Weather Bush says, "It's cold today."

Our Weather Bush (also known as an azalea....we've since determined as it has now bloomed), is right outside the big picture window in our dining room and it is our coldness gauge. 

Super cold - the leaves roll up into tight little tubes.

Any hint of warmth - the leaves partly unfurl.

Warm - wide open, splayed leaves.

We rely on the Weather Bush to tell us how to dress in the winter. 

Back in mid-March, we experienced a lovely snow that quite frankly, didn't last nearly as long as we would have liked. It was brief and fierce and lovely, though.

Porch art.

It was lovely to sit and watch the snow pile up in our evergreens (our house is surrounded by tall evergreens...it's like being in a mountain chalet at times). You can see the Weather Bush in between two evergreens (all curled up with the cold).

The snow would clear up and then, within moments, whip into such a frenzy that you couldn't see anything at all outside. Just a white cloud of snow.

We took the opportunity to walk around the corner to play with some friends.

We have 5 kids. They have 4 kids. You see the pile of winter wear that results.

Popcorn and hot cocoa on a cold winter day? 

Pretty much perfection.

My friend Susan doles out hot chocolate to our hungry crew!

As we walked back home in the afternoon, we passed a car with a mug sitting on top of the driver's side. I can see the person finally getting inside their house and then looking around, "Now where did I put my mug...." 

A view of our house from the back corner, or the East side.

I love this house. It's a handful. But man, I love it.

Back at home, Wilder is happy to be out of his "warmie" suit and free to stretch out!

Cold though it may be, the dog must be walked! 

August had been wearing a MUCH too small snowsuit for most of the winter, and I finally found a great sale and ordered him his own suit with plenty of growing room. He was thrilled. Wyeth was thrilled because it meant he now gets a suit handed down to him too!

Bring on the cold weather! We're too tough for you!!!