First of all- Merry Christmas! This has been a great time of year for our family, and though it's been less than a week since school got out, it feels like we have been on three vacations already. In a nutshell, we had a few days in BC and Alberta, where we stayed in one of our favorite hotels and got in some great skiing. We were back at home for Christmas where we fulfilled many of our family traditions surrounding the holiday season. And then we took a quick getaway to our place in Wallace where we had a really fun family game night, woke up to new snow, and had just a really good and joyful day on the mountain. Rachel and I capped off the long weekend by going out to dinner last night, where we sat at a table and talked for over two hours. Overall, it has been a lovely mix of fun, silly, peaceful, and exciting- just the way it should be.

In upcoming weeks we'll do a family recap of our year with a little update on each person. We are also looking forward to a quick trip this next weekend to visit my parents. It should be fun. For now though, I'll just leave a bunch of pictures and wish everyone a happy New Year- It's seriously crazy that 2024 is just around the corner! Also, today has more sunlight than yesterday, so that is yet another reason to be happy. 

Have a good week!

Lindsey's class did a Dr. Seuss display. This was Lindsey's contribution.

This hotel always provides baked beans for breakfast (among other things), and we think that is funny

Jackson has been really into the "spread eagle" pose lately. At least it's easy to find him on the mountain!

These lunchtimes together have become one of my favorite parts of a ski day. They are almost always full of lots of laughter and good stories.

I think that Lake Louise may be one of the most perfect resorts that we go to. It has all the things.

The swimming pool, sauna, and hot tub are always nice to come back to after a day on the snow. 

Addy and Maren forgot their swimming suits so they stayed behind. They found ways of having fun on their own though. Weirdos.

Pizza dinners are always a staple of these trips- but that is especially the case at this restaurant attached to the hotel. We have year-round debates in our family about "Silver vs Gold pizza," because of Silver Mountain and this hotel in Golden, BC. Both make good food- but it is unanimous that "Gold" is most likely the best pizza in the entire universe.

Just being a little bit silly after a fun day outside

I don't remember everything that led to this picture. It had something do do with a dare during dinner, after which everyone ran outside for an interlude to our meal. Beyond that, the details get fuzzy.

I had left something behind in the car which I had to go back and find. When I got back to Sunshine Village I couldn't see anyone in our family. I stood there looking around for entirely too long before finally realizing that the statue I was standing right next to had a Lindsey attached to it.

Of course it isn't all just laughter and fun. There were plenty of warm contemplative moments this season as well. When it comes to Christmas itself, these are my favorite times.

Our kids helped usher the evening candlelight service at our church. I'm not sure what people thought when Jackson offered for them to take one of his Wolverine-style candle claws. I think they were happy to see kids who were involved? But still...

 Good food is definitely part of the holidays, and we didn't hold back. I don't think I need to eat anything else for the next four days.

Christmas Eve PJs

Christmas Eve movie. The Muppet Christmas Carol has become a beloved tradition for us. "After all, there's only one more sleep 'till Christmas."

The aftermath of Christmas morning. We opened presents from about 5:15 until around 10, with some stops along the way for morning treats. This was all cleaned up by the time we had our Christmas brunch, and the rest of the day was delightfully "chill."

Evelyn got up early to get some reading in before starting the day in Wallace

After a great holiday vacation we are all ready to drop into the new week with smiles on our faces.

Have a good week!

On Friday evening I finished up with work and headed straight for the mountains. The rest of the family had gone up earlier in the day, and I was planning on meeting them at the Wallace house. It had been a long, busy week at work. The end of the year is always like that, with insurance deadlines and everything. Added on top of this normal rush, there were a few specific cases that have had particular challenges. Suffice it to say I was ready for a weekend. An escape.

And then I walked into this, and was immediately transported to a different state of mind:

The lights were turned down low, and soft Christmas music was playing on the record player. The family was sitting in front of the fake fireplace playing a card game, friendly banter and talk of tomorrow's ski day filling the air. Smells of dinner wafted in from the kitchen, and in spite of the wintery weather outside, the house felt cozy and warm. 

Walking through that door may as well have been a step into a different world. The cares of day-to-day life just melted away, and for a brief moment it was only us in this moment and it was just really, really wonderful.

The following day we had a nice breakfast and then made the short drive to the resort. The weather, gloomy down low, seemed an apt analogy of my experience the night before. Cold and somber, we prepared ourselves for a rough day. But really, "there is no such thing as bad conditions," so we dutifully put on our boots and headed for the gondola.

And then, once again, I was transported to Valhalla- a place, quite literally above the clouds, where the sun was shining, the snow was fast, and the atmosphere was that of a giant festival. We raced the hill, carving on freshly groomed runs and bouncing down the bumps. What a day- what a weekend!

It was exactly the getaway that was needed, and I returned to work on Monday feeling totally refreshed and ready for another week of crazy. Good crazy- the kind of crazy that is fun to come back to- especially with the notes of the weekend still lingering in the air to put things into perspective. I love it.

This is the life

*****

Besides our little mountain vacation, we have been running around and doing holiday themed things. Last Sunday, Evelyn played drums in church. She also had a mid-week concert at school where she was one of the percussionists. My favorite part was when she got the drum set all to herself for a song they did by Mannheim Steamroller. She rocked that song!

She was very focused during the concert. I tried really hard to catch her mid smile, but this is the best I could do.

Hanging out with friends after the show

*****

Addy was also in a few different concerts with her saxophone. The first was at her school, where she was one of the soloists. She did a great job, including her improv solo for a jazz bit they did. My favorite part, however, was where she turned around for the grand finale and conducted the band with jazz hands. Nobody planned that, and it is so "Addy" of her.

She also played in a small instrumental ensemble at church, where they did several carols to the reenactment of the Christmas story. Lindsey had a small role as well, as one of the wise men, even though she was really hoping to be the star. Personally, I think the wise man was a better character.

*****

Our week of concerts wrapped up with Maren singing in her school choir. Although this is her first year at it, she is already talking about auditioning for more select groups. I think she did a great job!

*****

Finally, to cap off our weekend, we all went back to Coeur d'Alene on Sunday evening and went on the lake cruise to "The North Pole." Our church had rented out the entire boat, so we knew everyone who was there. The kids took full advantage of the refreshments, and once they were completely amped on sugar, commenced a game of tag. Adults enjoyed the warm cabin of the boat to chat and catch up with each other. At "The North Pole," Santa met us and put on a light/fireworks show. It was a fun way to finish off the week.

Have a good week!

(In other news, I just realized as I posted these pictures that Lindsey did not ever change her clothes between Friday morning and Sunday night. We are good parents, I promise. What are weekends for, anyway?)