Stepping outside, soft flakes of snow wrap my whole body in chills. As
Austin leads me toward the lake, the fallen snow crunches beneath our feet.
Activity in the forest behind the garage catches my eye. A deer is scampering
away after a feast from the bin of corn. Smoke from the chimney is furling up
to the heavens and smells of burning firewood and crisp winter air compliment
the night.
We are descending the steep, snow covered slope. Sleds and snow angels
from earlier are still littered about. Austin grabs my hand and we laugh at how
they feel swollen with the thick mittens we have on. The hill levels out and we
glance out at the frozen lake, now scattered with snowmobile tracks, fish
houses and some faint footprints. Gazing over to the other side of the lake,
there is a hazy glow from Christmas lights that line the edge of a neighbor�s
roof. A couple wire-framed deer covered in lights are also spread about the
yard.
Austin tackles and throws me into the deep snow that covers the ground and
heading back to the warm cabin for some hot apple cider sounds nice. We are
lying on the ground in each other�s arms, talking and admiring the full, winter
moon. Laughter of young children echoes across the lake. From the back door of
the cabin, three small, blonde bundles of energy come rushing out to destroy
the fresh-fallen, trackless snow and tranquility of the night.
The children attack me with tiny snowballs barely felt through my thick coat.
Scooping Liam, the youngest, off the ground, he slips, falls in the snow and
shrieks with joy. Austin is now being hit with snowballs by the other two,
Adrian and Isabella, and he pretends to be hurt. Their parents let them
play outside to burn off some energy before bedtime. All of us dust off the clinging
of snow that will help keep us frozen until we venture inside. We stomp our
feet and rub our hands together as we gather closely under the cloudy, arctic
sky. Catching snowflakes with our tongues, we wish this Christmas Eve would
last all year.
~2003~