Merry and Bright

It's so peaceful and quiet this morning. Everything is blanketed in white and the dogs and I are the only ones awake. I'm enjoying this slow start to the day, lingering over my coffee and soy nog . . . mmmmmm.

You Yankees will laugh at me (I know, I used to live in the D.C. area) since what we have here in Georgia is really only a dusting of snow, but it is so uncharacteristic and magical that it is, to me, like a winter wonderland. My daughter told me yesterday that she'd heard the last time the Atlanta area had a white Christmas was 1880-something (the exact year escapes me and I'm not going to wake her to ask).

Here are some photos of what I see out the window. I tried to get a shot of the dogs in the snow as I let them out, but they are both southern wussie-girls like me and couldn't get out and back in again fast enough!

Outside my front door . . .

I love how the snow makes my front-yard jungle look like lace!

And the backyard -- I suppose it would look more lovely without the lacrosse pitchback and goal and the trampoline, but this is who we are!

Maybe this is a better angle, off to the side . . .

Looking around this morning I realize how fortunate we are to have been able to dig our roots in here for 10 years, surrounded by a community who is like family. In this moment, I am  . . . Grateful!