Wilmot Mountain

And, some other Winter stuff.

We have been ducking our heads and bracing ourselves in the cold here these days. It has been relentless! We don't struggle with finding something to do most days because we are pretty busy with swim, basketball, and music, but most of our down time is just spent inside at home. Enjoying the fact that we don't have to be out running around in the frigid temps.

On Martin Luther King Day, the sun was out, the wind was mild, and the temperature was bearable. So we decided to give tubing a try at a ski resort up in Wisconsin.
Ski is a term that most Westerners would use loosely, and resort, would just make them laugh, if they saw the hills people are using out here in the Midwest. But when it comes to going down these things on a tube, it is pretty stomach lurching.  They gave us a pretty good thrill. They were steep, and covered in ice.

We talked Walker into going down three times, and he did well. Mainly because I promised him hot chocolate in the lodge if he would cooperate. He cried the whole way down the first time, and it took some negotiating that would impress Congress to get Georgia on the thing in the beginning. All is well that ends well. Georgia ended up loving it the most, and we had a nice day as a family.

It has been nice this year because the kids are all old enough to enjoy most activities together. Walker is so much more independent, and he will do what it takes to keep up with the big kids!

Georgia's hat flew right off her head once we picked up our speed on the hill. The nice man in line behind us risked his life, or at least a broken leg, and climbed out onto the hill to grab it and bring it down to us. So nice.

Walker wanted to ride on our laps so badly. He had to ride in his own tube attached to ours because you go so fast, one little bump would send a lap rider flying. So that was his main concern. He was a brave boy.

The magic carpet back to the top!

This hill does not look nearly as intimidating in pictures as it does in person. All the kids were good sports!

The promised hot chocolate! That hit the spot!

In other news... Del called me one night from our temple parking lot. As he was pulling into a space, the wheel of his car fell off. Yup. Fell right off. The poor car is pushing 250 thousand miles, so what more can you ask of it, right?
So after lots of discussion, and a little mourning on Del's part (he really wanted to be able to say he got that thing to go to 300 thousand miles.) we finally decided that it would probably be a good idea to go ahead and buy a new car. Our next door neighbor is the car dealership owner extraordinaire, so we called him up. Within the week, we had the car he and Del had decided on, two guys pulled it into our driveway, and we signed some papers, and handed over the money, and it was ours without even setting foot on a lot!
Service with a smile! Here is Del sitting in his new car in the garage.

Now the ironic part. Del decided to get the car fixed after it was towed.
So then we had three cars.
We went to church the next Sunday, and a guy in our ward who had just arrived home from serving his two year mission two days earlier was there. Del talked to him, found out he was looking for a job, emptied the old Honda, which he had driven to church, out in the parking lot, and the guy left with a car, and a job to go to the next morning. Del hitched a ride home with the Bishop.
 Del is a good man.
And the returned missionary is doing a great job in Del's warehouse, and using the car to do all kinds of good in the world. He stops to help every time he sees someone pulled off the road, or stuck anywhere. He helps them as much as he can, and gives them a pass along card for our church. He said he always stops. No matter what. Maybe that Honda will make it to 300 thousand miles after all!

Georgia always gets stuck wearing a mini version of my outfit to church on Sundays. Once I get one of our outfits picked out, I am always subconsciously sticking with the same color pallet when I choose the other's. I'm not very adventurous.

We played "Heads up, seven up" for Family Home Evening  few weeks ago, and it was a hit! Now it is the request every time.

That is a glimpse of our Winter so far! It is looking like we may have the cold weather around for a while, so I am sure anther Winter update will follow! Now I need to go get ready for the carpets to be cleaned in the hopes that I can get some of the salt that has been impossible to keep out of the house, to come out of it! Oh the joys of the Arctic!