In church on Sunday, one of the children stood and asked us to share a prayer of celebration because we were so close to breaking the snowfall record for Madison. The pastor relayed her request to the congregation, though with humorous tone and body language witness to the fact he didn 't share her sense of enthusiasm.

I do.

My family and I moved here from Washington, D.C., two years ago this past Christmas, and I have learned so much about Madison and Wisconsin this winter. I have learned that having piles of snow from the beginning of December until April is not necessarily a Wisconsin myth.

I have learned that I am not sick of watching delicate snowflakes fall, even after five feet of it. In fact, I find that each new layer brings a new sense of wonder and possibility. Fresh snow offers a clean slate, a beautiful new perspective, a pristine new palette. And some pretty cool sledding, so I 'm told.

I have learned that I have the best neighbors in the world, when they have cheerfully helped me dig out my little Saturn from the dip at the end of my steep driveway. Two of my retired neighbors even hauled out their shovels in a predawn storm, to help my husband, a restaurant manager, get to work on time.

From the woman who answered the phone at the Snow & Ice Control Line, I learned that it was my duty as a homeowner to clear the 20-foot-long, seven-feet high mountain of snow the plow had apparently knocked over onto my sidewalk. But when I expressed my disbelief to her supervisor, they promised to look into it.

The front-end loader filled five dump trucks Monday morning, and our cul-de-sac now has a clean, clear space to put today 's snowfall when it comes (much to the delight of our 2 year-old neighbor, who was in heaven at the sight of two major pieces of machinery in front of his window).

Yes, I know this season has brought its share of challenges, but believe me when I tell you that if even one of these major storms had hit Washington, D.C., this season, the city would have shut down for at least a week.

In 1996, our D.C. neighborhood was snowed in for nearly that long after one foot of snow. And they never plowed our street.

My kids are a little disappointed. They know they probably could 've had a week 's worth of snow days if we still lived there. But even they are in awe of a snow day and a cold day from one Wednesday to the next. They know a Wisconsin miracle when they see one.

Since it looks like we 'll be breaking the record in the next 24 hours, I wanted to say that I think it 's terrific. Not only can no one accuse me of never having experienced a "real " Wisconsin winter, I can actually say I 've enjoyed it.

It 's cold and wet and uncomfortable sometimes, but I 've found that makes it all the more enjoyable to get back into the warmth of our home.

Madison is a quirky, funny place, but I 've lived all over the world -- from Texas, to San Francisco, from France to D.C. -- and everywhere you find yourself has its share of quirks and annoyances.

I 'm happy to say I love it here. And I 'm with the little girl in church. Let the games begin, and the record be broken. We 're ready, with our shovels and our salt and our snow boots.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Dumas lives in Madison.