Winter

Wow, I am overdue for an update. The holidays were a busy time, as they seem to be for everyone. The snowstorm forced us to slow down a bit. We took a week off between Christmas and New Year's to be in Duluth with friends. Three years after leaving Duluth we still have the best relationships with our friends up there. The hockey boys (Jon, Jace, and Beau) and fun playing with Jace's hockey oriented Christmas presents.



Rachel and I even managed to get out for a walk in the sub-zero temperatures.



One of the biggest excitements that week was our visit to the Duluth Curling Club with Leah and Jere. We went to a "Learn to curl" event for beginners. Let me just say that it is harder than it looks. I didn't take any pictures but just imagine me wiping out of the ice (a total of 6 times). I had a bruised hip and knee the next day to prove it. My parents were serious curlers when I was a child. In fact, I was curling in the womb. I always hoped this would somehow work to my advantage. I guess not.

A new thing I have started doing with Felicity is taking her swimming. She LOVES it. We have a great facility at the YMCA in Red Wing. They have a big waterslide and a zero-depth pool for kids. The first time I took Felicity swimming, we went down the waterslide and she was not so excited about it (lots of tears). The next time we went swimming she actually WANTED to go down the slide and did so twice. Later I told her mom about how she went down the slide and she added, "and I wasn't even scared!" I love her to pieces.







The final news centers around our training for the American Birkebeiner on February 27th. This will be my 4th year and Jon's 3rd year racing. "Racing" is a term we use loosely. "Finishing" is probably a better description. Either way 54 kilometers is a long way and we've been out on our skis quite a bit. Last weekend we continued the tradition with Leah and Jere of going skiing up north. In the past we have stayed in a yurt. This year we went to the UP and stayed at Wolverine Village. What a great place! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a laid back, affordable atmosphere right across the street from the Wolverine cross country ski trails. This the 5th year we have made this trip with Leah and Jere and each year it gets more enjoyable.