The Wojos: Sledding Party

The gang hanging out at the hill. Ben was
often one of the sled pushers.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending the first annual Beaudoin sledding party at Grandpa's farm in the good ol' town of Bock. We have had sledding parties in the past, but now that we no longer gather as a clan for Christmas, and since it was so much fun, the consensus this year was to make the sledding party an annual event. (I was hoping to blog about it last weekend, but I asked for more varied pictures, which no one had. I didn't have the camera out/ in my own hands enough.) As usual at the farm there were also plenty of non-Beaudoins around - the more, the merrier! I hope they had as much fun as we did. :)

Between Mom and Dad, friends Chuck and Meline, and us kids, the hill on the north side of the barn was prepared over the two weekends after Christmas (the first time would have done it but of course it had to snow that week). The guys drove four-wheelers with plows down to clear the snow, piling some up at the top of the hill, and then pulled old car hoods down to make it sleeker and flatter; us kids packed in the snow with shovels and did lots of test runs with the sleds. Sadie had a ball helping! And by "helping," I mean barreling down the hill with each sled and attempting to jump aboard, barking the whole way.

At the sledding party, Craig and Dawn being pushed on
the toboggan by Meline. Sadie's ready to go!

The weather was a little frightful on Saturday, windy with a chill in the air and eventual freezing rain, but us hardy Minnesotans had a blast nonetheless. It helped that the barn blocked the elements for the most part. :) Even Grandpa ventured out once or twice! It was fun to watch him watching us enjoying ourselves at his place. We hit the hill for a good 5 hours that afternoon, cruising down on toboggans, disk sleds, and regular sleds, and cruising back up the hill on or behind 4-wheelers. Not having to climb the long, somewhat steep hill after each descent was a great idea and probably the best part of the day! The bonfire was ablaze as we warmed our bodies with hot cider, cocoa, hot dogs, and chili, among other things, and what excellent chili it was, Ryla! Mmm...

Due to the grim forecast for the evening we were missing several families this year, and Jackson was not one for being out in the cold (even for a little bit), so we've already got something to look forward to next year! Here's hoping everyone can make it next time.