My Snow

For all of you out there who think this morning's snow was for you, you're wrong.

That was God's blessing to me and my family. I mean, I'll share it with you, but I'm certain it was meant for me.

Today was the day I drove my mom to Knoxville. We met my older brother, who took Mom back to his family for her remaining week in the states.

Last night, however, the end of her visit became clear to Clay. I knew I'd be a weepy mess today, but I was determined to not deal with it until I was on my return trip from Knoxville. But at tuck-in time last night, Clay was all about missing Oma early. There is nothing that will break down your defenses like seeing your child weep.

I held him and told him I used to cry every time I was separated from my Oma after a great visit when I was growing up. And I said that I'd be crying the next day (today), too.

I told him we'd be getting a camera for our computer so Oma could see them when we call her using Skype. (My mom called her husband back in Germany twice while she was here and we got to see him because they already have a camera on their laptop. So we are already set to see my mom on the computer calls.)

Things went warped from there, because that's just the kind of family we are.

"And, we're trying to plan another trip to Germany to visit Oma," I reminded Clay.

"You said we'd go when I was nine," he said.

Yeah, we said that. Sure did. Three and a half years ago when we returned from our last visit.

"Yes, honey, but we had no idea that tickets would be so expensive now, so we'll see," I said.

And then my son got all political.

"Obama said he was going to fix taxes," he said.

And then I was crying for a completely different reason. We just cracked up!

Not that taxes have anything to do with flights to Germany, but Obama should just know that my son is counting on him to make our next trip happen sooner rather than later.

After tucking everyone in, Bruce and I were downstairs with my mom, talking about the big goodbye the next day (today). We decided to have the kids say goodbye at home and then for me to drive them to school without mom in the van. Then I'd go back to the house and pick her up. But I hated the idea of dropping them off if they were crying.

So that snow this morning? Yeah. Mine.

It bought us an additional two hours this morning with my mom when school was put on a two-hour delay. Bruce decided to go in to work late so he could take the kids to school. And mom and I left about 45 minutes before then. But not before a few more games of Twister.

Crazy snow. Enough to call school to session late, but not enough to make the road to Knoxville impassable.

Ahhh, but there's more.

Yesterday, Spencer went down to the van to search for some missing toy. And he left the light on inside the van. Bruce saw it as he loaded my mom's luggage. (Luggage, which was very heavy, by the way. Mom and I would have had to load that ourselves if Bruce had gone into work on time. But he didn't. Because of my snow.)

Of course, my van's battery was deader than dead.

And if it hadn't been for the snow, I would have found out about the deadness right as I was trying to get the kids to school on time and get back home to leave to meet my brother on time. It wouldn't have been pretty. It would have been stressful. And stress plus a pre-existing emotional state is never good. It's like a pitbull version of PMS.

But Bruce was home and he jumped right on his white horse to save the day. My van had juice in no time flat.

Okay, I think I've made it evident to all that the snow was, in fact, for me. But if you still question my sanity (it's okay... I do so often myself), here is irrefutable proof.

On the way to Knoxville, mom and I saw the greatest view of the mountains coated in snow, but at a certain point below, it was already thawed out. The snow tapered off long before my mom drove off with my brother. I never had concerns about road conditions while driving back alone. But it was still overcast.

And so my great bawling-fest drive home began.

But then all of a sudden, the sun broke out. Almost blinding, except for the fact that by then it was behind me. And the sky turned blue with only a few clouds in the sky.

For all of you out there who think that sun was for you, you're wrong. I needed it in a bad way. And the timing was just too perfect. It was for me.

I'm convinced.

But I'm always willing to share the blessing.