Neighbor kids rang our doorbell last night to see if our girls could come out and play in the sleet and ice. My promise of hot chocolate when they returned was met with confusion since they knew we were out of the store-bought packets. When I told them I’d make it from scratch, they were astonished such a feat was possible. I made it sound easy-peasy, but I was slightly concerned I might not be able to pull off a delicious cup of cocoa since I’d never attempted it from scratch before. I found a recipe for Sarah’s Best Homemade Hot Chocolate and gave it a go. Oh goodness…it was amazing! I added a pinch of cinnamon to mine for even more yummy goodness. The girls loved it, and I came off as quite impressive for making cocoa from scratch. Mom win.

This morning, I crept out of the house early to take photos of the ice decorating everything in our backyard. Our whole yard was slick with a thick cover of icy crystals. I shivered and snapped photos and found myself awed by the beauty of frozen water on ordinary objects. School is out for the day, so my girls are chatting downstairs as I type. My whole family is safe, snug, and warm in our home, and I count myself among those most fortunate. I love cold nights and icy days all the more for how rarely they visit my neck of the woods. I deeply desired a bit of wintry weather (Wisconsin disappointed me on that front at Christmas) and Mother Nature was kind of enough to oblige. I am grateful.