Time to embrace it...

This year, as Ava and Luke celebrated their birthdays, (Ava-8 and Luke-6!!), Andy and I came to the realization that our kids are growing up to be Minnesotans. We are never going to get away from this climate.  My children need to start to embrace it.  I need to lead by example.  So we did what any rational Minnesotan would do.  We took the cold weather activity plunge.  Sledding, ice skating and skiing.  Yep. We're doing it.

We have a great sledding hill blocks from our house.  People even learn how to snowboard on it.  You go fast. And then hike up a big hill, sometimes pulling kids in the sled.  Andy and I are in it for the exercise.

 We don't have any pictures of the kids actually skiing, but I must mention the day that we went it was -10 windchill... a little too cold to take the gloves off to use the phone (and I think it died from exposure, like my face).  But we had a blast.  The kids did great.  Luke is a maniac on the slopes.  Ava dug deep and went down green slopes like a pro.  Luke pointed his ski tips to the bottom of the hill, took off, and scared us all to death.  But never wiped out. Once.  But I still made him wear the helmet.

Ice skating has been a huge hit.  So much so that we all invested in our own skates.  I am amazed that the kids aren't black and blue by the end of the day.  Some of the wipeouts are quite spectacular.  I have to admit (grudgingly) that I actually do like ice skating.  Even better when you can do it inside a rink.

 And just for fun, here is my winning cookie from our annual O'Rourke Christmas cookie decorating competition.  I thought the snowman kept with the embracing winter theme.  And I like to rub it in to Ben (Andy's brother) that I won. Happy winter!!!