5 Things They Never Tell You about "Winter Wonderland"s

I was pretty sure, moving here to Idaho, that I was prepared for the possibility of inclement weather. I thought Colorado taught me everything I needed to know to survive. I was wrong. This is for all you fellow Arizona natives, who may be heading up North...ever. Beware.

1. Ice coating your windshield is not a myth. And I'm not talking about that puny layer you scrape off with a credit card once a year. I mean a thick sheet that requires your defroster and a lot of elbow grease. Wherever you're going, leave 10 minutes early.

2. Wipe your shoes off 10 times before walking on anything other than carpet. That fresh snow absolutely loves to cling to the tread of your shoes. If you only scrape your soles 9 times, you'd better have a rail, table, man, anything as backup to break your fall.

3. Snow is calm and beautiful 95% of the time. Whenever there isn't snow, there is wind. Wear layers upon layers and your teeth might stop chattering.

4. There is such a thing as "Frozen Fog". This is when there is fog, and it's so cold, it literally coats everything with frost, while simultaneously lobbing teeny snowflakes at you. It's so freezing, it makes you want to cry, which would suck because your tears would freeze.

5. Believe it or not, it's all even more beautiful than in the movies. Perfect snowflakes actually exist, and building snowmen is a blast. As cold--and sometimes miserable--as it is, it's really pleasant to see the world painted white again and again.

Whenever I mention that I'm from Arizona, everyone here gives me a look of pure sympathy. However, I'm not so sure this season would be as fun if I'd grown up with it... I love AZ, but I'm also loving the snow! But now that I've warned you of all the dangers, you'd best stay away, or you'll end up in love with it, too! ;)

Stay warm, everyone!  xoxo

The Tales of Dan and Sara

Life has changed far too quickly for my poor blog to catch up. If you've been following along on Instagram, probably none of this will be news for you. However, for the rest of you, whether you like it or not, the events of the past month are throwing up all over this post...in the form of short stories, to mix things up.

The Tale of Tony Tony Chopper
So as you already knew, we moved out of Colorado and off to Snowflake. Chopper spent a week there with me, playing with my in-laws' Rotty, before we headed to the valley to my parents' house. That night, he got out of the backyard. We couldn't find him, though I searched until past midnight. The next morning, we put up posters, and within an hour we got a call. I was so relieved that he was safe with such a caring, honest family. It was a mom, her three little boys, and her parents-in-law.
So he was back home with my parents, and I headed back to Snowflake to meet Daniel. Being in his teething stage, in my absence, he took to chewing up Hilde's (my parents' dog) bed. Foam. Everywhere. Every day. After a week, my dad asked me to find somewhere else for him to live. I was crushed, but I understood that that's a lot of hassle for a dog that isn't even yours. Obviously, taking him up to school with us was impossible. The only thing I could do was give him up. And the only person I could think of was the kind mother who took him in off the streets.
So I called her, knowing she would be the only person I'd feel OK about giving him to. And she said yes. A couple days later, I drove down to spend time with him and say goodbye. I was a mess, but my dear husband calmed me down. I still miss him terribly, but Valerie sends me pictures often.

The One with the Fiesta
New Years Eve was very special. It was to be the party of the century in the Coley house. Daniel and I scoured the land for the finest ingredients to make Queso Carne. We each slaved over the kitchen, preparing for the feast. And what a fine feast it was! Authentic Mexican soda, chips and salsa, home cooked tortillas, Queso Carne, and Tres Leches cake! (I'm extremely proud of my cake)

The Accountant and the Music Major

So, we got into BYUI last minute. And I mean LAST minute. We left Snowflake on the Saturday before school started (less than a week ago), and arrived that Sunday to Idaho Falls. I met with a counselor on the first day of school, and enrolled in one religion class, and five music courses. FIVE! It's quite a rush, looking at your schedule and not dreading anything, but actually being excited to learn! It's pretty crazy. Daniel is an accounting major at the moment, testing it out to see if he likes it. He's actually rather enjoying his Macroeconomics class, so that's a good sign! We've so far been making good on our New Years Resolutions to study diligently. We'll see if our goals for exercise pan out ;)

The Nicest Lady and Her Dog

We just moved into our apartment last night. I know you're wondering, "Where have you guys been living all week??" Idaho Falls, my friends. A land of many wonders. One of them is the nicest lady in the world. She goes by "Carol", but I know she's an angel in disguise.... She is the grandmother of a very good friend of ours, and she so kindly let us stay with her from Sunday until Thursday. She'd make us dinner, feed us chocolate milk and ice-cream from her dairy, and let me play her gorgeous piano. And talking to her was such fun! And I haven't even mentioned Roxy! Roxy is the smartest, spunkiest Yorkie I've ever met. Seriously, being there was such a joy. And a life saver. We owe her one...thousand favors.

That concludes story time for today. I'll post more about our new place and school and stuff when I get the chance. :) Thanks for hang in in there, despite long absences through life changes. It's been a roller coaster so far!