Heat wave

When you hear the word "heatwave", everyone has a different idea of what it means.  Most people automatically think 100 degree weather when you step outside and you can barely breathe because it's like sauna.  But here in northern MN, we have different kinds of heat waves.  The ones that occasionally come in the summer time and people have to get to a lake because they can't handle the heat.  And the kind that comes during the winter months, mostly January and February.  After we go through weeks of sub zero temperatures, especially with many days of 20-40 below Fahrenheit (or 30-40 below 0 Celsius), when we finally get a weekend of 30s (or around 0 Celsius) it is a reason to celebrate.  To our bodies it feels just like a heatwave and kids think they should walk with no hats or jackets on.

And this finally happened yesterday.  It was sunny and around freezing and it felt amazing.  I couldn't help but think that growing up in Slovakia, that would be the normal cold weather during winter months.  So many people I know have no idea what it feels like to run to the mailbox all bundled up because if you're not your fingers are numb by the time you get back to the house.  Or kids waiting (or freezing) for the bus early in the morning, at the end of the driveway when it is 20 below Fahrenheit.  The first 5 years of our marriage we lived in the Minneapolis area and even though it gets pretty cold there a few times every winter, now that I live, as people here call it "way up north" I know that is NOTHING in comparison to our winters.  I do miss the nice weather, especially the nice running winter weather they have because it's cold but not too cold.

But yesterday, it was like we were in the cities.  The heatwave came and it was so nice to be outside.  Kids actually enjoyed playing outside for hours because their tiny fingers and toes weren't freezing after 15 minutes.  When Kason went down for his nap I was able to go running outside for the first time in months.  It was funny because even with the warmer temperature, this is still a tundra and a flat land so any tiny breeze can get very harsh when trying to run around our house.  And, just as I turned away from our driveway I could feel the cold southern wind, blowing in my face.  Of course I wasn't wearing my winter coat because I was going for a run and even though you need to wear layers of clothes you can't wear too much or else you'll sweat way too much.  So after 2-3 minutes of trying to run against the small but very cold wind I almost turned around and thought I should just forget about it.  But I kept on and was very glad I did because after I turned at my corner, it was just fine and I was able to enjoy the sunshine and the fresh air.  It was just me and my mp3 player, white covered fields all around me and it felt very peaceful.

We also took the kids ice skating after that and they had a lot of fun.  I finally took out my old worn out skates and it felt great to skate around again.  I found some small hockey skates from Kade that are just the right size for Kason now but he's a bit too young for it and didn't like it very much that he had no control over his feet.  It was only Anika's 2nd time but she still loved being out there and didn't want to go home.  I'm sure she'll be starting to skate on her own next winter.

It was just a great day with the family.  And the truth is, I wouldn't appreciate the 30s weather as much as I do now if I wasn't stuck inside the house for so long because it's too cold to go anywhere.  Living here makes us appreciate and really enjoy every nice day because really, there aren't too many of them some months.  So no matter how tired or lazy we feel some days, if it is nice out we have to get out there and enjoy this beautiful life God is giving us or else it will just slip away.

Anika's first steps without holding on

playing Candy Land after skating