Midwest Winters

You know it is cold when at 6:30a.m., the expected high for the day of 11 degrees, has come and gone. Tomorrow's high is suppose to be 1 degree. I think the next few days call for long johns, a warm fire (thank goodness we have a fireplace!!), and hot chocolate. But the cold doesn't stop the kids. I can tell you right now the minute the kids walk in the door from school they will want to go play in the new snow and five minutes later when they come in frozen they will want some hot chocolate. Honestly, living in the Midwest, I have realized that winters back in Utah are a piece of cake to endure compared to the winters in the Midwest. The wind goes right thru you like you weren't even there. No matter how many layers of clothes you put on, no matter how warm your coat, gloves, or hat is, you still freeze. I often wonder how the pioneers handled it. How did they stand the cold when they had to be out in it for such a long time? For the Mississippi to freeze, it had to of been really cold for a long period of time, and there they were crossing the plains in that freezing, bone chilling cold. I don't know if I could have done it--I like to be warm. Needless to say, I can't wait for Sunday, the start of a heat wave, when it is forcasted to be 30 degrees and climbing up to 33 by Thursday. I will have to pull out the shorts and tee-shirts.