Idyllwild

The three stooges.

Grace throwing snowballs.

Faith getting beamed (I can't spell, I mean beaned) and loving it.

Us.

Wood carvings.

Eagles.

Faith about to enjoy her first ever hot chocolate.

Grace is warm and happy (notice her chocolate mustache).

The road to Humber Park.

We're here!

Time to go sledding!

Wee!

Double the fun!

Um, I think he's over the weight limit of 170 lbs.

Faith, my fearless snow bunny.

Family picture with frosty.

Hey, the snowman kinda looks like daddy.

Winter wonderland.

Yup, daddy got a workout.

Last run!

Morgan recently got these new inter tubes for the girls so we were anxious to try them out before all the snow melted away for the winter. Since we had some rain this past week, we decided that our best chance would be on Sunday. So, we happily went to church as a family on Saturday night and headed up to Idyllwild on Sunday morning. Our goal was to find some little hills where the girls could practice sledding and have some fun in the snow. Except this time, in order for us to see any snow at all, we had to go all the way into Idyllwild. It's really not all that far. It's only about an hour and 15 mins. away. When we got there, we asked around and were told that the best place for sledding would be Humber Park. Unfortunately, when we got to the park, it was closed due to icy roads. So, what to do now? We improvised by finding an open area of flat snow where the kids could play a little, but sadly, no sledding. After throwing snowballs and playing for a bit, we warmed up by heading to a local coffee shop and treating ourselves to a snack and a cup of hot chocolate. It was the first time the girls have ever had hot chocolate! Needless to say, they loved it.

After warming up a bit, we decided to try Humber Park again. This time, the roads were clear and we made it all the way up! It was the perfect spot for sledding and building a snowman. We had the best time! I think the girls could have stayed in the snow and played all day. It was the perfect amount of white powder and the hills were ideal for the girls' first sledding experience.

Faith is our fearless one so she took to sledding with ease and great joy. She always had a big smile on her face, all the way down. Grace did every run but usually she had a worried look on her face until about half way down, then she ended with a big smile. This was only the girls' second time in the snow but after this trip, we are seriously considering two things... The first is renting a cabin sometime next winter. Maybe Big Bear. We look forward to teaching the girls how to snowboard and ski next year and it would be so wonderful to return to a cozy cabin, start a warm fire, make some food, and take a nap- just to do it all over again. The second thing that we really have to consider is investing in some appropriate snow clothes. I think I might look online at craigslist or try to find some gently worn ski wear for the girls at local garage sales.

One of the great joys of parenting for Morgan and I is to experience new adventures with our kids. It's so awesome to teach them something new and to watch them enjoy and try new things. We also get to have fun by reliving our younger years, only this time, together as a family. We stayed in Idyllwild a bit longer than we had anticipated but it was so worth it! We got home around 2:00 and the girls were pooped. Thankfully, they managed to take a little nap. We watched the Super Bowl together as a family in the late afternoon, skipping over most of the commercials. It was a SUPER Sunday, for sure! Enjoy the short videos.