Rosy Red Cheeks & Very Tired Legs

Happy hikers.  
Ali is happy too (I swear).

Today we made of the most of our time outdoors.  Morning chores involved shovelling (again) as an additional inch and a half of snow had fallen since we did our first round of shovelling yesterday.  I also shovelled off the kids' pond rink and then flooded it for them.  Tonight's chilly temperatures should make a beautifully smooth skating surface for "gym class" tomorrow.

In addition to shovelling, we headed out for a family hike to enjoy the gorgeous snowy forest.  I printed out a map of the conservation area for Liam and encouraged him to plan our trail.  He found this responsibility very exciting and "guided" us very proficiently for the entire 4 km hike.  It is Seamus' turn to guide next time, though I suspect that he might delegate this task given that he usually brings up the rear on our forest adventures as the hiker with the shortest legs.  He rarely complains though, just keeps at it slow and steady.

Liam and Daddy up front.

Mr. Short Legs lagging behind.

Daddy's turn to lug our adorable sack of potatoes baby.

Even after all this time outside, Seamus still did not have his fill of playing in the snow.  He spent all afternoon outdoors tunnelling through his huge snow boulders and carving them into steps so he could climb up them more easily.

Needless to say, we are ending the weekend with rosy red cheeks, very tired leg muscles, and lungs full of fresh winter air.  We are indeed very lucky and I expect that all of us will sleep very well tonight.