SNOW!

One of our favorite annual traditions is spending President's Day weekend at Big Bear Lake with Chris' siblings.  All 10 of us are graciously hosted by their uncle at his mountain home. This is the third year we have been fortunate enough to have GREAT SNOW for our holiday weekend together. And this is the first year that Abby was old enough to play on her own in the snow. She loved it. Of course she did.

We didn't have any snow in Chicago this Christmas, and San Diego isn't known for the white stuff, so it FILLED ME UP to be in snow, 40 degree temps, and the mountains for 3 days. I think mostly it reminds me of that glorious state of CO we called home for 7 years. That, and the Scandinavian in me feels at home in brisk temperatures and winter gear.

Outside the house we enjoyed walks in the snow, sledding, and a tubing hill. Most of the group skied on Saturday, but given our stage of life and the age of our kiddos we haven't yet been able to join them for that part of the weekend. I am a bit of a ski-snob after years of skiing in Breckenridge, Keystone, and Vail, but I will admit that this year the mountain looked REALLY appealing. Maybe in 5 years.

Inside the house we spent time eating together, watching movies, drinking coffee, napping, reading, and just sitting around together and talking. Enjoying the cousins enjoying each other is always a highlight of the weekend for me. It is a weekend where we can turn off and just BE. Chris' uncle and his wife are AMAZING hosts and make us all feel incredibly welcomed and cared for.

I'm already looking forward to next year.