On Christmas Eve we found ourselves in an unexpected position - we were all done with our shopping! So should we sit in the kind of traffic jam that Grand Forks has only one a year, or find something more fun to do? We decided to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather (low 30's) and take Haley on her first sledding trip. We all bundled up and headed to a nearby portion of the dike that runs through town along the river (this is the closest we have to any hills here). Rob and Haley hiked up to the top and walked over to a not-so-crowded spot while I, in my current condition, stayed below with the camera. The hill was big, icy and fast! Haley had a look of surprise all the way down, then broke into a grin at the bottom and said "let's do it again!" We stayed there for awhile and then went to a less-crowded and smaller hill so Haley could try it on her own.
Afterwards she spent a few minutes on the toys - this is the park we spend a lot of time at in the summer - and then discovered the ice rink. Haley loves to "ice skate" around the kitchen in her socks and was delighted to be on real ice, even in her snow boots. She and Rob slid around and we were both incredibly impressed with her ability to keep her balance. I guess it's not too early to start her on those hockey lessons...
