Years ago, my family started a little tradition of heading to Island Park in the middle of the winter to stay in the Yurts at Harriman Park. To my parents, this was a great idea for a family activity. I was a little slower to join them in the excitement. It sounded like a ton a work, and then you have to sleep in a yurt! Not exactly our kind of fun. Although I might not have had the greatest attitude, my opinion of this little activity changed. It was relaxing, and my kids loved it, and especially liked going with the cousins.
Unfortunately, as our family has grown, we no longer can fit in the yurts. We have changed the tradition to a father-daughter (we only had girls in our family for a long time!), day trip to go cross-country skiing. This year my parents talked me into sending Paige for the first time. I was worried she would not be able to keep up with everyone, but she did great and loved it!
It was a beautiful day, and they saw tons of swans in the river. As tradition goes, we cannot have a ski trip without a mighty duel! at the end. Here is the barricade that everyone made to protect them from the opposing team, Grandpa Rich. I don't understand why no one will be on his team, he just gets attacked by everyone.
My kids look forward to this trip like they look forward to Christmas! Hopefully, someday when all the kiddo's are old enough, maybe the mom's can join in on the trip again as well!
For Presidents Day weekend, we took the family to visit Aaron's grandparents in Star Valley! My kids love this trip! Grandpa Lindberg uses the tractor and made them a little sledding hill, that the girls used over and over again. Carson wasn't so sure about sledding, because he is too occupied with the tractors, snowmobiles, and all the farm equipment.
Even Aunt Sherry was a great sport and went sledding with the kiddo's. (She also has a very sore foot, so we aren't really sure she should have been sledding at all!)
Carson climbed on top of the sled hill and played for hours. He kept saying he was "digging," in fact he was digging so much it took me about 8 pictures, to get one when he was looking at me! He is not an easy boy to get a picture of because he will not sit still for a minute.
It is a tradition at Grandpa Lindberg's house to line the sidewalk with ice cycles, and color them with food coloring. Grandma Jackie and Aunt Sherry started doing this with the kids a couple of years ago. 
The kids loved being pulled around on a sled behind the snowmobile, actually Carson only liked riding on the snowmobile. He left the sledding to his sisters! They were great sports, Aaron would take them over jumps and dump them off the sleds, and they just kept going back for more.
The entire weekend, Carson was asking Grandpa Lindberg to start the tractor. He wanted to help Grandpa put the chains on the tractor tires, and no matter what we would tell him, he would not stop asking. Grandpa did take him for a ride, and the little boy was in heaven. This kid loves to play with little tractor's and dump trucks all day long, so this was quite a treat for him. Thanks Grandpa!
Here is a little video of my little boy happy as can be!
