We decided to try a new type of adventure this year for our Utah's Adventure Family site. We put on our winter boots and hit the trails. We have never been on a winter hike before, and after hiking throughout the month of January, we feel like we have been missing out on some serious fun. We have fallen in love with winter hiking.
The trails are empty and therefore we have some great family time in the nice, clear mountain air. The boys are literally rolling in the snow the entire time, and eating a few pounds as well. We have been having a ton of fun.
The other perk of hiking this winter is that Mom got a new camera as a late Christmas present. Mom and Dad have debated upgrading their camera for a long time, and they finally decided now was the time. These hikes have been a great chance for Mom to figure out how to use it. She is still working on all the features, but everyone is pleased with all the new pictures. They are so much clearer! So now we have a billion great pictures to share.
Dax is a great winter hiker.
There are lots of snowballs thrown on our hikes, too!
Mark wanted to see if we could capture the snow falling and we could!
I can't believe how much they love rolling in the snow. Brrr!
Just taking a quick breather on our hike.
We wore them out on this hike.
Dad makes Mom be in the pictures sometimes, but he doesn't want to learn how to use the new camera.
Bridal Veil Falls was beautiful in the winter. I still can't believe we had never been.
We hiked the Swinging Bridge trail in AF canyon.
Mark is always willing to pose in pictures.
Awwww!!
Yep, this is what Dax looks like at the end of our hikes.
Mark told me he loves the new camera. He mostly loves that I let him even touch it!
We can't convince Seth that walking on the trail is easier than tromping through the deep snow.
Seth always throws snowballs at Mom first! Poor Mom!
We saw these elk on our trip through Provo Canyon.
Dad loves to teach the boys new tricks!
We hiked Little Cottonwood Trail and Dad had to take these two back early.
We wore them out with two winter hikes in one day.
Mark is getting so big! I can't believe it some days.
Mark and I walked a little further, and then headed back after the other boys.
Mark took this picture of Mom. The winter snow is so beautiful!
Mom was super excited to see some moose, but she couldn't get a good angle for a picture.
She decided to climb up the hill. It wasn't her best idea!
She did get some great pictures of the moose, though!
I am so glad that the boys are enjoying the winter hiking because Dad and Mom love it!
Seth loved Itty Bitty Basketball this year. He was super excited that he was placed on the Miami Heat team because his big brother Dax also loves the Miami Heat. Dax let him wear his Miami Heat jersey a few times, too.
Seth was thrilled that we had a Heat jersey.
Seth is a pretty good shooter, but I was most proud of how well his dribbling developed. The very first day he could barely bounce it, but by the end he was able to dribble for a little while before the ball rolled away.
Seth loves taking longer shots just like his big brothers.
Seth is practicing his passes.
Seth became a pretty good little dribbler for a four year old.
I had a lot of fun watching Seth. He was so happy to be playing with the kids and always had a smile on his face. Seth is an intense defender. He also tried to help his other teammates by going down and laying a screen so they could score. It's not a true screen, but that is the intent! I was glad he was being so thoughtful!
Ready for Defense!
Seth's favorite thing is to run the race at the end. He told me that I had to video him running, and I did. It's a little blurry, but you'll get the idea. We can't wait for Itty Bitty Ball in a few months where he gets to try a whole bunch of sports.
We have had a slow start to adventure this year. It has been nice to enjoy time at home playing games and relaxing, but it doesn't make for much to blog about. There have been a few weeks with snow, but then it melts away and the boys are sad. When we do have snow, we take full advantage! Here are a few pics of our snow fun during the first few weeks of January.
Mark is our best shoveler!
Seth loves to play in the snow!
Dax is also a great shoveler, but I snapped this cute picture of him just being outside!
This is mostly how Seth shovels, by playing in the snow while we shovel around him.
There is a lot of snowflake catching and snow eating in this family.
Mom helped Seth build an actual snowman, not a wimpy one this time.
We finally went on an adventure the 2nd week of January. We headed to the Midway Ice Castles. Our boys love this adventure, and so does Mom. Dad is usually okay to go when we get free tickets for our Utah's Adventure Family site. He just doesn't love the crowds. This year was perfect, and even Dad agreed it was a fun time. The ice castle was huge and could accommodate large crowds without it feeling too squished. We had a great time exploring the castle while there was a little light, and loved seeing the lights come on as it slowly got darker. The slides were really cool this year since most of them were tunnels. Mom even barely squeezed through the little kid ones, and I mean literally squeezed through! We had a magnificent time and then headed to Dairy Keen for a delicious dinner.
The boys love going to the ice castles.
Seth loved the slides!
Dad also enjoyed the slides!
Seth found a broken icicle and decided it was a popsicle just for him.
You had to squeeze through this opening to get to the slide.
Dax eats more snow than food.
This is the tiny slide Mom squeezed through, but the boys went down multiple times.
We love when the lights start to come on.
Dad tries to take pictures of Mom with the new camera!
It was a beautiful evening and a fun winter adventure!
