The Blizzard of 2008!

Pardon the interruption of the Diaper Bag Extravaganza... we wanted to post about the great Blizzard of 2008 that hit central Ohio last weekend. While not technically a blizzard (the conditions didn't last long enough), the storm dumped a couple feet of snow on the city in the space of 24 hours. Beth and I ventured out Friday night to an art show, but even then we could tell the city was in for a big one.

The next morning we woke up to find the minivan and, well, everything coated with a big, fluffy layer of snow. And it kept coming. The TV weatherfolks (who were remarkably calm - kudos to them) showcased a growing list of cancellations and closures. Our pastor e-mailed that church was canceled the next day, and before long, even Ohio State canceled classes. That's when you know it's bad. Beth and I hunkered down with Maeby in our warm house, and enjoyed a day of watching some DVDs and generally relaxing.

Snow is Maeby's favorite form of weather. Our prissy little pooch, who will tiptoe in the mulch in her backyard, dives headlong into any pile of snow she can find. When I started putting on my boots to tackle the sidewalks, Maeby began bouncing off the walls with excitement. Beth took some great pictures of Maeby and I outside.

Maeby likes to take a bite out of every pile of snow that I scoop. She'll rush up to the shovel and nab a mouthful - more than once I accidentally smacked her in the face (she barely noticed, though, she was having so much fun). She'll also leap in the air to catch snow in her mouth. From time to time I would throw a snowball across the yard, which would send her leaping through snow drifts twice her size to get it.

Here she is catching a shovel-full with her entire body.

One of the coolest things about the blizzard was seeing our neighborhood really come alive. Everyone headed outdoors to shovel their cars out. Because there was no traffic, kids went running up and down the street, digging caves in the snow drifts. Families carried sleds down the street, headed to the park. We even saw some neighbors walk out the front door with cross-country skis! Maeby loved it all - she greeted everyone with her tail wagging wildly.

That night we had a slumber party at our house. Karl, Jacqui, Ryan, Libby, Caitlin, and Morgan all came over. We stayed up late playing video games, then made a big breakfast in the morning. When will we next get the chance to do that?

We're definitely ready for spring, but I'm glad we had some fun with winter, too.