We Tried

We tried to get a smaller tree this year..... but for some reason the trees look so small on the lot. It isn't until you get them home and measure them to the ceiling that you realize you have brought home yet another 18 foot tree.... ooops!

Oh well, how often are we going to be able to decorate our Christmas Tree with a ladder and hanging out the loft???

There is something so fun about decorating the Christmas tree...... using all 4 of us to drag it inside, trying to stand it upright, putting the 10 strings of lights on, digging through the Christmas treasure boxes, unwrapping the memories in every ornament, sitting down and admiring your work with a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie (of course).....

Magic Kingdom

What makes the Magical Kingdom so magical?

For us.... it is seeing the smile plastered across Amma's face on every ride. It is seeing the eyes of our children light up at every corner. It is riding the carousel despite your age. It is watching their hands raise in the air on the roller coasters. It is seeing their absolute delight in It's a Small World. It is anticipating the lights coming on at the castle. It is letting yourself believe in fairy tales. It's picking out a Minnie Mouse for your sister that you know she will just love because she has been quietly spying it all day and tucking it into her vest while she is sleeping. It is riding the fastest roller coaster in the world 6 times in a row and loving it! It is getting to share a day of smiles with our family.

Tree Lighting

Leaving the Shaver cabin after a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend of skiing the pow pow, hot tubbing, snow caving, sledding, gaming and crafting is never easy. So, this year we decided to have an ending destination.... the Pines Christmas Tree Lighting. A simple small town tradition was made extra special because it was snowing ....

Thanksgiving Treat

It isn't every year you get to ski deep powder on Thanksgiving weekend at China Peak. What a great introduction to the winter season fun!

And Thanks to Grammy we even got to do something new.... ride in the Ski Patrol's injury sled!!

Feast

The Pilgrims and Indians celebrated yet another wonderful Thanksgiving Feast. Soups were made in every classroom to share.

(Josiah, Kaia and Caitie - Mrs. Durrell's 2nd grade class and Adalie, Ashlyn and Kaiya - Mrs. G's Kindergarten)

Snow Day

After a really warm Fall, this November snow was truly a treat!! We obviously needed to dive in and enjoy it somehow..... so we loaded the girls' snowmobiles up, picked up cousins and headed to the boat launch and campground. The girls had a blast spinning brodies in the parking lot and racing around on the campground roads. While waiting their turns, they built snowmen, roasted marshmallows and rolled in the snow!

(Josiah &Piper 7years old, and Adalie & Ashlyn 5years old)

Avilla Getaway

Avila... just what the doctor ordered. Uninterrupted time together. Bike rides. Cinnamon rolls. Sand castles. Frisbee games. Runs with Daddy while cartoons entertained. Toes in the water. Rest. Walks on the beach. Swinging like spider monkeys. Swimming in the pool. But best of all..... 1st time boogie boarding!!

The boogie boarding was Josiah's idea. She is usually our adventuresome one, the one who will try anything once. And if it is successful, then Adalie will give it a go also. My favorite was watching Josiah and Daddy walking out to the waves, heads together giving wave riding instructions. They jumped the waves, waited for the best one and rode it in as far as they could. Big smiles all the way. We learned right away that a wet suit was a must... not necessarily for warmth, but for protection when you miss judged a wave and got pummelled. Adalie started with just surfing the waves on her board, but ended the day riding them all the way to the shore. Another new adventure to add to the books!!

And... of course home in time to play soccer games!!

We love the whirlwind.....