We knew that snow was forecasted, but didn’t take it seriously. We were preoccupied with cleaning up in preparation to have our house appraised. The appraisal was initially scheduled for the week before Christmas. I had mixed feelings about the timing but was excited because I knew that getting ready would mean lots of little broken things that had been lingering would be mended and our house would be clean for Christmas. Instead, we got sick and the appraisal got pushed to the first Monday in January.
The snow accumulated so quickly! Wet, heavy snow. It wasn’t long before branches and entire trees started falling. We lost power sometime late Monday morning. We also lost the pines in the goat’s pasture. Jonny went out several times to knock the snow off of our magnolia tree to save it from losing branches. He used a stepladder and a duster on an extension pole to reach the upper branches. I would have been incredibly sad if it had lost its crown.
The snow meant that the appraisal got pushed off again. We kept getting more time to clean up, but the disasters were piling up faster than we could tackle them. We rescheduled for Wednesday, then Friday, and finally the following Tuesday as our estimate for power restoration kept being extended. In the meantime, our main focus became keeping warm. We didn’t have the option of leaving for various reasons, but thankfully a neighbor saved us by loaning us a small generator Wednesday morning. We were able to use it to power our pellet stove to warm part of the house. We have a gas kitchen stove, so we were also able to cook. Sadly, hot showers were not an option. The entire experience would have been a fun adventure (because we are weird like that) were it not for having a baby to keep warm and an appraisal to worry about. I was grateful for all the wool layers we had available, but looking back at these photos, Ambrose still had a pink nose and blue-ish lips at times! At night he slept right next to me for warmth (A habit he’s refusing to give up. Before all the sickness and cold, he used to start the night off in his own bed only joining me sometime after midnight. Now he thinks he sleeps best if he is next to me and nursing. Unfortunately, that is not how I sleep best. Fortunately, I have had enough babies that I am able to treasure this time for better or worse because it passes far too quickly.)
We burned through several years of half-used Advent candles, and I was glad that I bought battery-powered window candles to use throughout Christmas. All the kids got book lights for Christmas, so those got lots of use as well. We read books, we played games and worked on puzzles, we ate a lot of scrambled eggs.
We’ve had extended power outages before, and when power is restored, I always greet it with a mixture of relief and regret. It’s amazing how much simpler life becomes when you are forced to unplug almost completely. When the lights came on late Friday afternoon, I felt mostly relief because Jonny and Keats had to leave town that night for an audition the following morning. I was ready to take a hot shower, start tackling the mountain of laundry, and go to bed without the worry of my baby being cold.
We managed to have the house and the yard looking pretty good the following Tuesday and our appraisal finally happened. That was definitely a relief. We aren’t planning on selling our house at the moment (doing a cash-out refinance), but need to do some major renovations (bathrooms and possibly some work in the kitchen if we can stretch the money). I’ll share more about that when we get started!
p.s. Here are (affiliate) links to the puzzles (birds and the ship) and the really fun game that Jonny and I bought for Christmas. Also, Ambrose’s silicone rosary. It’s his favorite thing.
Oh my goodness! I’m funny like that too, but a baby makes everything a little more of a challenge! Glad you all pulled through and were able to stay warm enough. Likely an experience the kids will remember and talk about frequently when they’re older.
Such gorgeous photos, as always. 🙂
We gifted Philippa the same bird puzzle for her birthday in late November and we’re working on it now. Also, planning on doing some more major renovations (kitchen and bathrooms if we can stretch it) this year but we’ll see! Sweet similarities. The snow is so beautiful and cozy, and a great perspective to savor the novelty of simpler life without power. We had a big snow here last week but never lost power though I was ready for it. Anyway, it was lovely to catch up with your blog again!
Gosh Ginny all that snow! We used to get it here in my part of England but not so often now. I like snow for a few days, walking in virgin snow is such fun. But not with a power cut and for days and days on end. I’m glad you’ve got power again now. I bet the first hot shower was blissful!
I was shocked to see the snow pictures and did not realized how much you had or the impact on your family. It must have been very difficult without power for several days. I hope for a return to normal for all of you. Stay warm and safe.
We are funny like that, too. But….a baby.
I’ve gone on retreat at Redwoods Monastery in California, and the sisters there choose not to use electricity. Being one with the light God provides was really one of the most significant and memorable experiences for me.
Bravo — It’s so much better to be a family in this situation, “adventuring” together, than a single or lonely couple. It’s great that you had all those old Advent candles! They make for nice photo light 🙂
I loved seeing all the baby-holding pictures.
Hi Ginny, What a snow storm you had. We have only had a few inches here in New York. The temperatures are freezing. Glad Ambrose is alright. I do not mind the cold weather[30s and 40s] but not below freezing. It is good that you were able to save the Magnolia tree. Stay well and cozy warm. God Bless.
Marion
Lovely post. Glad you are all feeling better.
Does Ambrose sleep well? I’m desperate for some sleep tips my foster baby is almost 8 months old and sleeping terribly
It was nice hearing from you Ginny. Those reading lights come in handy. Doing puzzles,reading and playing games are good ways to keep busy. Glad you have a gas stove so you can cook. When my late Aunt lived in Levittown NY, she had an electric stove. The family went out to eat all time the electric was out. Stay well. God Bless.
Joan
Glad tat your power is back on and everyone is fine. It seems cleaning out the house is going on in a lot of homes. The puzzles are lovely.. Keep safe and warm God Bless.
Marilyn
I was concerned about your family during the storm and power loss. So glad you weathered fairly well with no serious damage. Love the photos and hearing about you all, as usual.❤️
It’s so nice to have an update on you and your family! You’ve been very generous to share glimpses into your beautiful life over the years, and though we’ve never met, each of your lovely posts feels like a warm chat with a long-cherished friend.
I’m glad you weathered the storm. We often lose power for extended periods where I live, and your description of the mingled relief and regret when electricity is restored feels familiar.
Baby Ambrose is growing so fast! I love the pictures in this post. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that your family weathered the storm, so to speak, as well as you did. But it isn’t any fun to worry about whether your baby is warm enough, so I’m glad it’s over for you and Ambrose. Thank goodness for wooly handknits!
Your snow pictures are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Heavy, wet snow is the absolute *worst*! I’m so glad you were all able to make it through.