I'm here to join Annie at Annie's Friday Smiles. Some of you may have been here last Saturday and Sunday when I shared that I had two teens and a tween who stayed with me for several days. To catch everyone up, I took care of these youngsters as their mother was dying last year and until their aunt could come from California (a state in the U.S.) to make funeral arrangements and take them to live there. They asked to visit me while on summer break.
We did a lot of fun things, and on this particular day, we visited the Wichita Ice Center. 
We even took a walk through the Ice Sports Store, which was filled with lots of sports clothing, pucks, and ice skates. 
The Ice Center has it all from figure skating, a professional sized Olympic rink, a professional sized NHL (hockey) rink, and children's skating programs. 
There are full-length viewing windows and a health center on the second floor. 
There is also a 1000 person seating area in the Olympic sized rink. You might not realize it from the outside, but this was a HUGE place. I assure you, my photos don't do it justice.
Hockey, figure skating, and what they call "leisure skating" are all included in this building. Skating lessons are also offered to young and old alike.
Although I promised I would never show their faces, or even their genders on my blog, they wanted to send a picture of them going to the Ice Center to some friends. I just hope I didn't give too much away! |
| Image of hockey rink taken from the internet |
I had never been on ice skates before, and I assure you, I hugged the edges, but at least I didn't break anything, and didn't bruise my ego too much, either. After the skating session, we got to stay and watch the Zamboni (the machine that smooths and resurfaces the ice) in action. Then, as if we hadn't had enough cold that day, we went out for double scoops of ice cream.
Thanks for joining the youngsters and me today and thanks for your continued visits. Now let's visit Annie's Friday Smiles,
where it never hurts to begin the weekend with a big smile, just like
Annie's. Feel free to join in with a post of your own, too.
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21 thoughtful remarks:
Looks like a great place to go ice skating. Have a fun day, Valerie
Interesting, did you skate?
Thanks for your sweetest comment on my latest Penny Black card.
What a fab idea to visit there with the youngsters! Seem to be a huge place! Was the admission expensive? I think so.
Happy Friday dear Elizabteh! I hope you feel better meanwhile!
Take good care of yourself!
Happy Friday!
Hugs, Susi
And I say WOW - you were super to skate!!! Well done!
What a fun outing. Especially the double scoops of ice cream
That looks like a great place to be especially the way the weather is at the moment. I smiled when you mentioned hugging the edge as I've done the same. On one of our school trips skiing we took the children skating which I have never been any good at and the kids thought it very funny that I had no balance for skating yet could ski. Skating has never been my thing but I tried it and have never bothered again.
Have a lovely weekend, Angela xXx
I smiled at you hugging the edges Elizabeth.
It's been about 30 years since I last ice-skated, when I lived in Germany, and I remember it being fun, but don't know if I would know how to do it now.
I'm sure it was a fun day for the kids.
Enjoy the weekend and hope you're feeling 100% by now.
What a kind thing to do, to take in the young people in such sad circumstances. Did you know their mother? Or were they unknown kids? It's nice of them tyo want to come and see you again.
What a fun place to take them! It sure looks huge! An ideal activity to do on a hot summers day.
I have never taken to skating (although Holland is a skating nation). I have weak ankles and I would always end up hurting my ankles and not be able to walk for a few days. Not worth the suffering this skating business. And still (like Angela) I can ski no problem.
Have a great weekend,
Lisca
Thanks for joining in the fun again this week . I’m sorry I’m rather late visiting but I’ve been bear making all morning 😀😀😀 ....and will be all afternoon too.
It looks like you all had a fun day together. Life should be filled with days like that.
Hugs,
Annie x
Congrats for trying something new. That sounds like a fun day for me. I can skate (well I can go forward and backwards and that's about it) but it's still fun to do. I bet the kids loved it. And what a nice arena. As you know I have spent a lot of time in arenas-from childhood on as my brother played hockey a a kid- and it was cool to see. Plus, how fun to do something in a cool place on a hot summer day. I enjoyed our visit today to the ice center. happy Friday. Hugs-Erika
And the shivery cold fun continues! There's so much to do and enjoy in your area. Thanks for sharing it.
This looks like another fun packed day. I am smiling at the thought of you hanging onto the sides on the ice rink. I would never have been that brave to try it.
Super photos again today.
Yvonne xx
what a neat place you have in your city-Looks like a fun place to visit.
I am sure the youngsters loved it.
feel better-hugs
What a great place to take your sweet visitors Elizabeth and so brave of you to try out some skating yourself. I used to go skating with my cousin in my youth, it was a regular Saturday activity with many a bruised back side hee hee!! I would not be so brave now believe me.
I do hope you are feeling better now..??
Have a super weekend Hugs Tracey xx
Sounds like fun! But I spend most of my time on my butt or knees when I have tried to skate--Ice or roller--LOL! You didn't reveal too much. :)
It sounds as though you gave them a great time. What a huge place! When my tribe went skating - usually for a birthday treat - I was the one who sat at the side guarding coats, bags, pushchairs, and sometimes even a baby! I have ventured onto the ice, but like you, I only hugged the side. Happy days. Kate x
Now that's amazing! We used to have a small ice skating rink in a local mall, but that was ages ago and that mall is an empty lot now. We don't have anything like that impressive facility here. Looks like the "kids" had a great time :)
Great place to take those youngsters ...and to have a go yourself! I used to be w whizz on roller-skates - used to go to a rollerdrome once a week in my teens, but when as part of a group of teachers we used to take some children to the ice rink I was dreadfully unstable on the ice! It looks to be a great space to be in! Hugs, Chrisx
This emailed post went to my spam and I missed it! Love that you got on the ice! That did make me smile! I might have been on the ice years ago, can't remember!
Fun to beat the summer heat. I grew up in a town with two ice rinks at a private school and we paid 50 cents to skate for four hours every Sat and Sun, but in the winter only. We lived in our skates. So fun. xox
Give too much away? They look like children of the Michelin Man! The Wichita Ice Center is really something. From Wichita to CA ... they must really miss a lot of what you're sharing with them in this visit.
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