Leap Day Snow Sledding

This is what Alona calls tubing. We had a blast. We all met at Caren's and then headed off to Soldier Hollow. I was able to go the first time with Abbi, the thrill of tubing down those slopes is amazing and the speed scares you to death well okay so it scares Abbi and me. Her face during the downhill ride was just priceless and then once we are finished she has the biggest grin from ear to ear and wants to do it again. Up at the top again she gets a little cautious not wanting to go down.

Riding up hill was really fun too. Alona when I was behind her the first time was pretending that her tube was a horsey and telling it to "giddy-up" she ended up having her tube come off of the pole with all of her pretend galloping! And then she wanted to lie flat on her stomach like she was flying and was dumped over into the snow. Alona wasn't scared at all she was thrilled with each and every bit of it and loved riding down hill with Margaret, they were thrill seekers!
Many snowballs were being thrown by everyone. Abbi was definitely our little happy camper. She fit snuggly inside of the inner tube. Her little hat that she borrowed from Margaret would stick out and her cute little face. She was delighted to be pulled up the hill. She sat at the bottom of the inner tube and she was soaked half way through our time there, the snow and moisture came through the mesh bottom.
Kacen enjoyed his time at the bottom of the hill. Each adult took turns staying down there with him. He liked riding in them until I scared him. I went a little too fast and he came out of the inner tube and the ice and snow hurt his cheeks. He fit into them perfectly and held on so well for being so little. He let me take him very slowly in the inner tube after that but was happier playing on the outside of them. He would poke his head into the inner tubes and go throughout all of them that were on the ground surrounding him.
Grandpa went through the fence. They had a mesh fence at the bottom of the hill and Val's tube hit it and he went under. Margaret was down there before my tube got there and she was laughing. She was able to watch him and thought that it was just hilarious. Others of us hit the fence as well, such as when Margaret, Abbi and I were holding our tubes together, that was great! Occasionally the speeds downhill were to fast to stop that quickly. Alona went by herself once. I didn't understand truly what Margaret was saying that bigger people go faster. I thought that Abbi and I had gone plenty fast together. But Alona with her only 40 lbs. got stopped less than half way down. She is an amazing little girl, she stuck out her arms and started pushing and she was off again. At the bottom the attendant helped her the rest of the way.
I had a lot of fun with my children and Margaret, Val and Ruth and I probably screamed the loudest. I was truly scared, felt like I had no control of what was going on, they tubes went so fast. It helped riding with Abbi every time, I was screaming but calm, reassuring her that it would be alright.