Sledding!

We've been enjoying the warm-ish and calm weather to the max and getting out doing an activity we all can participate in:  Sledding!

Even though she was a little trepidatious, I made mom ride in the sled with the girls.  She's such an awesome YaYa!

Our friend Katelynn, who is a first year teacher from Arkansas, came over on St. Patrick's Day to "play out" with us.  She got excited after she saw the girls go down the hill, and just had to try it herself.  I know that snow is a new world to her -- I wonder if she's ever been sledding?

Esther has turned into a rock star.  All on her own, as we were sledding out on the tundra behind the school, she decided to stand up!

I think she's ready for a snowboard!

What a cool picture!

So last Friday night a group of us decided to go sledding at the dunes on the beach. It was quite the convoy, especially since Lindsey decided to surf on the sled behind the snowmobile, while I drove my 4 wheeler behind them.  There was one sketchy moment when Lindsey fell off the sled and I could have run over her if I wanted to, but luckily I like Lindsey pretty well! :)  Kids, don't try this at home!

Here is a picture of us coming up behind:

Our honda is pretty loaded with me and the girls and Katie and our sleds and stuff!

As soon as we got there, Greg drove away on the snowmobile to scope out the best hills.  He almost immediately drove off the edge of a snow cliff!  Here is a picture of his tracks: where he flew off the top and landed, then his shoulder-skid, then where the machine kept going and his footprints running after it. YES, this is the same machine that bucked us off last November and broke Iris's leg. I'm telling you, it won't stop for nothin'!

Below, the brave soul who was the first to go:

It was pretty steep!

And, defying our dares, Lindsey even tries it face-forward --

She makes it through alright, with tons of snow down her coat. 

After those trips down the steep hill, I felt like she was pro enough to take Iris down the less steep hill.  But, as you see, Fancy has to accompany them. :)

Melody takes the less steep hill, and still screams her way through it....

But she survives, so I give the OK for Esther to go down with her:

So then I took the reins...

And this is what I feel like we're doing every day, hurtling through the universe, me and my girls:

Yeah, the sledding is fun, but...

after every slide, you have to walk back up to the top!  Might as well just make a snow chair and stay put at the bottom:

Here's a picture of the whole gang before we left the beach --

R to L: Lindsey, Greg, Katie, Melody, Esther, Me, Iris. Draco is nicely heeling by my side. Fancy is trying to lick people on her level in the front.