Each year I make a promise to myself to sneak away for a weekend up north to continue the family snowmobiling tradition. My dad loves to snowmobile. My brother LOVED to snowmobile, and I just love being out in the woods and fresh air on the sleds.

As a Wisconsin girl, I was brought up on the snowmobile, bouncing from cabin to cabin on the trails. It was a blast, and some amazing quality time with my parents, aunts, uncles, and even grandparents. Then when my brother went to Michigan Tech, we fell in love with snowmobiling as young adults. I remember many cookouts on the trail and grilling over the fire at the “shrine” in northern Wisconsin. These days, these memories would be very instagram worthy.

I try my best to keep the snowmobiling tradition alive with my boys. Hopefully they will come to love the smell of the snowmobile idling in the cold, crisp snow; and your fingers freezing off as you try to change the spark plugs in the middle of nowhere, stranded with a broken down sled - haha! Cellphones have changed this headache, thank goodness. And, according to the luck of my brother - if you drop your phone on the snowmobile trail in the middle of the winter you an find it in the spring and make a call, haha!

Anyway. Enough of the stories.

To keep creating new stories, each year, we fly up north, as far north as we can before we hit the Canadian border.

I occasionally get concerned that putting on a helmet on my toddlers will be a fight or getting on all their gear will end up in tears and a sweaty mom. Often, it does. But if you keep it matter of fact, “going on the snowmobile requires a helmet”, it often works out and is routine by the second time you gear up to go outside. Even for our two year old.

One loop around the cabin and the boys were asking for more! I call this a GREAT success.

Next, we have to teach them the ways of siting on the plastic sled, holding on for dear life while you are getting pulled behind the snowmobile, that’s were the real fun and danger comes in!! Haha! We had a great time, catching up with our neighbors and snowmobiling to the local pub for breakfast. My kids even got to see what a game of bar pool was while splitting a kiddy cocktail and a bag of chips - they were fascinated, hah! The simple pleasures.

Soon after our time in the snow came to an end, we made the drive back to Wisconsin since the airports near Green Bay have a better track record of leaving without weather delays. We stopped at my brothers cabin to soak in some time in the woods at at the cabin.

The boys were pumped to fly home and love a plane ride or two. They usually are provided with the perks of traveling including McDonalds and screen time. I was studying for Step 3 and tried to get in a few minutes of review while we were traveling.

A few days after returning to Pittsburgh from our winter adventure, my parents were making the road trip out to Pittsburgh with my cousin and his family! We’ve been waiting for the opportunity to have them come and visit. Their kids are around the same age as ours, and it’s a blast to get them together. I am the youngest cousin on my mom’s side of the family (crazy right!), so my crew is some of the youngest of the next generation.

We were so excited for their arrival. It called for the extra leaf in our kitchen table as we prepared for a bench full of children. This is truly my favorite ways to fill our massive kitchen table, children! It was a blast. The boys did a lot of bounce house, playing, walking and we went to local Pittsburgh museums. Oddly enough, we showed our house that weekend (after hiding all of the stuff), and snuck away to the museum so the interested couple could tour it with their relator. We later got an offer! It was a rush to the finish, and I couldn’t believe that by the time they left we had an accepted offer on the house!

It was a short stay, but jammed packed. We went to the Pittsburgh trolly and rode the cable cars. We explored the children’s museum and the museum of natural history. We drank coffee, wine, and shared laughs! Great timing before we had to leave our beloved Pittsburgh home!

I love making memories, gathering with family and exploring our community.

Continue to choose experiences over things.

Winter Houghton Tradition

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