding and throwing snow, without a single complaint of being cold. I hope this season we never get that "January thaw" and this snow will stick around till spring!!

Love your blog, thanks for all the inspiration!

[kristin]

cool - we just had our first winter picnic over the weekend. always so much fun to bring the merriment outdoors freezzing temps or not.

[Lynn]

Had our first big snow last night. We should make cookies today!! I'm going to try those cookies...never actually made gingerbread cookies.

[emily]

a picnic with cookies in the snow! brilliant.

[Tara]

Yes! My 22-month old and I made our first batch of gingerbread cookies over the weekend, and have made a snowman a day since then! Love how the first snowstorm really brings a sense of immediacy to these "snow things" that isn't there come March. ;)

Wishing we had that sled . . .

[Wendy Almeida]

We love winter picnics too! We're hoping to find time between classes and work and such to have one this week as well ;-)

[Tara]

Just wanted to add, I clicked your cookie link to see which one it was . . . we also use a Martha Stewart recipe (called Melissa's Gingerbread Cookies) for our gingerbread, but it's a different version that doesn't require chilling before rolling. Great for impatient bakers! It's from The Martha Stewart Cookbook, but I also found it online here:
http://www.geocities.com/grandma_george.geo/christmashouse/xmasrecipe.html

[Jade]

Okay, so I'm sitting here in Texas in 70 degree weather! Could your winter be any more picture perfect. Simply lovely.

[bigbucketgirl]

Oh wow! What we'd give for snow like that. If we get any then its a miracle. We are SO on the coast that the strong sea air melts any sprinkling we get. We are SO enjoying your photos...with green eyes but ENJOYING all the same!

[Carrie @ Three-Girl Circus]

It's gorgeous! We don't get snow here, so I LOVE seeing your pictures.

[christina]

beautiful pictures Amanda, and what a great idea for the wintery picnic. I am a kindred spirit when it comes to out doors, seasons, and kids and picnics. This inspired me to have one of our own. However where we live in Texas, we will not get the snow. My kids would love it, but alas, it is not to be. Hope y'all stay warm with the love of family.
Christina Gomez

[Caren]

We're over in NH and enjoying the dumping from the same storm. I grew up here, and I still feel that rush of excited anticipation when I wake up the the silence of swirling snow, interrupted only by the growl of the snow plows. I plan to homeschool my dd, but we can still celebrate "snow days" with abandon, I think!

[Carrie]

I love gingerbread cookies as well! I wanted to make this gingerbread man wreath that I saw in my Martha Stewart Kids magazine but my husband said, no way. You can't just look at cookies, you have to eat them! We too just got a beautiful blanketing of snow. It is just so amazing how snow makes everything look so magical! Thanks for your beautiful pictures!

[Natalie]

We're a long way from enjoying a winter like this. I suppose the appeal would fade by March, but right now it looks so ideal. Thank you for the glimpse of your magical world.

[gonzomama]

oh, the envy! I long for the north. it truly seems wrong to raise a child where it will not snow (at least not a decent amount). in the meantime, we are making clay snowmen. not quite the same :(
beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing. i imagine i will be viewing them often and daydreaming here in georgia.

[Agnès]

You're so lucky to have snow around your home!
My son is lucky too beacause he went on a moutain doing luge with his dad this morning! We're waiting for snow around our house!!!

[Anne]

This looks like a Martha Stewart party! Very lovely and inspiring.

[Dawn]

Very beautiful photos. I love how your photography captures your gratitude. You didn't even need words to portray that- although the words were lovely also.

[ariana vanderbeels]

wow you all had a beautiful winter picnic! have you read that story by robert welber? it is a beautifully illistrated book by deborah ray. i am sure you have it in your vintage book collection. thank you for the photos
cheers
ariana

[m]

I'm still waiting for our weather to warm up to -10C so that we can go out and enjoy it. I'm a wimp and am having adjusting to this -17C weather (-29C with windchill!). I've never stayed inside for such a long time before, and looking at your pictures makes me long for a winter wonderland walk. But, like I said, I'm a wimp!

[Joanna]

Ah, I've been sighing over all the pictures of snowy goodness here in blogland. I'm from upstate New York and how I miss sledding and snow angels, especially now that I have 2 kiddos of my own. But here in California it is far from snowy; downright balmy, it is. Pffft! I'll just have to break out the cookie cutters!

[Amber]

I love that photo with the Curly-Qs twigs in the snow!

Enjoy your snow---we're still just receiving rain after that big windstorm that swept through Oregon...

[Carrie]

I wish I lived in New England!
We love having picnics in all weather as well!!!!!

[Geri]

Some of us are soooo jealous!! I miss the snow so much, thanks for including us

[Nikki]

Lovely pictures, so festive. We only received a dusting of snow here in the Midwest, but it is surely COLD.

Amanda, totally off topic, but just wanted to ask you about something. I want dear husband to purchase me a sewing machine for Christmas-neither of us have a clue-something that would be beneficial for a budding(beginner that is) seamstress, any ideas? Thank you, Thank you, Thank you ( :

[Georgia]

Yay! We're really enjoying having snow this year as well- we've been making gingerbread cookies too but your dough looks much darker and richer than ours- We'll have to try it out once our current stash is used up.

[Julia]

Your pictures are so so beautiful.

[qalballah]

Yeah we'll remind you of this post when you're in your February Funk 2008 ;-)

Hope you had a great time. Something very warming about gingerbread in winter....

[Jessica]

Those Gingerbread men look great...what a fun day!

[melissa]

Good job to not getting so caught up in the busyness of life that you don't take the time to play!! Your family is inspiring, thanks for letting us in!