snow days

As promised, follows is a recap of our recent trip to the mountains.
This is a long post because well, we don't really go on vacation so this is a big thing for us.

Katie was enamored by the snow, and perhaps even more so, by icicles which the girls plucked one after another.

On day two the big girls tried skiing.
There weren't any kiddie slopes at this particular mountain (we figured this all out too late of course) so we headed to the most remedial section they had.

After undergoing an extremely brief trial run on the flat surface at the bottom of the slopes, the girls insisted on going on the chair lift.

Papa who hadn't been on skis (only a snowboard) since he was 10-years old was not supportive of the idea, but Katie was adament.

So, up they went.

And, eventually... down they came.

The girls pretty much quit after that.

They did have fun hanging out at the house.

Ray even built our own snowman on the deck.

As you can see our view was gorgeous, this picture only showing a portion of the panoramic view we were treated to.

We all played a little Wii.

There were two sets of double bunk beds in a room where the girls slept.

The kids enjoyed eating, bathing and sleeping together. That is, until they hated each other like the frienemies (friend + enemy) they are.

All the while outside it snowed.

And snowed.

The next morning we awoke to this...

Over a foot of powder.

We headed out with our sleds.

At this point you're probably thinking, "did they bring Maddie?"

Yes.

And, she deplored the snow.

Every time I tried to put her down she cried. So for the most part there are no pictures of her, because I'm generally carrying her while taking these photos.

(me trying to take a picture of the two of us.)

The dads watched the kids one afternoon while Miyo and I headed out to do some skiing which was fun.
On our last day we tried to take the girls tubing in the snow.

But, when we got there they both balked saying it looked too scary.

So, we made snowmen near the entrance instead (hence the fencing and barbed wire in the background).

Our friends, hailing from back east quickly made a respectable snowman.

And us, well... ours looked more like Jabba the Hutt.

Literally ten minutes before we are going to get in the car to head home Maddie starts yelling "doooowww" which means "down."

She scrambles down and begins to play in the snow.

Seriously, girl?!

Being the mamarazzi I am, I quickly snapped a semi-decent shot of the girls in the snow together -- the only one I got the whole trip.

Next time Maddie, next time.

(oh, and thank you Stasia, Kati and everyone we borrowed clothes from!)