A Michigan Winter

Sizzle, crackle, pop! The fire keeps me toasty warm. I get up from my cocoon of blankets in front of the fire place and run to the window. Still no snow. I had heard songs about winter and seen movies but it never snowed in Florida. I am spending Christmas with my Gramma in Michigan while my parents are on a trip. They are on something called a cruise and I’ve never been on one of those so I wanted to go with them a first but then they told me that Gramma gets snow in Michigan! I’ve been here for a week and so far its been really super cold— like freezing! But still no snow. Gramma says to be patient and I’m trying but it’s so hard because I reeeeallly wanna see snow! I picture it coming down like pouring powdered sugar on my waffles. Then when it is all good and stuck on the earth I think it will look like whipped cream! All this talk of food is making me hungry. I run to the kitchen where Gramma is putting the last batch of cookies in the oven.

“It smells amazing!” I exclaim

“Well hello there pumpkin! Would you like to help me taste test some of the cookies on the cooling rack?” Gramma smiled.

”Yes please! With a glass of milk!”

I open the cupboard and grab my special mug. It was a Christmas mug with snowmen and children ice skating painted on it. Gramma said that was my special mug and no one else got to use it except me. She kept it on the bottom shelf so I could reach it. I brought the mug over to the table and Gramma poured the milk as I grabbed a warm cookie. I dunked the cookie in milk and then took a bite of the amazingly moist chocolate chip cookie with a perfect gooey center.

Later that night Gramma and I were sitting by the fire and laughing and drinking hot cocoa.

“This is so much fun! The only thing that could make this winter even better would be snow.” I looked over at the window longingly.

“Maybe it will snow overnight,”Gramma said. “That’s the most magical thing about winter I think. When I was a little girl I loved waking up to a surprise snowfall.”

I yawned “Well maybe tomorrow I will wake up to a beautiful blanket of snow on the ground.”

The next morning I woke up to the sun shining through the cracks in the blinds. I had slept so well I didn’t want to get up. Something about being bundled up all snuggly warm really makes you resent the cold floor when you first step out of bed. Not to mention sleeping by the window in the winter it—the window! I jumped out of bed and ran to the window. I couldn’t wait to see if it had snowed overnight! I grabbed the chord for the blinds and tugged hard. The blinds flew up and the blinding white scene in front of me was so intense I had to squint.

“Woah.” I mumbled enchanted by the silvery-white snow that glistened in the sun.

I stood frozen in front of the window for a few more seconds, admiring the lovey winter landscape before rushing downstairs to tell Gramma.

“Gramma Gramma! Did you see the snow!” I exclaimed as I bounded down the last few steps and rounded the corner to the living room.

I was met with the sight of Gramma sitting in her rocking chair absentmindedly stirring the coffee in her hand. She had turned her chair around to face the big picture window which had all the blinds wide open. She was staring at the beautiful snowy hills in the back yard. She turned to look at me as I scooted chair across the floor to sit next to her.

“Hello pumpkin!” She said with a smile. “Isn‘t it so lovely sitting here watching it snow?”

I looked out the window and she was right! It WAS snowing!

”I didn’t notice it was STILL snowing.” I said as I walked closer to the window watching some of the dainty snowflakes brush past the window.

“If you look closely enough, you’ll notice that each snowflake is unique. No two are the same!” She said.

I sat with Gramma and drank hot chocolate watching the falling snow for what seemed like forever.

“Well,” Gramma said “Are you gonna look at it all day or are you gonna go out and play in it?”

I smiled and ran to the mud room to grab my boots, coat, and snow pants.

“Do you have a sled? You have to come with me Gramma!” I shouted across the hall.

“Well of course!” Gramma exclaimed stepping into the mud room in a full snow suit. “I can’t let you have ALL the fun!”

We sledded and had snow ball fights for hours. We laughed and made snow angels, snowmen and all the ice sculptures we could until it felt like our fingers and toes would fall off.

“Do we have... anymore... cookies?” I asked Gramma as I sat in the snow panting.

“Yes... and egg... nog... too” Gramma replied panting as well as she sat down next to me. “Let’s catch our breath and then head inside.”

Grandma and I laughed as we snuggled next to the fireplace. Our glasses of egg nog were half gone and all that was left of the cookies was just a few crumbs on the plate.

“I had a lot of fun today. Thanks for playing with me in my first snowfall.” I say before finishing the rest of my egg nog.

“I’m so glad you came to visit. You are always welcome here.” She smiles and rubbed my back.

“Maybe we can do this every winter.” I mumbled before smiling and closing my eyes.