Wisconsin Winter Olympics!

Continued freezing temps and several snow days have led to this beautiful backyard scene...

 and our family's first trip to Living Waters Bible Camp Snow Days!  We've been to LWBC for a Sunday School visit, and Mark & Cy have been to Father-Son Retreat three times now, but a few Sundays ago we drove up after church and to enjoy sledding, skiing, and skating.

 It was a really cold day, but we kept warm by staying busy.  As a parent, I especially appreciated the hot lunch, hot chocolate, and assistance in putting on gear.  The camp had skates, skis, and poles in all sizes...even for the little ones!
      Wynne grew especially fond of the ice skating rink.  I spent most of the afternoon participating right along with Mark and the kids, but by the end of the afternoon (4 hours into the action), I retrieved my camera from the lodge to snap a few shots.  My fingers were freezing within seconds because I had to take off my bulky mittens to take pictures, but it was worth it!

 LWBC's rink was large and smooth.  It's been a perfect winter for ice.  Wynne and I both enjoyed the figure skates, while the rest of the family preferred the sturdier hockey skates.  It took Wynne a few hours to get the hang of it, but she never gave up, picked herself up after every fall, and went at it again.

This one's for Grandpa (E.).  Hold your mouth right!

 "Mom, watch me! Watch me!  Watch me spin!"

 And here come the twinners sailing along! (2nd and 5th in the picture)

 Cy joined the girls for a few last minutes on the rink, right before the camp closed.  You can see just how big it was.

  Cy had been on this rink at his retreats with his dad, so he was actually quite good at it.   Kinda makes me wish we had a hockey club for him.

 The sledding hill was huge.  In my opinion and in my legs' opinion!  They had awesome big inflatable tubes that made the ride extra-fun!

 Mark and Ally took one last trip down the hill...

 ...what an awesome day at $5 a pop.  !  I didn't take pictures of our time cross-country skiing, but I can sum it up:  Challenging.  Fun.  Difficult.  Wynne and I got started a bit later than the rest of the family, and we must have spent an hour skiing/falling before we met up with them again.  They were on their way back as we were trying to get to the hill.  Ask Wynne how much she likes skiing.  She has some choice words for her experience! ;0

We came home with a renewed sense of family and a special appreciation for the athletes competing in the Sochi Olympic Games.  Wow, how do they stay up on those skates and skis and do all of those amazing things?!  And of course, the biggest take-away was that God's creation is BEAUTIFUL!  All seasons.

He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.--Daniel 2: 21