I made it rain frozen

My, how my life and desires have changed from five years ago. Or ten. This New Year's Eve was spent quietly, at a friend's house, while the kids played loudly. We had picked C up from the airport on the way. We had a roast in the car ready to cook. We arrived at our friend's house and invaded. We had bags packed for the night and we ready to party like it was 1959.

The roast, marinated in red wine, was fabulous. Our friend fixed the kids Shirley Temples in celebration of the new year in special small wine glasses. They sat at the breakfast bar toasting their glasses, their eyes bright with excitement. We searched for the ball drop and finally found it. We watched it with the kids, yelling out the countdown. At midnight we toasted each other, kissed, and promptly got the kids to bed. We had a big day planned today. It was going to snow in Joelton.

The next morning I woke up to the sound of the air compressor. It was snowing in Joelton. After cooking breakfast and explaining to the children they would not play in the snow if they didn't clean their messes up we all bundled up and headed out back. We sent the kids down the ramp Chris had constructed time and again. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore and I hopped up to the top. As I gingerally navigated the slippery ascension everything in my head was screaming, "This is incredibly stupid. Its not constructed for your weight. You'll bust your ass!" Did I turn around? Noooooo. I looked at Bill and said, "I have a college degree. I should know better." And zoomed off down the ramp, on my stomach, head first, yelling, "Wheeeeeeeee!" And it was so fun I tried it again. Once Bill surprised me and pushed my shoulder down before I could turn around. As I flew down on my back, head first, I heard him yell after me, "Just lay on your back and enjoy it, honey! You've been told that before!" Ah, young love.

The kids ran around, slid down, and tossed snowballs. It may have been dry in Nashvill, but at one house a little north there was six inches of snow on the ground. The kids had a blast and the adults had even more fun.

That night we had finally settled the kids down, after baths, dinner, and much tattletaleitis. Bill walked in the kitchen, surveyed the dirty dishes, and said, "Well, honey, you didn't clean up?" I fired back, "What? It's not enough that I cooked dinner and bathed the girls?" Chris, innocently standing to the side piped up, "Hey, I made it rain frozen!" Yes, Chris, you're exempt. Bill then got the bright idea to watch "Top Gun" because Chris has surround sound. Bill said he saw it in theaters when it came out, and there was no surround sound then. I contemplated that for a moment, giggled, and informed the love of my life, "God, you're so old!" He just grinned and said he knew.

Now, like any other red blooded American woman, I LOVE me some Top Gun! Watching those hard bodied, sweaty guys play that volleyball game rocks my socks, I won't lie. Something must have tripped his trigger as well because when I leaned over to kiss him goodnight after the movie and Chris has gone to bed he flicked his tounge out at my lips in the way that always drives me wild. Then he kept kissing me, his 5 o'clock shadow scratching my face in that delicious way that makes me tingle. Quietly we began to move together, and as I glanced out the unshaded window and caught a glimpse of the Christmas lights reflecting on my profile, I reveled in how the quiet, secret times were in a lot of ways the best.

The next morning dawned bright and early but we didn't. No one stirred until almost ten. Half the morning gone! Breakfast and coffee was quickly thrown together. Then it was back outside to play in the snow. We slid, we laughed, we made sure the kids had a blast. At one point Bill was standing at the grassy edge of the snow. The sunlight was shining on him and he just looked, well, he looked attractive and manly. I wanted to preserve that image. I ran in, grabbed Chris' camera, and snapped several shots of just him. In that moment, I sighed, and I realized these are the moments that take my breath away that life is made of. A wonderful, fun filled, alibet unplanned, weekend with good friends, our kids, and the man that makes my life complete.