Family Skating Day and Night

If you build it, we will come :)

The family calls and we lug skates and bundly winter things to their rinks. We tie up laces, glide and fall, sip hot chocolate and laugh ourselves silly. This is the stuff lasting memories are made of and I'm taking photos and pondering them in my heart.

(Daytime skating with cousins)

Nighttime skating with more cousins!

Later, getting cozy in front of the game and texting rival-team friends to brag about the Toronto Maple Leafs' win.

Lacing Up

Blades are beginning to glide now. The girls are learning to stay up on their feet for longer periods of time and are loving it. Our rink is a great way for them to gain confidence and an even better way to get some Daddy time. Today, my husband laced up to join us since we're blessed to have our home and work adjacent to each other.

Oops, did I say they're staying on their feet? She'll get the hang of it, eventually :)

Meg, planning out her next dancing/skating move.

Molly, being her silly self.

And Oliver? Well, he was content just throwing snow at anyone within arms' reach.

Oooh, good one!

Take that!

Right in Meghan's face!

Yeah, he liked that. A true little brother (sigh).

Proud New Owners

After weeks of flooding and tenderly caring for this box of water, my husband excitedly announced one evening that the ice finally froze. We were the proud new owners of an "indoor" rink under our seasonal house at the nursery. We suddenly also became proud owners of skates and hockey sticks and all the paraphernalia that goes with the whole project! With only half of us ever donning a pair of skates, we carefully held one another up and slid gingerly upon our beloved masterpiece. A few bumps, falls, pouting lips and rests along the benches were to be expected. However, we all thoroughly enjoyed our first of many frigid excursions. After some hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, we were ready to pack it in for the day.

Come sweet winter; we can find joy in your frozen depths as much as any balmy day.