Wintry roads and a special Tea for Cooper

Yesterday morning most of Minnesota woke up to a winter surprise. While we were expecting 1-3 in of snow, we weren't expecting 5+ inches of powder and ice covering our driveways and roads. This picture was taken around 7:30 in the morning. By nightfall, there was a bit more. I did have to smile as I looked out into our backyard thinking of all the fun Parker was going to have this winter playing in the white stuff.

So, the girls from our Sunday School Class treated us to a Sip n See for Cooper yesterday. (thank you Lauren for coordinating and Susie for hosting at your beautiful home!)

Let me just start by saying that I had no idea what I was talking about when Lauren called me at 8:30am Saturday asking if I still wanted to make the drive to Chanhassen (from Eagan). Most of the girls coming lived closer out that way, but I had quite the commute. The weatherman had said 1-3in, so how bad could it be? Of course I was still making the drive! If you're at all familiar with the area you know that it doesn't take 45 min to get from my driveway to Hwy 77...well, it did yesterday. Not only that, but it took me almost 2 hrs just to get to Chanhassen. Snow plows hadn't been around yet since it was still so early, so the roads were totally snowed under. I couldn't believe it when I pulled out of our neighborhood and started seeing cars everywhere stuck off the side of the road, vehicles skidding in the middle of hills and cops on literally every street (that I drove on anyway) to assist people in getting their cars "unstuck." (I'll take this moment to thank dear hubby for recently purchasing my nice, new snow tires that got me up each and every one of those hills yesterday without too much sliding. I actually felt kinda bad as I slowly putt putted past vehicles unsuccessfully spinning their tires for traction, but I knew if I stopped I wouldn't be able to get started again! ha!) Needless to say we were late for our own Sip n See, but so was everyone else so I didn't feel quite so bad.

I equated the drive out there to a feeling of a near death experience when I rode the Texas Giant at Six Flags over Texas back in Junior High. It may not have been as fast of a ride, but the white knuckles were about the same. To say that I had a death grip on my steering wheel the entire drive out there would almost be an understatement (I came close to taking a picture of all the stalled and stuck vehicles on one of the roads, but I knew if I posted it my mom would never quit worrying about us up here. :)) Once I got on the highways, the roads weren't nearly as bad, but still not a day at the park...

The warmth of the company, the food and the decor was felt as soon as Parker, Cooper and I all trudged our wet clothes and boots in the front door of Susie's.

The next hour and a half or so was such a treat to be able to visit with girlfriends as we sipped on tea and laughed and talked about everything to do with pregnancy, labor and delivery, infancy, and even the toddler stage, and nothing to do with anything other than those topics listed above. I take that back...the weather was mentioned once or twice.  :)

Thank you so much to each of you who helped to make this day so very special for us. I cherish our friendship and love the priceless girlfriend time that we share. Thank you again Lauren and Susie for all the hard work and time you put into this event to help make it what it was.

(Thank you Mike for helping me with my car troubles!! ...that's a whole other story that I won't get into, but lets just briefly say that something is definitely not right with my radiator and to top that off, I think I left part of my car in my neighbors driveway yesterday afternoon when I got back to Eagan...I think it's ok though because it's just a plastic part of some sorts that goes underneath the car...I guess we'll know when hubby gets home! Jeff, my neighbor, was kind enough to come shovel my driveway for me because when I tried to get in, the car got stuck. I spent a total of 3 hours and 20 minutes on the road yesterday, made it all the way to Chanhassen and back and then couldn't get in my driveway. Go figure. Well anyway, thank you Jeff!)

...ahhh, home sweet home. It's actually peaceful looking when you're not out driving in it!

And after the babes sleep...I fold laundry. Since "white" seemed to be the dominating color of my day, I decided to take a picture of the white load of laundry that I was folding last night. Onesies and burp cloths...in my opinion moms, you can't have enough of these!!!