Another Snow Day {2014}

Guess what ... we had snow again in Atlanta. Big surprise, right? So glad we homeschool ... can't imagine if we attended a public or private school and had missed all these days. At least with homeschooling, we can play in the snow and then when everyone is freezing - head inside to dethaw and do some work.

 

Snowpocalypse 2014

Normally, the news of a possible snow storm in Atlanta makes me happy but, for some reason on Tuesday I was just not feeling it. I awoke around 3:30am to my weather radio app going off stating we were now in a Winter Storm Warning area. The night before when I had headed off to sleep the news was calling for a light dusting of snow here in our northern suburb of Atlanta ... that normally equates to a few snow flurries. Even the local weather forecasters at around 6:30am on Tuesday morning really seemed to still be downplaying any snow we were going to get. My husband headed off to work and the kids and I began our normal homeschool routine - we had no idea what was about to come.

When the snow began around 10:30am we had the typical flurries but, an hour later it was still coming down and appeared to be getting a little bit heavier. I texted with my husband - he said his office was going to release early but, still at that point later in the afternoon. I told him as long as he was on the road by 2pm I figured he would be fine. By 12:30pm when the snow began to really stick and the cars behind our home on a busy road were bumper to bumper I called my husband and told him best to get in the car and head our way. Needless to say, he never made it more than 1.5 miles from his office and even that short distance took over 3 hours. We decided his best bet was to head back to the office and wait it out or, plan to hunker down there for the night, like several of my other friends' husbands were doing at their offices. My husband was not able to actually make it back to his office by car ... he abandoned his SUV in a parking lot and hiked the rest of the way back - walking back into his office at 4:30pm.

The day went on ... my husband and I chatted several times trying to come up with a plan - he had no food, did not have any winter gear with him other than a jacket, and his office was turning off the heat (preferring people not stay there) - we found no hotel rooms within 10 miles with a vacancy - he had attempted to get food from a Publix and Costco within a block or two of his office but, both had closed. Things just seemed to go from bearable to bad quickly!

The news began reporting the horrid situation ... people were stuck everywhere ... interstates were becoming parking lots. Jackknifed semis, clogged side streets, tons of fender benders, school buses not able to get kids home.

When the kids and I sat down to an early dinner we prayed for protection for both my husband and all the people stuck in this mess.

Right after dinner I got on Facebook and found that an old friend from MOMS Club, Michelle Solictio, had begun a Facebook Group called SnowedOutAtlanta. What a miracle worker she was!! Hundreds of people at that point were offering up shelter or assistance to those trapped in the storm ... we posted offering up our home to anyone stuck on the road behind us either walking or driving. Later in the evening, we even attempted to help a man find a place for his 64 year old mother - who had been stuck for hours trying to get home. See she had remained at a local school getting all the kids on buses, so by the time she had attempted to get home it was too late. Her car had run out of gas ... her cell phone was dying ... she was on foot in East Cobb walking trying to find somewhere to go. I posted on my own personal Facebook page where she was and all of my friends in that area jumped into action offering up their homes. Thankfully, as she was walking to one of those homes her son found a friend in that area with a 4 x 4 vehicle who was able to pick her up and they decided to camp out at the Walmart just down the street.

And, then a gift from God ... a family posts on SnowedOutAtlanta they are willing to take in anyone stranded ... she describes where they are located and I realize it is just a block from my husband's office! I responded and she immediately posts her cell phone number. I call her and the first words out of this woman's mouth were "tell me what we can do". We chatted briefly and I immediately called my husband and gave him the good news ... he made contact and was off hiking to their home. This wonderful family blessed my husband more than they will ever know - they had even been through their own ordeal getting home. The husband had to abandon his own car on a major thoroughfare and hike home but, at 11:30pm they opened their door - welcomed my husband in - cooked him something to eat and gave him a guest bedroom for the night.

The next morning we used SnowedOutAtlanta to check the routes my husband could possibly take home ... the family he was staying with gave him a ride to his car and he was off, as soon as we found the roads were open. Just 24 hours after he first left the office to come home ... he walked up our street (which was still to icy to drive up)! We were so happy to see him ... so thankful to people like Michelle and the family who took him in.

I loved being on Facebook and hearing all of these similar stories ... rejoicing with families as they welcomed loved ones home ... some who had to hike 5+ miles from their abandoned cars.

Yes, there is blame to be shared and hindsight is always 20/20. We will all learn from this event - so many lessons. For now, I choose to focus on all the good that came out of that horrendous day ... and, that's all I am going to say about that!

Snowpocalypse 2011 {Day 4}

It is now Day 4 of Snowpocalypse 2011 here in Atlanta ... the public schools will be closed again tomorrow making it officially a full week off of school for them. So thankful we homeschool and can continue on - we would much prefer to have time off when it is sunny and warm outside! Though we did enjoy again some playtime out in the snow - I think my kids are becoming less enthralled with the whole idea as more of the snow turns into thick chunks of ice.

(These pictures were taken today ... not much melting going on.)

Today it was all about the ice ... we knocked down some of the icicles hanging from our gutters to take a closer look,

then we created a snow village with icicles and ice sheets - complete with a lit candle (thanks to our friend Robyn for this great idea),
and while an out and about for lunch we even took time to look at a fountain near our home which was now an ice fountain.

So thankful my husband had the ability to work from home this week ... the roads are so icy. Even roads that have been "de-iced" and plowed are icy again from the melting and then refreezing that occurs each night.

Snowed In!

The kids are enjoying all the fun that snow brings with it! For the last two days we have enjoyed sledding, snow ball fights, and just playing in the snow. We even managed to get all of our school work done! Six inches of snow up North may not sound like much but, here in the South it brings everything to a stand still. I must remember in the future when preparing for a "snowpocalypse" to buy food for several more days than what the weather man predicts we will be snowed in for. I am thankful for great neighbors ... one neighbor with 4 wheel drive bought us milk when she braved our street and headed out to the store, another neighbor brought us homemade soup and pasta, while another neighbor helped us shovel our driveway and the hill in front of our home so that tomorrow we should be able to get out and get some groceries. (Our driveway sits in a precarious spot - when the road in front of our house ices over and we back out we just slide down the hill sideways - we have been lucky in the past to avoid the neighbor's mailbox but, only by inches. This year I was prepared and actually bought an ice melt product but, to get the product to work you must clear as much snow and ice as possible from the road.)

What a Difference a Day {Night} Makes!

"The first fall of snow is not only an event. You go to bed in one kind of world and wake up in another quiet different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?" ~ JB Priestly

First Snow Day 2010

Some years we are lucky and get several snow days ... other years we get none. We have learned to enjoy them when they come along, it is such a treat! Of course, as homeschoolers, "snow days" do not have the same meaning as those who attend school but, today we decided to just enjoy the day.

Pictured below ... the kids in a perfect white front yard - even the driveway and road that runs in front of our home were completely white.

Snow Days require a special breakfast of pancakes and hot chocolate - served up in snowman mugs.
Snow Days also require a special end to the evening - smores. And, if that special treat requires you to leave and go out on the icy roads to pick up supplies, almost taking out your neighbor's mailbox as you slide down the hill in front of your home - well that just makes the day even more adventurous. :)