What Ever Happened to Emily?

I have known my daughter Emily her entire life, obviously.  For nearly all of her life she has spent her Christmases here in Illinois even though she primarily grew up in Houston Texas.  And for as far back as I can remember she has always looked forward to snow on the farm.  This fact sticks in both Mike's and my memory because she was always incredibly disappointed when there was no snow, which seemed to happen more often than not.

Emily, Suzanne and Grandma Lois in the winter.

I remember the year we had to stay an extra day because it was going to snow the night we were leaving and it would make Emily's holiday if we stayed and let her play in the snow.  Mike remembers in 2011, he got Emily out of the no snow doldrums by proposing a polar plunge in the pond.  She was quite excited to jump into the pond in 33.6 degree weather although I notice no one has suggested a repeat event.  

Right before Polar Plunge

Emily plunging.

After polar plunge.  This incident happened before there was
any building on the property. The two girls drove back across the street in the open four wheeler
while wet to get to Grandma's house to shower and change.  

And then in Emily's first year of college at SIUC in Illinois, her dorm roommate told us about how Emily, who grew up in Houston Texas, got everybody out of bed on the first snow day of the year so they could go outside and play in the snow with Emily.  Nobody else on her dorm floor was excited because they had grown up in Illinois.  

So it was all the more shocking when Mike and Emily had this text conversation this week.  

Mike wrote: Snow is forecast for Thursday nite and Friday before you arrive on Saturday.

Emily wrote: Tbh I don’t know how I feel about that. I wore shorts while running yesterday. And you guys better make sure that the fireplace is ready to go.

What has happened to Emily the enthusiastic snow lover?  She has only been in Northern California since mid August.  Has she changed that much?  Is she just worn down by finals?  Will she ever live again in snow country?  Only time will tell.