The You Capture challenge for this week was to capture winter where I live. Winter in Illinois is different than winter in Michigan, where I grew up. Winter in Michigan was always cold but it never seemed as bitter cold as it does here. The wind whips across the plains here and makes everyone's cheeks red and chapped. By the time winter is over in Illinois, I'm glad to see it go!

Although some things are different, many of the things I love about winter are the same.





And one more thing defines our winters here... birthdays! Two of my three girls were born in the winter season and the other misses it by just days, my husband is a winter boy and so is my dad. Somehow seeing the bright colors of their birthday balloons cheer me when the long days of winter are near an end.