We did it!! Jason and I are officially members of the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club, and yes, we did jump into a freezing Lake Michigan complete with floating ice chunks to ring in the new year! The shoreline was covered in slushy, snowy ice, and even the water was so full of ice that our knees were battered and bruised after the fact...all 750 swimmers ran into the lake at the same time! When you have this many crazy people running and yelling, you just go along with it...the dip into the water was the worst, I came up not really knowing where the shore was, but thanks to Jason, we both made our way safely out again:) (special thanks to the man with the cooler filled with warm water for Jason's feet:)
This crazy tradition is in its 23rd year...making it quite popular all over the peninsula and beyond...Me Jason, Jonas, Uncle Erik, Becca (soon to be Aunt:), Uncle David and Mormor and Morfar (my mom and dad) all spent New Years up in Door County...it was the perfect weekend...we went sledding, but (on a side note) sadly our favorite sledding hill was closed due to ice...not a very good reason we thought...there was tons of snow...nothing is "safe" anymore these days...sledding will probably be outlawed by the time Jonas is old enough to go!!! (although we did send him down the small hill in the front yard for a little practice:) We instead, seized the day and took a hike and found a hill of our very own in the woods across the street from the house where we proceeded to pop two tubes and crack one sled on a tree...we are all so big now...these poor sleds can't take it!...three guilty sled destroyers...:) The picture of us all in a circle was after that hike, and my mom and I had the hardest time getting the boys to cooperate...apparently we take too many pictures, so they say, so enjoy this one, because the smiles are fake...they are grumpy on the inside! We also spent the weekend walking the beach, exploring the different ice formations, exploring the creek, and all sorts of winter-outdoor fun! My dear husband was risking his life out there on the ice...apparently convinced that he was invincible...:) We enjoyed a cozy fire every night, and two great game of Settlers. Yummy Swedish food on New Years Eve at Al Johnsons (the place with the goats on the roof-although the goats get time off in the winter months) White Gull Inn (I ordered the Door County Cherry stuffed french toast...my favorite:) I even got to try out my new snowboard, which is perfect. Now I am desperately trying to figure out when I can go up here...ASAP:) Hopefully my only snowboarding friend, Lisa and I can get together soon:)
This season has reminded me how wonderful family is...the best gifts of all! I am so thankful that we all get along and that we all want to spend time together... We loved our time in Rockford, Iowa (so good to see old friends again:), and Door County...a fun-filled 2 and 1/2 weeks for sure! Here is a picture of Morfar, Uncle Erik and Jonas all sporting the red flannels:) In the picture above, Jonas is sporting my Dad's old bib from when he was a baby...and Jason's old hat from when he was a baby! So fun:) Babies add so much to families:)