Our winter

The good: Winter here is beautiful -- leafless, lifeless, dry against mostly-sunny, brilliant blue skies. We even got a little snow.

The bad: We've had dismal gray days, too. It's felt especially cold this year and while we had a few school delays due to snowfall, the accumulation has been paltry.

The good: We've had some occasional 60-degree days, which afford us the chance to bike home from school and spend some time in the backyard.

The bad: The kids got sick frequently. I got pretty sick for a couple of weeks back in January. Despite my efforts at bolstering our immune systems with good foods and rest, the germs seemed unavoidable.

The good: This mostly indoors time has led to the institution of Friday family movie nights and we've upgraded the basement from an afterthought into a pretty nice play space for the kids.

The bad: Massive amounts of indoor time lead to frequent sibling squabbles.

The good: Our church had a great Fat Tuesday dinner and we've joined a weekly small group to deepen our faith and fellowship.

The bad/good: The Lenten season has been especially challenging and refining for me.

When I tear the February sheet off my calendar later this week, I'll feel like we've fully lived this winter with its combination of grit and joy.

I haven't avoided or denied it. I never had a chance to and I think I'm better for it.

Here is some of this winter's beauty.