During our Christmas weekend, Cole and I traveled to South Dakota and back into Nebraska to his grandparent's home. With our legs cramped in his Honda, a hop on hay bales rejuvenated the afternoon.

Maggie and Cole did the most racing, but Kady and I bound along behind them a few times. The other adventures included cartwheels and long jumps between bales, some small and some deep grassy caverns.

As you can see, Cole did a fair amount of jumping. The crazy part is how nice the weather has been. Without these conditions, I never would have been outside in December playing with just a jacket on. . . .

For all of you out there with a real tree, not a red spruce that glimmers with glued-in lights, don't throw your tree in the trash. Your Christmas tree can have a different life instead of rotting away with holiday leftovers and plastic packaging.

Your tree is just one of the 33 million sold this season that can have another purpose once all of the shiny red bulbs and tinsel are removed. . . .