Shovel that Snow!

We had a blizzard earlier in the week. It wasn't as bad here as it was in Eastern Iowa, but still a blizzard. This time, our driveway was mostly clear except for a drift right in front of our garage door, and some snow on the side of our garage where we don't park our vehicles, so we didn't do much shoveling. Then we got another couple inches overnight last night.

So after church, Jock went out to fire up the snow blower. Elijah went out to help. Kaylen and I were upstairs working on laundry, and Josephine was downstairs playing until she must have realized she was all alone. When I came downstairs she was crying, trying to get on her snow gear. She had her boots half on, and her snowpants on backwards. So I helped her finish getting ready and took her out with Elijah, before heading back inside. Next thing I know, I hear Josephine out there screaming bloody murder. She's afraid of loud, noisy things, and the snowblower was no exception.

So I grabbed my coat and went out to calm her down. She just stood there and clung to my leg and watched. After a bit, I told her that she should make loud noises too - so she growled right back at the snowblower when it came near, which made her laugh. She eventually just stood by me and watched, or if I wasn't right next to her, she'd run for me whent the Jock got up close to the garage with the snowblower.
It was just too cute watching Elijah helping shovel! We have a very small shovel that we keep in the van, and he was using that - perfect for him, and he was doing a great job - knew just how to throw the snow off of it - although it didn't always land where it was supposed to. :)
When Jock was snowblowing the part Elijah had been working on, Elijah went over to the other side, but then somehow ended up shoveling the yard. That've been an endless job if he continued on with that!
Kaylen came out when she was done putting away her laundry. (Well, almost - she actually came out when she realized she was the only one still inside. :) Jock had made a path through the huge drift to our front porch by then, so she took the bigger shovel and worked up there.
Elijah soon got bored with his little shovel and came and declared to me that he was done. He reluctantly passed the shovel on to Josephine so she could try. She wasn't quite as coordinated as he was, but I could see how proud of herself she was to help. (And Jock was on the other side of the driveway by then, so being outside the safety of the garage wasn't so scary.)
Then Jock grabbed the scraper to work breaking up the hardened snow/ice we'd been driving over all week, and the girls shoveled off the chunks.
Elijah was tired by then, and hollered at me to look how clever he was that he'd found such a perfect-sized seat! :)
And I just realized, the snow would have been perfect for making a snowman, but we didn't even think of it! Maybe next time...