Grand View

Like last winter, Linds & I and the girls escaped to Grand View Lodge in Nisswa, MN for few days of family time to wrap up the long holiday break.  

We're falling in love with this tradition as its so wonderful to have a a few agenda/actitity/school/work/chore/technology/responsibility-free days together of undivided attention... and vintage northwoods exploration.

The girls XC skied for the first time this year... and loved it, calling it their favorite part of the trip (and, Linds smiled while XC skiing, also a first!).  A close second was tubing at Ski Gull, a Mount Kato-esque hill with tube paths and tow ropes.  Other highlights included swimming and hot tubing at the resort, E winning $100 on a pull tab, skating, late night board/dice games... and (root) beer dabbling at Nisswa's newest taproom, Big Axe.

Fish Lake

My buddy Andy and his wife Ann invited Linds & I and the kiddos (including Big G) for a night up at their cabin near Danbury, WI on Fish Lake.  A quick, low key trip, but a great winter kickoff as the ground was finally snow covered and the lakes (mostly) frozen enough to get in some skating, sledding and quinzee fun (until Andy & I got too cocky about it's roof strength, that is!).