Some people seem to think that there isn’t anything to do when you live way out in the woods. Of course there is! You just have to be creative. As we invented fun things to do with our kids, it never occurred to me that some might think them strange. When I stand back and look, I suppose our mountain activities could appear odd. So, just how countrified are the Wilks boys and their fluffy pup? Well, Princess Leia Freyja is carefully observing while Theo ties an old mattress behind the truck.

She goes for a nice roll while she is waiting for the boys to get ready.

Ah, there they are.

Never mind, they are wrestling.

Just one more!

OK, now we’re in business.

So, what is mattress sledding? Well, it is very similar to couch sledding which is the way that we dispose of old couches at the camp. After about two years, a camp couch usually has pieces falling off of it and sags so alarmingly that you sink in but cannot get out. So many kids sitting on them brings destruction quickly. So, for fun disposal, couch sledding and mattress sledding were invented. First, you tie the old mattress or couch to the back of a truck.

Then you make sure you have warm clothes and hold on tight!

A very safe driver then pulls you down the road on the mattress or couch. This mattress belonged to Judah for about a decade and needed to be retired.

It went out with a bang!

We can only mattress sled when the snow is deep and fluffy. An icy road is never the thing for this activity so despite much begging from the boys and their assurances that they totally wouldn’t mind a concussion or two, we wait for just the right conditions.

Poor Leia is still concerned, though.

Her heart is in the right place, but she isn’t quite fast enough.

However, she is the perfect speed for inspecting snow forts.

And licking anyone who happens to be inside a snow fort. You know, just to warm them up with a bit of slobber.

So, what is the most countrified thing you’ve ever done?

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While dogs tend to be happy as long as they have their people, even Princess Leia Freyja is getting tired of living in the plague lands. She is used to seeing people in groups of sixty or more and visiting local schools for therapy dog work. It can be even harder to find fun things for delightfully grumpy teens who are not all that gung ho about seeing their parents every day instead of peers.

Thankfully, there are still a host of outdoor activities that have not lost their luster over the years. I used to sled this very hill when I was a girl. Memories of the wind whipping through my hair and the sheer terror of taking this corner at insane speeds while wondering exactly how many bones I might hope to break if I crashed have kept me snapping pictures instead of joining my sons in this particular adventure.

My sons helpfully pointed out that they crash all the time and haven’t broken a single bone. I’m pretty sure that if I crashed, I would break at least twelve. So I’ll leave it to our offspring to carry on this particular tradition.

Scruffy parked the truck at the bottom of this hill to keep any unexpected traffic at bay while I stood at the top relishing my job as photographer instead of human rocket!

It’s so interesting how having to rack our brains for ways to see each other that do not involve either coughing on one another or being packed close together playing video games, have pushed us out into God’s creation.

And isn’t it better out here? I wonder why the human spirit balks at what is best for us. Of course sledding with your friends is superior to simply chugging soda and playing video games, but when given the choice, the video games often win.

Even in non-plague-times, Scruff and I have to push the boys to get outside and soak up the beauty around them. The problem doesn’t appear to get better with age either. Even at our great age, Scruff and I also have remind ourselves outside to go on a daily walk.

We know better and still I must push myself out of doors where my soul finds rest in the things God has made. Although I certainly grow closer to my Lord through Bible study, worship, giving, prayer, and serving … I feel closest to Him out in the forest. Yet, so often I find myself indoors. 

So as Scruff and I scramble to find ways to get our teens together with their friends, I am thankful for the reminder to seek outdoor spaces. There are a vast quantity of sorrows connected with this time, but having to engage with each other outside … that is a privilege. One that I must remember never to forget. So, how are you enjoying the outdoors this winter? Are you braver than me and willing to go runner sledding? If so, please tell me your best sledding story in the comments!

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