Our Monday in the snow...

The kids could barely wait.....Monday and we were going sledding!  We headed to the Happy Jack Lodge, not far from our cabin, and pulled in for some winter fun. Turning to look into the backseat, I asked Colton where his coat was. "I forgot it," he admitted. Seeing the horror run across my face, he quickly and cheerfully added, "It's okay, mom, I've got two shirts on."

It's tough for us fair-weathered-friends to properly prepare for a day in the snow. The outside temperature read 19 degrees and the weather channel said that it really felt more like 12 degrees. Stepping outside the truck, it was hard to tell the temperature as I was immediately numb from the biting wind that hit me first in the ears and then ran down the back of my neck. The kids found an extra coat for Colton and the four of them took off for the hill, oblivious of the freezing air, dragging their boards behind them. 

Wade kept the truck running, heater on high, at the foot of the hill where we had two thermoses of hot chocolate and black coffee to keep our insides warm, as needed. I ended up being the first one back to the car as my right hand was without a glove so I could take photos of the kids. It wasn't long before searing pain and complete numbness claimed the fingered limb and I retreated to the car. Wade still sat inside, working on his phone while the rest of us took our chances in the elements. 

Just as I thawed out enough to take more photos, Colton came running to the car with tears streaming down his rosy red cheeks. "I can't feel my feet and my legs are freezing." His little snow suit was just an inch or so too short and combined with his little rubber boots, a size too small, there was just enough space for the snow to sneak in and settle in his socks. Sure enough, we emptied his little boots of snow and stuck his bare toes under the heater while we laid his socks over the dash to dry. I gave him my socks, which wrapped up over his knees, and he was off again to take on the mountain.

The kids were all so different as the trekked up and down the hill. Colton had the very best attitude and a constant smile, except when he had snow in his socks. He barely came to a stop before he was up again and running back up the hill. Sierra was the fearless one and immediately took her sled to the highest point on the hill. She came screaming down more than a few times with a look of both fear and pure excitement pasted across her pretty face. Audra was the timid, careful one who thought of all the things that could go wrong before she attempted anything. It took her quite a while to settle in without some type of complaint so she could actually enjoy the experience. Buck, always analytical and very much a perfectionist, was all a tither for a long while as the other three enjoyed the snow. He paced, he stomped and he took a really long time to decide to just let loose and forget that everything wasn't going to be just-so.

In the end, after each worked out their own kinks, they all had a terrific time on the mountain. We ended up staying for four hours, which was twice as long as I had predicted they'd last.  Wade and I had a great time watching them and we all enjoyed our Monday in the snow.