Winter is not my *favorite* season but there are some amazing adventures and just like last year I am trying to embrace winter instead of counting the days until it’s over. So here are some fun, family friendly winter activities:

For clarity I will define “winter” as January through early March.

• Visit the Colorado Ice Castles
• Go winter camping

• Go sledding
• Make heart shaped sugar cookies for Valentines day
• Go on a snowy hike

• Go to Breckenridge to see the International Snow Sculpture Completion
• Put together valentines baskets for the kids

• Make bird feeders
• Build a snowman/snow fort
• Deliver valentines to friends
• Visit the Ice Caves

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What is something you love to do in the winter?

We have had bucket lists for last:

summer 2021 summer 2019  fall 2019  fall 2021 winter2021 Christmas 2021 and spring 2021

One of our family goals for the year is to do 100 hikes this year. I am not sure if this goal is even possible at 2 hikes almost every week. It’s a lot and maybe too much, but I wanted a push goal after doing the 52 hike challenge successfully the last couple of years. We have the added incentive that we really want Luna to be a great hiking/camping dog and the more we take her out while she is little the more likely it is that she will be a great little hiker.

Some of our “rules” that will make meeting our goal easier:

• We can count repeating a trail. I don’t think we would have time to find and hike 100 new trails this year. It’s about getting out on the trail not always discovering new ones.
• Short hikes count
• Neighborhood walks do not count. Just walking from our home will not count.
• When on a “hiking” trip each separate hike counts!

We plan to document our hikes on the 100 hikes page here on the site!

Have you done a hiking challenge before?

2023 was an amazing year in so many ways, we had many family adventures and fun experiences. I don’t regret all the time we spent together. I do regret not spending the time to get back to myself and improving myself. I set some pretty high goals for myself in 2023, started out pretty strong then somehow lost track and didn’t get back to it.

On a personal goal side I didn’t reach many of my goals and I am determined to work on feeling like myself again. My family is supportive I just need to make better choices with my time (go to be earlier, get up earlier, etc). A new year always feels like a great chance to start over:

Personal goals:

1. PT/strength everyday build a solid strength training routine
2. Run a 50 miler 
3. Make room! Everything has a place and everything in it’s place.It is time to declutter. 
4. Join the 4am club – better sleep habits.
5. More greens
6. Get back to writing everyday.
7. Run every day – I would love to complete a full year run streak, but this will be the first one to go if it has to because of injury or family needs. 
8. Calm + gentle parenting 
9. Spend quality time playing with my kids and enjoying them while they are still young.
10. Find ways to check off two big bucket list trips this year.

We also have some family goals for 2024, listing those later. Do you have any goals for 2024?