Let's Build a Snowman! We can call him our best friend!

Yes, I know that this post is horrendously overdue.  I think that in the melting Tennessee heat, it is time to post the next Bucket List Adventure that is all about SNOW!

December 2011, I trekked all the way up to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I know, right?!  Who goes TO Wisconsin in December?!  I had a mission.  To cross off another bucket list item.

32.  Build a snowman. (a real big one with a coat, carrot nose and top hat)

Background – I was born and raised in Georgia.  We had slush.  Even if you used all of the slush in the front and back yard, there was never enough for a full snowman!!

T&J knew that I was dying to make a snowman, so for my Christmas present they got me a snowman kit!!!  It had a tophat, eyes, smile, & carrot nose.  Best. Gift. Ever.

Well, as nature had it – the sky REFUSED to snow in Milwaukee the entire week I was there.  My wonderful friends, T&J, decided that the no snow situation was not acceptable.  We packed up in the car with Baby E and drove 2+ hours north of Mil. to a place the weather channel promised us would be plentiful d’snow.  I do not remember the actual city – but it was up there! The car ride consisted of us singing along to every guilty pleasure CD from college.  Lisa Loeb, Green Day, a variety of musicals.. and a few of J’s CDs that I was unfamiliar with, but very much enjoyed.  My favorite part of the trek was T, J, and I singing “Snow” from White Christmas over and over and over and over.  In case you are not fortunate enough to know this song (and even if you DO!), please watch below.   It really set the tone of our adventure! (feel free to play it in the background as you continue... to set the mood!)

After driving FOREEEEEEVER, getting a delicious lunch at Culvers, and an hour long excursion to a random Wal-Mart (had to give the kiddo some time to get the energy out!) – we made it to this tiny town in northern Wisconsin.  It was completely BLANKETED in snow!!  Delicious.  We found a random park right in the middle of town and parked.  We put on as many layers as possible, coats, gloves, hats, scarves – you name it, we wore it.  

As soon as I was appropriately dressed – I ran out into the middle of the park Maria Von Trapp style and was singing, “Snow!Snow!Snow!Snow!”

The rest of the Smith family soon followed.  Baby E loved the snow experience, playing on the playground and running so hard he plopped face first into the white stuff.  

J and I decided that we would go walk on the lake.  J has done this many times before, but this was my first time ever SEEING a lake that was frozen over.  We cautiously walked out into the middle of the lake… ok, J RAN… I shuffled.  I was a little sad because a picture of me walking on a lake would look just like me standing in a field of white.  Luckily, we spotted some ice-fisherman down the way and went over for a visit.  We took some pictures by the holes just to prove that yes, indeed, we were in the middle of a lake. :)

The sad part to our story – the snow was not appropriate for building.  It was pure powder.  We couldn’t even make snowballs to have a little SB fight.  I tried many times to make a snowman, but it just wouldn’t hold.  So, instead I drew a masterpiece of a snowman on the ground.  I decorated him with my kit.  As we were leaving, I decided to leave all of the SM Kit pieces at the park so a little kid would come up and be able to reuse them.  To that next child – I hope you made something awesome!

After our amazing park experience and we were all frozen, we drove down to Appleton, WI to visit our friends Stacie and Scott.  It was surreal – we are ALL GA folks and were somehow eating Chinese takeout in Wisconsin?!  Weird.  We had a fantastic time with S&S, but the time came for us to head back to Milwaukee.  It was New Year’s Eve, after all!!  We wanted to be able to settle down and ring in the new year in style.  Apparently, that style meant T & me collapsing on the bed and J collapsing on the floor and we all barely woke up for midnight.  Playing in the snow wears you out!  They say that whatever you are doing at midnight will set the tone for the coming year.  Let’s just say that I was in the company of two of my closest friends.  Who could ask for more? :D

I was in Mil. for about a week.  Spent my birthday there, too! We had an amazing time just hanging out.  The most interesting adventure was when T & I went shopping one night to find her a cocktail dress for a party. The store refused to let me in the dressing room with her.  They MADE me sit out in the hallway.  Dude, they are DRESSES.  She needed help zipping them up.  So she had to come out half dressed the entire time. Oy.  What did she think we were going to do in there…. ??? In other news,  I made a delicious thai dinner for the family one night, watched the kiddo so they could have a date night, made crepes for new year’s day breakfast, and we made an amazing new year’s day dinner to bring us all luck.  Speaking of luck, guess what started to happen as we left for the airport.  Snow.  Of course.  

Oh well, I could not have asked for a better trip!  Below are a huge load of pictures that describe our fun better than any story could. :) Enjoy!

I present to you... Baby E!  Stylishly dressed in a penguin hat, 1 mitten, and a diaper.

 

 So, remember that thai dinner I made for them... apparently they took a picture of me.  See how good of a multi-tasker I am?!  Oven mitt, child, stirring the quinoa, and jamming out to Tegan and Sara.  I am amazing.

 All ready with my Snowman Kit - it was COLD! I put my TN sweatshirt on OVER my coat. I also had on two scarves. Don't judge.

Did I mention that it was COLD?!

T and me.  We were college roomies at GCSU- aren't we adorable?

 The Smith family - Baby E (the limp noodle), J, & T

This is one of the many times I was probably squealing with delight at something. 

Jaunting.

Terri was trying to make a snow angel... I claimed her instead.

I finally left her alone to complete her angel.

This was the random middle-of-nowhere town we found.

A hole in the ice!!!  I was walking on a LAKE!

I was very very scared that I was going to go crashing through the ice Little Women style and die.

J would not accept that and made me get closer... this was my terrified-I-am-going-to-die-I-hate-you face.

Jesse was not scared in the least.

I was WALKING on WATER!!!  Like Jesus.

Baby E playing.

I snuck a pic of the whole family!

My snowman.  Isn't he pretty... er, handsome?

 Showing off my masterpiece!

 T helped!!!

In the car after we de-layered.  Apparently Terri's face didn't really want to be in the shot.

Baby E loved playing in Scott's shoes!

Nala!

Everyone pet the kitty...

Favorite part of the night... Jesse doing a headstand, Baby E would come and poke his finger in J's bellybutton which would then cause J to come crashing down trying desperately NOT to land on his child.

Helping Baby E to do his own headstand!

Well, there you have it folks... SNOWMAN!!!