"My face hurts."

"My face hurts." 

You've never truly experienced the cold unless you've had a hurting face. As kids, we lived outside. This meant half our lives were spent outside in Wisconsin's cold, windy, snowy weather. 

I apparently commented on my hurting cheeks so often that my brother became programmed to respond to my complaint by saying in good fun, "If I had a face as ugly as yours, it'd hurt too." 

His comment earned him a fist punch in the shoulder, but then we'd laugh until our bellies hurt. He'd warn me to think before saying such things in front of him next time.

My husband and I went snowshoeing for the second time this season on Saturday. As we were making our way around a lake, my thoughts turned to that of a hurting face. While I had a hat and neck guard on, my eyes, cheeks, and nose were still exposed to the bitter chill of the wind passing menacingly across the lake. I smiled thinking of my brother and what he would have said had I mentioned this thought out loud.

Notice my red cheeks in the photo.

Snowshoeing is my new favorite winter activity. While I have yet to purchase a pair of snowshoes for myself, we've made it a priority to get outside and take in the fresh air more often this winter, despite the cold temperatures.

If anyone has recommendations on good, quality snowshoes, please let me know! We've been doing some research, but I don't even know where to start. We know we purchase them based on body weight. I want to find a pair with good bindings, and that are easy to get on and off.

Today is one of the coldest days in years. It's currently -24, with a windchill of about -47. The high today is supposed to be -15. I feel like we are living in Alaska. Thankfully, I have a garage where my vehicle is stored, and my drive to work is only about 10 minutes. Our hospital also has an indoor walkway I can take from the parking ramp to get inside.

From our home to yours, happy winter days! Stay warm and safe, everyone!