10. A white, unbroken blanket of snow is so lovely.

9.  Life feels cozy when it’s snowing outside, the dishwasher and washing machine are running, and I’m sitting in a chair writing.

8.  This year’s first big snowstorm didn’t hit until January, which means this winter won’t be as long as it could be.

7.  A snowstorm means evening activities are cancelled, so there’s nothing to do but to download and watch the Downton Abbey Season 5 premiere.

6.  After a month of Camp Dorothy, which just ended Sunday evening, it’s nice to have a guilt-free reason to stay home this Tuesday instead of going to visit Mom.

5.  I can imagine trying to teach children, tired from Christmas break and excited about the snow, instead of teaching them.

4.  This snowstorm affirms our decision to by an all-wheel drive Subaru in November instead of waiting until spring as originally planned.

3.  This snowstorm granted the Man of Steel’s wish to test the Subaru on winter roads…and he was delighted with the way it handled.

2.  Our daughter and son-in-law beat the storm and arrived at their home in Madison, Wisconsin safely.

1.  On a day when our daughter-in-law was in labor, our daughter and her husband raced home ahead of the weather so they could pack and move, the sibs and I were going a little crazy attending to details related to Mom’s upcoming move, and the page proofs for Every Child Welcome arrived, a snowstorm seemed like a fitting metaphor for our family’s life. And when the storm ended, God used it to remind me that our stormy day would pass, too, replaced by beauty. In this case, the beauty of a brand new granddaughter, born just after midnight this morning.