This is our third winter in Canada. And finally it feels like we are getting the hang of it! And by that, I mean we no longer lay huddled around the fireplace, in shock, trying to comprehend how long it will take to ride out five months of snow.

No, instead of hating winter and wanting to escape it, we have finally embraced it fully, and I have to say that covid restrictions actually played a big part in that.

Because of on-and-off lockdowns, rules on gatherings and pretty much everything being shut down, we’ve been forced to simply GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY IN THE SNOW because there is nothing else to do and everyone has cabin fever. Thankfully I have many friends with small kids who love to do just that!

Up here “In the Hills” we get a LOT of snow. For the first time I’m grateful for that and see that as a blessing. People who live in the GTA along Lake Ontario don’t get NEARLY as much snow as we do even though it’s just an hour away. Though this means more shovelling, it also means way more fun for kids. Because what’s the point in being cold if there’s no snow to play in? At least the snow lets you go skating, sledding, tobogganing and digging.

Not being able to go anywhere has also forced us to go local and find out all the fun places in our own backyard. This year we’ve discovered a whole network of cross country trails and hills that are perfect for sledding and playing. We even built our own little luge track in our backyard. Believe it or not, I get a bit excited when a big dump of snow is coming because it means more play time! I never in a million years thought I’d be writing these words.