A Snowy Excursion

Last Saturday we were expected to get 1 - 3 inches of snow in the afternoon so we didn't think much of it and made plans to go to Mass at 5 pm and then run a couple of errands. Well, when 4 pm rolled around and there was already a good five inches or so on the car, driveway and street and the snow was still falling steadily, we started to wonder if perhaps we should forgo our exciting plans for the night in exchange for a safe and snug evening at home instead. Nope. We had a plan and we were keeping to it! (Besides, dinner at Wegman's Market Cafe was involved! ;)

I love driving in the snow (especially when I get to relax in the passenger seat). Watching the snow softly fall all around you is so beautiful. There is an eerie coziness to the lack of other cars out and the whiteness of unplowed roads makes me happy.

At one point my husband started laughing at how crazy we were for going out on completely unnecessary errands in such weather. With our kitchen well stocked with milk, bread and eggs, this trip to the grocery store was for sheer 'pleasure.'

Our parish is only two miles away so the drive there wasn't bad at all. It's a beautiful old church with a gorgeous view of a mountain behind it so it looked especially breathtaking and cozy with the snow falling all around.

The drive to Wegman's was a little more adventurous since it is further away and entails a couple of miles on a major highway but we took our time and arrived safely. My younger son was enthralled by the fact that the snow was falling as we were walking inside and he especially loved getting to watch the parking lot be plowed.

The fact that the Market Cafe was practically empty (I wonder why) was certainly an added bonus since we were all starving so we quickly ordered, paid and ran upstairs where I let my son pick out which table to eat at. The dining area is a balcony so he chose a table that overlooks the Seafood section of the store. This kept both boys happily entertained and my husband and I actually got to breathe in between bites and enjoy our meal. After dinner we picked up some groceries (like my favorite snack) and made sure the boys had ample time to see the electric train which runs just below the ceiling of the dairy section.

Our final stop for the evening was the mall where we needed to make a quick exchange. Surprisingly it was pretty crowded considering the weather but then, we've had so much snow lately, I think everyone has a touch of cabin fever. The drive back home was probably the worst part of the trip, not because the roads had gotten much worse, but because we were stuck behind a line of really slow snow plow almost the entire way.

As we got the boys ready for bed, my three-year-old kept repeating: "That was a fun adventure!" I couldn't agree with him more!