We have snow here today.  A rarity in the south.  The kids are thrilled; they have the day off school and they are trying to figure out what they can use as an improvised toboggan to slide down our hills.

I am using the snow to my advantage and have told them they must clean their rooms before they can go outside. (hee hee) We will see if it works. I am doubtful as our standards of cleanliness are not even close to each other.

Snow Day Breakfast
popcorn, cantaloupe and cake. Yum.

Buster has decided that he is most definitely not a snow dog and is hiding in my office under a blanket in hopes no one notices him.

Sydney thinks the white stuff is yummy and it eating all that she can get in her snout. It’s pretty funny to watch.

I am just so thankful –

• for the heat we have to keep us warm and the roof over our heads
• for SuperMan who is home with us today and will entertain the kids while I work.
• for the fact that the Miata wouldn’t make it to the stop sign so he had to stay home.
• for my girls’ excitement and joy in something so simple as snowfall.

I am hoping to get some templates posted this weekend. Depends on how much time I spend out in the snow, I think.

I am a planner.  I like figuring out what we’re going to do, when we’ll do it and what we need to do whatever it is we’ll be doing.  I like making plans almost as much as I like making lists.  I like “executing” the plans (as they say in corporate-speak) and seeing my plans come to fruition.

Life, however, often has other ideas. 

And that usually means your plans fly out the window (bye, bye) and you have to adapt and make new plans.

And usually, I’m okay with that.

But there are those times when your plans get changed, and changed, and changed.

And when that happens the only thing you can do is throw your plans out the window and give up any hope of making new plans and just live minute-by-minute.  And sometimes, that is when the best things happen.  When you throw the plans out the window and just LIVE.

This past week was one of those times.

The original plan (from months ago and part of our yearly tradition) was that we would be heading to my mom’s for the week of New Year’s – we drive down early in the week and hang out there, visiting with family and enjoying a low country boil (it’s a Southern thing – boiled shrimp, potatoes, corn and sausage cooked in a spicy blend) and sit outside by the fire until midnight with our family and friends.

Then, we all got sick. 

So, in the interest of not making everyone down there sick, we decided not to go down.  And that was okay.  I made a new plan.

I figured I’d spend the week tucked in my house, scrapbooking, blogging, and enjoying my family.  We made tentative plans with the neighbors for a mild celebration on New Year’s and I went shopping for food to prepare.

Then, we got another change in plans.

My step-dad’s father passed away.  Now, this wasn’t really a surprise. He was 89 years old. He had been in increasingly declining health and had really taken a downturn in the last few weeks.  We knew it was coming, we weren’t surprised.

So, plan “C” kicks into gear and off we head to my mom’s after all.  This time, we’re planning a funeral and working on a menu to prepare for the guests.

And here I have been since Thursday.  At my mom’s.  And you know what?  Although it is not how you would want to spend your time, it has been great.  For a change, we have been the ones to take care of them (my mom and step-dad).  SuperMan and I spent most of Friday cooking and getting things ready.

Today was the funeral.  I was able to be there and stand beside my step-dad for support.  It was nice to support him instead of him supporting me (as he has done in so many ways all these years – he’s really been my father for most of my adult life and I love him as if he was).

It wasn’t how we’d planned to spend our New Year’s weekend.  It certainly wasn’t what we’d have chosen if we’d been asked weeks ago.  But, I wouldn’t have had it any other way.