The Thundersnow

I had the fun experience of feeling like "Little House on the Prairie" when we lost power for about 18 hours this week. Thus no blogging for a few days :(

Even though its still snowing, I'm back to the blog because we have power... it is seems like today we are only getting a light "dusting" anyhow.

So for those of you not familiar with a "Thundersnow"... I think the word was coined especially for this storm that hit right in time for rush hour traffic (I live in DC suburbs). It was "pouring snow," traffic lights were out, and it was gridlock. Thank you thundersnow for that brilliant timing.

I personally have a love-hate relationship with snowstorms and blizzards. I don't live someplace where you expect blizzard conditions all winter... this is the DC area, it's supposed to be occasional... and for the most part it is. But all the occasions seem to coincide with my major life events. I will rank this thundersnow amid all the other blizzards and snow snowstorms and how they interfered with my life:

10. When it snowed for my Bachelorette party '09 (ok but a little hazardous)

9. Birthday Snow Day '10 (loved it, got to sleep in)

8. The time in elementary school where everyone got snowed in at my birthday party (loved it)

7. Blizzard of '96 where 1 week of school was canceled (amazing, built lots of snow forts)

6. *Thundersnow* '11 (not so amazing)

5. The ice storm in middle school where school was canceled forever (totally awesome, but not fun to play in)

4. My friends organized a "second reception" for the twenty-somethings who missed my wedding due to the blizzard... and it was snowed out (mostly ironic)

3. When I was committee chair for graduation last February, it was snowed out twice (not so fun rescheduling over and over)

2. My nephew was born in the Feb. '10 Blizzard (my brother and his wife had to stay at a hotel next door to the hospital "just in case" and sure enough she went into labor during the blizzard)

1. My wedding day was the "Blizzard of '09" December 19... I stayed calm despite the 2 feet of snow and everything actually turned out beautifully... lots of changes to our plans... a few stuck cars... less guests... but the pictures were amazing and it was unforgettable!

So back to the thundersnow this week. DH left work at 4:00PM and didn't make it home until 10:30PM. And it turns out that that was the norm for rush hour on Wednesday.

We had lost power long before he came home and thankfully my FIL had stayed home and made dinner (yay!) and suggested we watch a movie while waiting (which lasted until the power went out). He also started a fire. I think I would have been holding my baby rocking back and forth in the corner, freezing and starving if I had been by myself (well maybe not, but I definitely would have been more nervous)... instead I was 3/4 distracted and 1/4 having that terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach hoping DH would get home asap safely. And all of my friends and family would be safe.

We decided it was best to sleep in the room with the fire considering the house is big and the baby needs to stay warm. "DIY Heat" aka fire :-)

We used all these blankets to create a bed on the floor:



Like camping.



It seemed exciting at first, but with the baby being right next to me, he wanted to eat all night, and my neck is still killing me today from sleeping on hardwood floors.



The fire was crucial, no amount of blankets would have brought us so much heat... and reassurance to me that our baby would not freeze.

A few pics of the snow: