Ta....Da!!! Our igloo (with a really big skylight)

After the aftermath of our crazy blizzard on Saturday, I promised the kids we would go out and make something of it. Well Monday rolled around and turned into a beautiful day. I knew I needed to make good on my promise. My kids had a GREAT idea to build an igloo (thanks to our good friends in Denver, who had just made one...yes you know who you are). And yes there is a bit of sarcasm in my voice. Well, dad is too busy this week, so I knew it was up to me to help them accomplish this task. I, of course, having no idea of even where to start, googled making igloos. After looking at 10 different diagrams and becoming overwhelmed at the task ahead, I decided to wing it. I put Luke to bed for his nap and the older three and I went right to work. I had in mind we would be out here an hour maybe an hour and a half....ha ha! The joke was on me! We started out by stomping a circle in the snow to make our base. Then we started the daunting task of making our blocks. Our snow was not yet hard enough to cut the blocks directly from the snow, so we stomped snow into my rectangular slow cooker pan and wa-la we had blocks...one by one.

Working hard or hardly working...you decide.
Even when we're hard at work Nathaniel is still a charmer!

Camera shy? Not a bit! Strike a pose!

Two layers down...how many to go?

Luke is up and curious as to why we are touching this cold stuff we call snow.

Has it really been two hours?Some sisterly love..ahhh, if Luke would just enjoy a hug. Luke is actually saying, "no!", his favorite word besides, "mine!" Too bad for Cari.

A quick shot to remember this day. I selfishly want to have proof that: yes we once attempted to build an igloo until your mom gave out in pure exhaustion and felt every bit of her 31 years. But did we ever have fun trying!!

Getting closer....or are we?

Look how tall it's getting!!! Oh yeah, we're on our knees!

Luke in his characteristic pose (which is by the way identical to his dad) is wondering if there are any passerbys who are witnessing this insanity.

And finally, our finished igloo with a really big skylight, for fresh air, as Cari concluded.

By 5pm we were all so exhausted and sunburned (yes, I am a horrible mother who forgot the sunscreen) that we finally called it quits. We worked hard for over 4 hours and learned much from this adventure. Next year we are starting with a much smaller circle!!! :)