One advantage of the frigid weather we've had lately is that finally, for the first time in several years, the ice on our pond was thick enough for ice skating.  Many of our friends and family came down to enjoy the crisp winter day on the ice.  We built a toasty fire on the bank and had hot cocoa and marshmallows to keep us warm on the inside as well as the outside.  It was such a treat to be outside for the day.  Many of the little ones tried skating for the first time, I'm guessing that there were a lot of complaints of sore ankles and butts the next day.  Some of the older kids looked like pros, gliding around just as natural as could be. The sled riding was suberb also, the kids had no problem making a track in the fluffy snow. We stood by the fire until long after dark, until the wood ran out. It's so hard to walk away from a nice campfire. The crisp night air made the stars so bright that they seemed magnified.  We threw a big box on what was left of the fire to make light for our walk back to camp.  Inside the camp the fireplace glowed with welcomed heat and the smell of chicken noodle soup was divine.  It's days like this that make the frozen isolation of winter so memorable.