Magical Ice Formations

Since our move south a couple years ago we have had fewer opportunities to spend time with our parents and siblings and this has been the one thing that I have missed the most. After having family around for almost two weeks I realize how much I cherish our time together. Just being together, whether it means we are preparing food, enjoying games, laughing at stories, or even disagreeing with each other, all of it is special to me. So it was with sadness that I wished that last of our family visitors, my sister and her husband, farewell this morning. With everyone gone and my husband back to work it felt like there was a void in my home.

I walked in circles for a bit, not quite knowing what to do with myself. Then the sun beckoned me out and I bundled my little ones up to for a walk. It has been quite cold the last few days so we strolled down to the lake. I had a feeling that something special might await us there and by the sound of my children's exclamations as we approached I knew that a magical world awaited us. Under the right conditions ice formations develop all along the lake shore, and each time it happens the ice forms into the most amazing shapes. Today there were large ice formations that had built up on a single blade of grass and other formations that were small and delicate. It is truly nature's art! We explored the shore until our cheeks started to burn from the cold wind. Even with the promise of steamed milk my children were hesitant to leave behind this world of magical ice formations.