cultivating skiing love, maybe?

 Kellen would rather downhill ski, but that just doesn't work for me and all the kids.  So, when I really needed to get out one afternoon, I loaded up the x-country ski gear.  I yelled until we all managed to get in the truck.  Then I remembered to try make it fun, so they would like it.

Kellen found the maps at the start of the trail.  This was so incredibly exciting, it made the whole trip worthwhile.  He pulled it out of his pocket and referred to it several times so that we wouldn't get lost.  Not that there could be any possibility of such on the 1 km section of trail we managed to cover.

 We barely made it out of sight of the truck when they were begging to stop and have the hot chocolate.  I encouraged us a little, but not much farther.

Despite having to stop every 100m to rearrange something or help someone, my soul was soothed just from being outside on a gorgeous afternoon and taking in the beautiful scenic trail.

 I did a (pretty) good job of letting Kellen have an adventure, instead of worrying about getting very far.  And we played for awhile in the trees and the field beside the parking lot while we waited for Ian to join us after work.

While we waited, I made plans to come the next morning when Kellen was in school.  To see how far I could get without a little skier slowing our train down. 

And was it ever a beautiful morning that we got to enjoy.  We definately got to see more of the trail, but Lanelle decided she should get to ski too.  So, I kept my patience while putting on the skis and taking them off again to resettle her in the chariot (repeat, repeat, repeat...) and remembered I'm hoping to let them grow their love for skiing.  It's, or should I say, I'm, a work in progress.

i'm not failing the joy dare, but since I haven't been here so much, I'm not going back into my handwritten joy list just to type them here, just so you know :)  Just trying to get to my knitting sitting beside me...

24.  gorgeous blue sky, lovely ski swishing sounds on amazingly still morning, older daughter in her own world enjoying making trails through snowy field.
25.  amazing warmth on a January day walk, a boy who wants to capture EVERYTHING on his camera during said walk, churning chaos of kids on lap and couch while trying to read bedtime book (such crazy fun!)