Towada Winter Festival

 So the Towada Winter Festival was definitely no Sapporo Festival, but it was only an hour and a half away and was something fun to go do on Presidents Day.  Things usually get going at night with lights and music, but we decided since the sun was out we would go check things out during the day.  And it was a good thing too, cause somehow we got there and realized Bryce's coat didn't make it into the car.  Luckily I had everything else and some extra pair of clothes so he had on about 4 different layers of shirts, I think it worked.

 Chase and Bryce were having a blast sledding.  Chase kept going over and over again.  They had made two sled hills, a baby one and a bigger one, with snow steps leading up to them which made it easier to get to the top.  I think Chase liked that over our hills at home.

 Chase is super competitive right now.  Everything is a race and here they hit the snowbank and the first thing out of Chase's mouth to Cole is "I win".

 Bryce was going down the bunny hill by himself.

 The only snow sculpture.  Sapporo had about 100 of these this size.  But they are so cool.  Don't know how they do this, but it is very cool.

 The boys!

 The boys and I in front of one of the several igloos they made.  This one was a church igloo.

 Sledding down the bigger hill.

 Last shot of the day usually ends up like this.  I am always pushing for one more shot, and in turn I get Chase eating snow and Bryce was wanting to go.

 I didn't take these pictures, but this was what we were seeing on our drive up to the festival through Oirase Gorge.  Most of the waterfalls were completely frozen.  These shots must have been taken at night, during the day the frozen icicles have a bluish green color to them that are so pretty.