Today the Beast from the East returns! Jared has been telling me all week that it was going to snow this weekend. I was listening but I was just like 'yeah that's nice, it's not really going to snow again'. 

Even when it started snowing yesterday and we had a small dusting I didn't think we were going to get anymore than that. So when I woke up this morning to a good couple of inches of snow I was pretty surprised!

When it snowed a few weeks ago, it was so cold and the wind so strong that it was a battle just to walk up to my parents house (through waist high drifts), look after the horses and wade back through the drifts home again. I didn't have the energy for enjoying the snow other than a brief snowball fight. 

So today we have actually had fun with it. I've been up to my parents house and we have done something we haven't done since we were kids. We went what we like to call Bonneting. Sounds mad? That's cos it is. 

We have the bonnet off of one of our old cars that we hitch up with a long piece of rope to whatever vehicle we have capable of towing it, take it out into the field and it makes an excellent sled. 

Then you basically go donuting in the 4x4 and swing the bonnet at high speed. It sounds crazy but its incredibly fun. The more you do it, the more you flatten the snow like an ice rink and the faster you go. 

So that's what we like to do when it snows, regular sledding is too dull. Gotta make the most of that farm life ;)

When we finally came back inside to warm up my sister made us hot chocolate (have I mentioned her hot chocolate is the stuff of legend?) and cookies to warm up with. Mmmmmnnn.

Now I plan to spend the rest of my Sunday relaxing while I get over the illness that has bugged me for the past few days ready to start the rest of the week. 

Hope you're also enjoying the snow! 

Thanks to my Mum and Tiggy for the pictures :)

28 Things you only understand if you're part of a large family

As the oldest of four girls we are a pretty big family for 21st century Britain. We live in a small 3 bed house in various states of chaos. And you know what, mad as it is, growing up like this is also pretty awesome. 

1. Privacy? What even is that. You will never get to be alone while you shower or pee. Someone will always need to brush their teeth and get to bed the instant you get in the bath. Relaxing evening ruined.

2. On the same note you have never slept alone until you went to uni. Your parents would need to be millionaires to buy a house big enough for you to each have separate rooms. Until then you share and shut up.

3. You will constantly fight with the sibling whom you are forced to share your space with. You hate the way she leaves the light on when she gets up early and she hates that you leave your dirty pants all over the floor. These things never change no matter how old you get.

4. There was probably a pointless room switch up to try and solve these arguments at some point. Only for you to realize that your new sibling roomate was a million times more annoying and you missed the routine of arguing with the old one. Best swap back cos better the devil you know.

5. Being made to let the youngest play even though they would ruin everything about the game.

6. The constant shifting pattern of sibling alliances. Today we are friends because the other two are annoying me more. Tomorrow: who knows what might happen

7. Hand me downs. Even if you are the oldest there's an older cousins who's clothes are destined to be yours.

8. No matter how annoying your siblings are though you stick together when it comes to Mum and Dad. We all understand it is us verses them. There's safety in numbers so best to stick together.

9. If the youngest ratted you out to your parents they would suffer the consequences of breaking the sibling code. It might not happen straight away but we'll get our own back eventually.

10.  Being dressed in the same outfit on family days out so your parents could keep track of you all.

11. Little old ladies cooing over you constantly wherever you went. Usually about how sweet we all are and don't we all look alike? No we do not.

12. Having to own an enormous car so that you can all fit in it at the same time. A car that your mum cannot park.

13. Family holidays consist of camping trips to Devon where we all pretend we're having fun in the rain.

14. Ensuring your siblings will never make friends and are stuck with you for life by refusing to act normal when potential new friends come over for tea.

15. In fact the friends you do have are desperate to come and play at your house although their parents seem strangely reluctant. They usually mutter about how their children come home covered in mud and totally hyperactive.

16. The more of you there are, the more toys you collectively have. How much you want to share them depends on your mood.

17. And if you are all into the same thing then it can get out of hand *spends 24 hours building a My Little Pony empire*.

18. Christmas lists were tactically designed. "You ask for the Barbie House and I'll ask for the Barbie Car, then we'll have both".

19. Bath time was the best part of the day when all of you were small enough to fit in together. It was a chance to make a huge splashy mess playing imaginary games.

20. In fact the best games were the totally random ones that involved large amounts of imagination

21. Despite being the first person to ever hold you, your Dad still gets your names muddled up.

22. Teachers have no clue which one of you is which.

23. You genuinely never understood why your friends always complained about being bored in the holidays. When there's so many of you there's always someone to play with.

24. Fighting over who gets to read the newest Harry Potter book first.

25. Pretending that you still play with dolls because you can't spoil the youngest ones fun when really you're just not ready to let go yet.

26. Making a huge effort to not ruin Father Christmas for the younger ones. Now you get to eat the cookies you put out yourself.

27. It is almost impossible to find a picture where all of you look nice.

28. Although its difficult at times you wouldn't swap it for the world <3