Blue sky!!!!

Maybe I didn't emphasize that enough...let me try again.

BLUE SKY!!!!!!!!!!

Since we got here at the end of December, 2011, we've heard about how difficult the winters are. We were too busy and overwhelmed last winter to notice, quite frankly. We weren't in our house until the 29th of December and January was focused on trying to get back into school with the limited amount of supplies I was able to bring with us. In February I was dealing with a broken wrist and the arrival of our container so by the time March rolled around, we were excited for spring and the warming weather but for the most part unaffected by the winter that had passed us by. No so for this winter.

The days are amazingly short in December. It stays dark long into the morning with a brief amount of daylight covered in layers of clouds before the sun extinguishes once more late in the afternoon. Many people have noted that December is the hardest month but now, having gone through it without the chaos of moving, I have to say I disagree. Autumn is so beautiful here, and the colors of the season blend right into the brightness of Christmas with all the twinkling lights and holiday decorations. We were happily busy getting boxes full of gifts and goodies ready to go and visiting Christmas markets and eating wonderful food that the weather was not an issue at all.

Scott and his "I don't like crowds face"...otherwise, happy to be celebrating December.

We had a lot of snow the first two weeks of December. As a matter of fact, I wrapped Christmas presents  in the trunk of the Audi and got them ready to ship while standing outside in the Burger King parking lot on the Ramstein base while it was snowing. It was most likely as entertaining to watch as it sounds...and I'll never forget it. Happy memories. :) You do what you need to do, right?

Christmas lights in Trier

It's hard to be down about winter when you've got so many decorations and lights up everywhere you look. And even on Christmas Eve, the skies were blue when we took our friends, the Goulds, to Burg Lichtenberg.

Steve and Scott...not complaining about the weather.

Nope...I don't think December is the hardest month...my vote would be for January. The picture below was taken on New Year's Day...

Gray skies over Luxembourg.

...and it pretty much continued that way...

We love our icy steps in the snow...

...for the entire month.

It's winter...I know. It's not the snow I mind, actually. Colorado weather for the first 38 years of my life spoiled me. Colorado weather is nearly perfect. If it wasn't so dry, it would be my ideal climate. It snows a lot there, too, but the beauty of Colorado is that you don't go for more than a few days without blue sky. It dumps a foot of snow one day, the next, the world is coated in fluffy white stuff with a gorgeous, cerulean blue sky above it. Blue sky here? In January...not so much.

We let our bank account take a breather after a rather financially exuberant Christmas season...which means we did no traveling in January. I think that worked out for the best because things got really crazy for Steven work-wise after the first of the year and it was too cold/icy/snowy to do much of anything anyway. The kids and I hunkered down into our third quarter of the school year, worked hard and sent January on it's merry way.

February was also very snowy and cold. So much so that Steven would go out in the dark, early morning to go to work and the BMW was frozen solid. Some days he could get into the car, but the locks were icy and the doors wouldn't latch shut again. Humidity and cold. The combination will get you every time.

We had a lot of rain that turned into snow and, although it was wet much of the time, we had very little accumulation. 

It rained and snowed on this day...with nothing to show for it.

Thank goodness for GG sweaters to warm cold fingers.

February was a little better than January...if only because it seemed that much closer to March...and spring beyond that. Am I complaining? No. Okay, maybe I am. A little. I love winter...but, quite frankly, I'm done with it. I've had enough. In the past two months, when the sun does peek through the clouds, I feel ridiculously, indescribably happy and I want to be outside to soak in all the rays that I can. I had no idea that gray weather affected me so much. We've been like the three bears...hibernating. This Mama Bear wants out of the cave.

So now it's March...and yesterday we were blessed with an entire of day of blue sky. I almost didn't know what to do with myself. Okay, I'll tell you what I did with myself. The kids and I took an extra long lunch break and we went for a walk. I needed fresh air and sunshine and the kids were going out with me whether they wanted to or not. 

Turns out, neither one of them argued. Not even a little bit. Perhaps they've been in need of the sun as well.

It still isn't incredibly warm...that's what sweatshirts are for.

Scott is that little spot you see way down the street...

I felt like bursting into song..."I need to laugh, and when the sun is out...I've got something I can laugh about...I feel good...in a special way...I'm in love and it's a sunny day!!!!"

I didn't. Well, maybe on the inside I did.

We loaded our pockets with sugar cubes, carrots and and apple...Scott hopped on his bike and we all took off toward the path that leads to Quiedersbach and our horse friend, Quill. I stopped many times along the way to take pictures of the sky. Maya was patient. She may not understand me but she loves me.

There were many, many people out...riding their bikes and walking their dogs. Seems like I wasn't the only one tired of the gray skies.

Quill wasn't over anxious to see us...at first. She had no idea how many treats we'd brought for her.

After we gave her the sugar cubes, she was very interested in our company. Here's a video of her bugging Scotty for more food. He decided Quill is a messy eater and asked me to finish feeding her the carrots. Horse spit. It's not for everyone.

We were actually kind of glad for the little piles of snow then...they helped us clean our hands a bit.

When she realized we were out of snacks, Quill decided to go and graze some more. We had lost our charm and were uninteresting after the food ran out. I asked the kids to sit down for a picture...but the sun was so bright, Mylee couldn't look at me.

"Alright, mom...that's enough. I didn't bring my shades."

Sun! Oh, how I love the sun!

We went up a little further along the path before turning around and heading home again. It was lunchtime and the kids were hungry...and my coat had become too heavy and warm. Spring is coming...and I can hardly wait.

I know we are in for some more cold, gray weather...and most likely a lot more snow as well, but I've had a taste of spring now and know that it isn't far off. Yesterday is just what I needed.