Snow!

Hello from up north! Sampson and I ventured up to Averill Park on our own this weekend for a Christmas surprise. This surprise has been in the works for two weeks and I'm very pleased that the beans were not spilled! We surprised Nana Jo at work on Friday afternoon when she thought she would not see us until after Christmas. Santa called her in her office (as Papa told him to) and told her she had an early Christmas present in the main office. She headed down thinking that he would be there with flowers. But it was us! Boy was she surprised! Nice work to everyone who kept the secret! We were going to come up on Thursday but they were in the middle of a blizzard so we waited. This is the beautiful northeastern winter wonderland I grew up playing in... (and by "playing" I mean looking at from indoors with a book and some hot cocoa)...





This cold weather is something new for Sampson since it's actually been quite balmy down in Delaware so far this season. We bundled him all up and took extra care to warm up the car. "They" say not to use winter jackets on the little ones in car seats because the puffy jackets leave too much space between the straps and his little body. In an accident, the jacket compresses and his head can be jostled around too much or he could slip right out! So! Instead we have a Bundle Me so he stays nice and snuggly and safe. Here he is all ready to go out.




And today we went to visit a special certain jolly old elf. I think you know who I mean. Sampson was not screaming or upset (like I was for my first Santa photo), but he was not terribly impressed either. I think it will take a few years until he understands the magic that Santa brings this time of year! (PS: The only place we could find a Santa today was at a hardware store! Ha! It was rather strange walking into the store just to see Santa. And this Santa didn't even have a chair to sit in... he was just standing around next to the dogfood and lawn ornaments.)