We woke up to a very sunny winter day on the third morning of the new year and decided to hop in the car and go explore Silver Lake State Park, a state park we had heard about in New Hampshire. When we arrived, the sun was shining bright over the lake and it was just beautiful.

We went for a hike in the woods surrounding the lake, and I was happy to see that my boys were not discouraged by the less-than-ideal conditions. They worked hard at trying to walk on the snow (which had turned into slippery ice), holding onto trees for balancing and challenging themselves to find ways to keep going. We regretted not bringing sleds, but it was also nice not having to carry stuff with us. The boys managed to have fun sliding down the hills "penguin-style" even without sleds.

We really try to make our adventures fun for all of us, so that means incorporating my son's request for a hide-and-seek game, as well as mom's love for taking pictures.

The water at the edge of the lake was frozen, and my boys were completely fascinated. It was a great opportunity for them to see what happens when we step on thin ice and led to a discussion about what would happen if the water underneath was deep. The waterproof boots we bought my oldest son for Christmas may have been the best present ever, as you could tell he was feeling happy, confident and powerful exploring the frozen water and pieces of ice.

Watching his big brother in the water led to a monumental tantrum from my youngest, who didn't have the appropriate footwear.

He got over it quickly though, as the frozen ground made it hard to commit to the shenanigan. And Daddy made up for not being able to explore the water as much as his brother. If one can't swim, he might as well fly in the air.