Winter Adventures: Surviving the Cold

I remember walking into our bedroom a few months ago in Thailand and shivering, "Brrr!  What did you set the AC to?" I accused my husband, who was comfortably snug in bed under our thin comforter.  "Hon, it's only 24," he responded.  Twenty-four degrees Celsius equates to roughly 75 degrees Farenheight.  As I stood shivering in our room, it hit me:  In only a few months we would be moving to Kyiv, Ukraine, in the middle of winter.  I was going to die.

Our last family picture in December in Chiang Mai, the week before we headed to Utah.  Palm trees, sunny skies, short sleeves . . . December in Thailand is paradise.

Fast-forward to today.

We haven't gotten to Kyiv yet, but we left Thailand a few weeks ago and landed in Utah for a brief visit with family, and baby it's cold out here!  This morning My Man and I went snow shoeing in the mountains (he spent the night in a snow cave--I wimped out and hiked out the same day).

It was -15 C when we left (5 F), and there was deep snow.  I didn't die.  I loved it!  In fact, after a few minutes, I had to take off my hat and gloves and by the end I'd even taken off my jacket.

Turns out, the Scandinavian proverb is correct:  "There is no bad weather, only bad clothes."  Well, at least in Utah.  In Thailand, when the sun was out and the weather was 40 C (104 F) with 90 percent humidity, I don't think there are any clothes that can fix that weather.  Maybe I was made for Kyiv afterall.

As for the kids, they haven't taken long to adjust either.  Between building snow caves, sledding, shooting, snow shoveling, taking sunrise pics and getting stuck in the snow, and hiking we've all spent lots of time playing outside.  Granted, our first stop was the store to hook everyone up with pants, gloves, and close-toed shoes!

Our first big snow was in Idaho where we spent Christmas with my family.  The kids were excited to build a snow fort, sled, and play outside with the dogs for hours.

The cold temps weren't enough to deter these kiddos from hours of sledding in Eagle Mountain at Silver Lakes Amphitheater.  After the sun went down, this mama had to finally coerce them to leave with promises of Stephen's hot cocoa.

The family that shoots together, stays together, or something like that.  The shooting was fun, but really just the excuse to get out and enjoy a gorgeous winter day was enough for me!

Getting out to walk and enjoy the beautiful lake and mountain views was a highlight of our stay with My Man's parents in Saratoga Springs.

My Man and I snuck out early one morning to watch the sunrise.  It was awesome.  We got stuck.  Less awesome.  Turns out salt and cat litter are a magical combination when it comes to getting out of deep snow, in case you were wondering.  You're welcome. :)  

We headed south to enjoy a day of sledding with friends, ending the day with a picnic of chili and cornbread.

We aren't wearing flip-flops and shorts any more, but I think we're going to be just fine.  And there is something absolutely beautiful about snow.

Big Springs, up Provo Canyon

Provo Canyon

Sunset from Provo East Bench