It's C-C-C-OLD outside!!! The Polar Vortex experience

The Polar Vortex, as I've heard it called, started Sunday morning of January 5. At 7:00 there wasn't anything on the ground and church had already been cancelled. Many thought, "Well won't we all look ridiculous." By 9:00 am, the snow was coming down in good sized flakes and it didn't stop until after 6:00 pm. We invited the missionaries, Robinsons, Aults and Mindy Rawlins over to our house as we had been encouraged to have our own testimony meeting at home (without the sacrament) and we figured the more the merrier.

It was a great day, with testimonies, tears, good stories, fun, friends, food, etc. Our power went off between one and two and we weren't sure if/when it would come back on. We made plans with Aults, Mindy and Robinsons to spend the night at our house and they all went to collect overnight supplies (which included two cats, which is saying something as Eric HATES cats). Logan Ault and Eric got the generator out and connected so we had partial power by 6:00. It was about 6:15 when the power came back on. HURRAY!!

My crock pot corned beef was already cooking on the range (thankfully the range is gas and easily lit with a match). Ali Robinsons crock pot roast got put in the oven to finish cooking. We fed 16 people dinner and then decided who was staying now that everyone had power. Aults went home and Mindy took two trips to get her stuff and her two cats back home. Robinsons spent the night and then played/worked all Monday before going home.

The wind chill on Monday was going to reach near -40, so schools were cancelled and work was cancelled. Basically Indiana was closed due to snow and wind.

Bundled and ready to break their backs in the service
of their fellow neighbor (in the -32 degree weather).

Eric got the Elders and Aaron Robinson to agree to his "Master Plan" of shoveling/snowblowing around two blocks of the neighborhood. Thankfully we had Steve Hardy's snowblower, so Eric took three missionaries and Aaron took three missionaries and they went out in 30 minute shifts. Xela, Ali and I made sure there was hot cocoa waiting for them when they returned. Any wet gloves, shoes, hats were placed in the dryer or in front of the space heater to warm and then they went back at it. They did this from about 10:30 until around 2.

 

Aaron Robinson, Elder Combs and the other Elder eating a
lunch of grilled cheese and tomato soup.

Playing assorted games while the men-folk are out
breaking their backs.

I thought the ice crystals on the windows were very cool looking so I took a few pictures. These are all from one window in the front room. The patterns are pretty fun to look at.



 

You can barely see through this one
(I admit I am zoomed in a bit)

They called school off Monday for super sub zero temperatures, Tuesday for cold, Wednesday for roads. Then, Little Flower called a 2 hr delay for Thursday due roads. Irvington Community School called off school because roads were still difficult and "student safety is our utmost concern." Whatever, were my and Eric's thoughts. I wanted to think they'd have school on Friday, but by cancelling on Thursday, it wouldn't make sense to have school on Friday. It didn't surprise me when Irvington called to cancel Friday's classes. Little Flower again had a 2 hr delay so that people could drive slow. Xela, Ro and Graigry were happy to go back. Nate and Neta were happy to have a "whole week!" off of school.

I went into work for a half day on Wednesday and then normal work days on Thursday and Friday. It was a small crew on Wednesday and someone ordered pizza for the office - YIPPEE!!

It has been the LONGEST Christmas break EVER! And I'm not complaining. I know Xela was very ready to go back to school when they opened their doors.